Thom Rainer recently cited his top 10 posts from 2015, and one of them was on things not to say to the preacher right after the sermon.
Things Not to Say to the Preacher Right After the Sermon
1. “I am going to be late for lunch because you preached so long.”
2. “You must not have had much time to prepare that sermon.”
3. “My former pastor preached a much better sermon from that text.”
4. “I wish {fill in the blank} would have heard that sermon.”
5. “You act like you weren’t feeling well while you preached.”
After reading those, I thought of a few other comments I’d have rather not heard as I was standing by the exit after preaching:
1. “Thanks for the great nap, preacher. I needed that!”
2. “You should have heard Charles Stanley this morning. Now that was a sermon!”
3. “Oh, preacher, every sermon you preach is better than the one after it!”
Hope you hear only nice comments in 2016!
Michael Duduit is founding Dean of the College of Christian Studies and the Clamp Divinity School at Anderson University. He also serves as Professor of Christian Ministry. He is the founder and still serves as Executive Editor of Preaching magazine, one of the nation’s premier publications for pastors. His email newsletter, Preaching Now, is read each week by more than 40,000 pastors and church leaders in the U.S. and around the world. He is founder and director of the National Conference on Preaching and the International Congress on Preaching. He has been a pastor and associate pastor, has served a number of churches as interim pastor, and speaks regularly for churches, colleges and conferences. He is author and editor of several books, including the Handbook of Contemporary Preaching, Joy in Ministry: Messages from Second Corinthians, Preaching with Power: Dynamic Insights from Twenty Top Communicators and Communicate With Power.