Long-winded Preachers

We've all had nightmares of being stuck in a church service where the preacher started his message and proceeded to cover everything from Genesis to Revelation with a couple of visits to the the apocrypha and pseudipigrapha to boot. Help!

Well this preacher couldn't stop himself from communicating everything that came to his head so he started writing it down. 3.5 million words later, he is still going!

I'm a preacher. I am sure that there have been times when I wore my audience out. Not every message can be a barn burner. But this has to rank as the ultimate extreme.

I often wonder what goes through the mind of a listener when the message goes long. What has gone through your head? Do you daydream about your consummate vacation? Are you planning your work week? Maybe you won't want to say. But the next time I'm accused of speaking too long, I am going to refer my critics to this guy and tell them to thank God they weren't a part of his congregation. :)

Where's the Pastor

I've been off for about 7 weeks now and am itching to get back in the saddle. I've accepted a few speaking engagements in the Chicago area. I'm excited about sharing the Word of God with the extended Body of Christ.

This Sunday (7/1) I'll be in my old stomping grounds Cross and Crown. This is the church Grace and I planted way back in January of 1981. We served there for a bit over 20 years and have many fond memories and experiences of God's working in and through us. It will be great to be reunited with old friends and have the opportunity to make new acquaintances.

On July 8 we've been invited to speak at Rock Church in Rockford. Our good friends John and Becky Sprecher are the pastors of this great church. They have faithfully served Rock for over 25 years. I had the privilege to speak at a worker appreciation dinner there a few years back. The good folks at Rock are an engaging and delightful audience. We're believing God for a timely word that will challenge and inspire the people of God.

July 22 finds us at Church in the Word in Elgin. Pastor Patrick and Tami Hoban lead this new and young congregation. I remember when Pastor Patrick and I first met. He was just then thinking of planting the church and we invited him to share their vision with our church in the city. What a great work they have done in a short 7 years. The church is growing and making their presence felt in the Fox Valley. I was excited and humbled by their invitation to share the Word.

Please join with Grace and I in prayer as we prepare to visit these churches. We count it a blessing to contribute something to their growth and development and take our charge very seriously.