Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-11-08
SHORT SERMONS
MOST EFFECTIVE,
SAYS Minister
Or. w. H. Fry Tells Eva Con.
gregation What Coming
Sermon" Will Be

Short and snappy sermons are more
effective than the extended discourses.
DIR. William H. Fry told an interested
audience at Eva last night. The sub
ject OF his talk was '.The Coming Ser
mon and Its Chief Characteristics.
He said in part:
Secular writer's tell us that the ser
mon is soon to be thing of the past.
II is predicted that instead of being
preached from the pulpit, sermons will
be published in the Sunday paper or
recorded on the graphophone and en-
joyed at home Sunday morning. Re-
CARELESS Of the way in which this
pleasantly may be taken, the fact re-
mains that the preacher has much
harder task today than did the preach
err in the days of our fathers. Sound
ness was the sole basis of estimate of
the former sermon, but the coming
sermon must be interesting.
IAN aged Scottish lady was disap-
pointed at the youthful appearance Of
her new pastor and said, Your nae old
enough: please gang over the founda-
mentals. However, in those days the
people filled the pews to please the
preacher, but now the preacher fills
the pulpit to. please the people. It
used to be that the flock would follow
any shepherd. they were spoon fed
and seemed willing to swallow spoon
and ALL
Our church used to accept their
pastor as sent from God, the bishop
and his cabinet could make no mis-
take. But in these days it matters not
though the new preacher were an
angel from heaven. most Of the CON
gregation are from Missouri, and II is
up to him to make good The new
preacher in other denominations is the
main performer and is called in to do
his trial stunt under the stop watch.
He knows that if he does not make
good the pulpit committee will turn
him down and send back to the works
for another sample.
"The coming sermon is expected to
draw the crowd and If the church is
not well filed with worshipers the
fault is not laid at the door of the off,
cials, nor at the church door. but at
the parsons study door. The coming
sermon must not be too long. In this
busy age we crowd into a telegram of
10 wards as much information as was
usually found on sheet of foolscap In
other days. Men read the morning
and evening papers going and return
ing to and from the office. Life is too
short and we are too busy to listen to
sermons more than one hour in length
The coming sermon must deal with
the circumstances and conditions in
which the people live. 1t must take
of the kid gloves Of dilettantism and
drive the plowshare of truth and hon
est conviction in everything thar
makes against the best interests Of
morality and human happiness. II
must strike at the very root of the
things that are making humanity bit
ter and anarchy rank and turning man
against man.
The coming sermon must appeal to
the conscience of men for this will be
its main justification. If it appeals to
the passions the demagogue can sur
pass the preacher; If it appeals to the
imaginations the poet can excel him;
If IL appeals to the intellect the philo-
sophers can Guido him. But in his APP
peal to conscience the preacher has
no peer.
The coming sermon must maintain
the evangelist note. We are not left
in doubt as to what is meant by this,
for this truth will guide US. God so
loved the world. God is in Christ
reconciIing the world unto himself and
1t is a faithful saying and worthy of
all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came
into the world to save sinners"