Don’t Be Boring, the Pope Says!
I was talking to a friend the other day. He made a similar observation I had been sharing with friends.
He was sure of it. So was I.
Pope Francis must be reading our blogs!
One by one, Pope Francis is tackling subjects we’ve been writing about for the last four years.
- He asks for accountability among church leaders.
- He asks for transparency as administrators. Where does the money go?
- He is looking more kindly toward the American Sisters who had so riled the previous pope. The church has better things to do than dictate mission priorities to women who have pledged their lives to Christian service.
- He is reining in the clergy who shamelessly amass fortunes at the expense of parishioners.
- He is demanding priestly behavior.
And now he is addressing those newly ordained to speak from the pulpit.
Speak heart to heart. Don’t be boring.
I’ve been writing for a while that, at least in the way it plays out in thousands of congregations, the time and money spent on supplying a sermon each week is poor use of congregational resources—especially when listeners can’t remember a word by the time they reach the parking lot.
Pope Francis gives good advice.
We listeners know when the message is not heartfelt.
We cringe when the message is written to impress with obscure scholarly references.
We wonder if it is worth coming back when there is no connection between the message and our lives.
Thanks, Pope Francis. I’m sure more people read your blog than mine!