Ellen Gould White
What does Ellen White write about...
Ellen Gould White über: "Where does Ellen White give information about the time duration of a sermon?"
Answer
Ellen White advises preachers to keep their talks short and generally not exceed a duration of one hour. Speaking at length exhausts both the preacher and the listeners and often leads to waning interest and the message losing its effectiveness. It is important to conclude the sermon while the listeners' interest is still at its peak.
Maximum Duration and Focus of the Sermon
»In most cases our preachers should not continue their efforts longer than an hour. They should leave introductions behind and get straight to the point, and be careful to close the sermon while interest is at its greatest. They should not continue the effort so long that their listeners wish they would stop speaking. A large portion of this extra work is lost to people who are often too tired to benefit from what they hear.«
Danger of Overly Long Talks
»They often speak too long when they do not have the invigorating influence of the Spirit of Heaven. They frequently tire those who hear them. It is a mistake many make when preaching; they do not stop at the point where interest is high. They continue speaking until the interest that had arisen in the listeners' minds dies out and people become truly weary of words without special weight or interest. Stop before you reach that point.«
Short Talks for Better Comprehension
»Present the truth to people in its true meaning and holiness, and be careful not to give them an overly large portion in one address. If you do, it will be lost on them. Long‑winded speeches diminish the effectiveness of your work. ... We must give people short talks in clear and simple language. ... Give short lessons, and do so often.«
Avoiding Verbosity
»You are also, my dear brother, often in danger of being verbose. Even in small gatherings your remarks are too extensive. ... What we say should come directly to the point and not be of such length that it fatigues the listeners, otherwise the teaching material will find no place in their hearts.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
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Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
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