Wordiness

“… They think that they will be heard for their many words.” – Matthew 6:7b

I am fully aware tha Jesus used the above words to teach his disciples how not to pray – not like the heathen (Gentiles) with their vain repetitions. However, the context aside, we believe that these words of caution can furnish us some food for thought about our present-day public worship. I suppose that all of us who lead the various parts of the public worship, if we are honest, have to admit that we sometimes become far more wordy than necessary in our conducting of our part of the service – myself included.

Sermons We realize that the length of sermons is a matter of judgment. There are some subjects that need more time and words than others. The ability to hold interest varies from preacher to preacher, just as listeners’ ability to pay attention vary. So, finding a one-fits-all ideal is forever elusive. All who have known me for many years know my disdain for little “sermonettes preached by preacherettes.” But a sermon does not have to be short in length to be “sermonette” in content. It can have so much needless verbiage by saying the same thing in five or six different ways along with pointless anecdotes and non-illustrating jokes. Instead of organizing the sermon into a very few well-defined points and using just enough words to drive these points home and making them relate to the needs of the audience, we often are like it was said of a certain preacher – “he reads his text and then ‘goes everywhere preaching’ the word.” One should determine to the preach the “whole counsel of God” – but he does not have to do it all in one sermon. Also, one should remember that this is a time for teaching the Lord’s will and urging people to conform to it – not a time for near endless testimony of personal experiences. Do you ask, “Just how long should a preacher preach?” He should preach until he is finished, but the problem is that sometimes we are finished long before we quit.

Lord’s Supper There is no more meaningful act of worship to God than the Lord’s Supper. It is a simple observance in its content (unleavened bread and fruit of the vine), yet profound in its meaning. Reading of it in the New Testament one is impressed with the lack of pomp and ceremony surrounding it. If you read the Apostles’ account of its institution by the Lord you should be able to notice how simple, brief, and meaningful it can be. In each account, including Paul’s, the process is described in no more than four or five short verses. (Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-25). More and more we are hearing brethren calling for a “more-is-better” approach to the Lord’s Supper to make it more “meaningful.” This approach calls for more time for the observance and eating more of the elements when we eat it. Some disparagingly speak of our “traditional rushing through and taking only a pinch and sip of the elements.” A church’s devoting anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to just the Lord’s Supper seems to make it more meaningful to some. A simple taking the elements, making a brief statement of their significance, giving thanks for them, and then passing them around for all to eat is no longer sufficient – yet, to say the least, this more closely conforms to what we read in the New Testament. What scripture indicates that doubling or quadrupling either the time or the amount makes it any more meaningful?

Prayers The “much speaking” or “many words” that Jesus was talking about was that done of the Gentiles. But that does not keep us from being careful with our own praying, especially when leading congregational prayers. Those of us who lead these prayers need to be aware that we are not just praying our prayers, but we are wording the prayers for all the congregation. It should be a prayer to which each member can say “Amen” (1 Cor. 14:16). We need to remember what we are doing – we are praying along with however many brethren may be present. We are not preaching. It is not the time to preach a sermon to God and the congregation. This is not the time to pour out all our private wishes, desires, and thanksgivings to God – leave those to when we are alone with God. To the best we can we need to confine our public prayers to things that we have reason to believe that are on the minds of many present. It not a time to ramble on mentioning everything that might come to our minds. Brother John T. Lewis once suggested to man that public prayers did not need to be as long as the one the brother had just prayed. The man replied, “My Lord prayed all night.” To which brother Lewis retorted, “I know he did, but he had enough sense to go off by himself when he did.”

Just a word about “closing prayers,” sometimes called the “dismissal prayer.” The service is drawing to a close. Folks, rightly or not, are preparing to exit. Their little children are anticipating getting out. This is hardly a good time for the congregation to follow and concentrate on a long prayer that restates most of what has already been prayed or to pore over the details of all that has been said or done during the service. A short word of thanks and petition for the Lord’s continual blessings and protection should be sufficient. Amen.