tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15026486.post2275254549888563041..comments2023-10-03T09:50:54.742-04:00Comments on St. James the Hoosier: Sermons and the importance of the Divine CallRev. Jim Roemkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08765590533573457596noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15026486.post-13891557444407735642007-09-03T11:46:00.000-04:002007-09-03T11:46:00.000-04:00Chaz and Jay,All of us being new to the Holy Offic...Chaz and Jay,<BR/>All of us being new to the Holy Office can certainly benefit from the advice and conversation of older brothers, however, let no one despise you because of your age. God has called us, in our youth, to preach His Word to His people. Something that has been difficult for me as a newbie sole pastor is the constant fear that I am not doing enough or that I am doing something wrong, or that my elder peers won't like me, etc. But the reality is, I, like you both, have received a divine call. Our good Lord will not forsake us when He Himself has called us. Be bold in being a young pastor, but not foolish, be ready to stand alone, but do not forsake your peers or the fathers that have gone before you. Do not be afraid to be your own person, but be honest about that person's strengths and weaknesses. And most imporantly, never boast in anything save the precious cross of Jesus Christ.Rev. Jim Roemkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08765590533573457596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15026486.post-20452878231995108982007-08-31T08:12:00.000-04:002007-08-31T08:12:00.000-04:00Nice post Jim! I think you're right that it is fo...Nice post Jim! I think you're right that it is for the pastor to decide what the length of the sermon is. I mean, we are staring the congregation down. We can see when they start to nod off. <BR/>Regulating a sermon by time is a mistake in the first place. I just don't preach 30 minute sermons. I guess it is what I was trained not to do by growing up as a pastor's kid and via some of the things that CSL taught us.<BR/>Baptist seminarians may think that a 30 minute sermon is excessively short. <BR/>What should be more important is content. If you can go for 30 minutes and not make things repetitive or over the head of 90% of your parishioners - I say go for it. If you can get one clear point across in 10 minutes that everyone will replay in their head through the week - then go for that.<BR/>in Christ,<BR/>jWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15026486.post-29506999020733903102007-08-28T14:31:00.000-04:002007-08-28T14:31:00.000-04:00Excellent thoughts, dear brother!Thanks for contri...Excellent thoughts, dear brother!<BR/><BR/>Thanks for contributing to the conversation. I rambled on it a bit over at chaz-lehmann.livejournal.comChazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11487646830381863898noreply@blogger.com