Sir, —
I must begin with a caveat — stressing that this is a personal view, as I’ve not had the privilege to attend a wide range of Sunday services. However, I feel a survey across all parishes could be revealing and may prove useful in deliberations by Church authorities as evolution continues within the Church of Ireland. My issue, in simple terms, is quality over quantity.
To explain, the most boring sermons in terms of delivery, as opposed to content, have consistently been those which overrun and fail to hold attention or resonate with a strong, memorable key message. A one-hour Sunday service now regularly approaches 90 minutes and, despite the additional time, fails to leave me with a strong message that lasts beyond escaping.
Whilst appreciating the need for clergy to address a diverse congregation in difficult circumstances, I am not alone in my groans of despair that not only have we lost many traditional hymns to modern delivery (focusing on praise over understanding/learning), but also that many sermons no longer begin with impact, explain the importance of the key impact, or finish with the impact or consequences.
Perhaps a survey or questionnaire across parishes might help identify deficiencies in vocational training.
Yours, etc. —
Mr Ken Johnston
(by email)
