Congregational Attention Span

We live in an age in which people's attention spans are minimal. Preachers are, of course, well aware of this truth. When the sermon is yet being preached at noon on Sunday, and parishioners are shifting in their seats and watches are beeping and cell phones are ringing, what is a preacher to do? When, heaven forbid, the preacher goes until ten after twelve, and he hears about it from some mothers who have dinner in the oven.

Thomas Fuller, in his book The Worthies of England, tells the story of a sermon given by Laurence Chaderton one Sunday morning in Lancashire. Chaderton was the first Master of Emmanuel College of Cambridge University, and he was a fine preacher of the gospel. In any event, on that Sunday morning he had preached for about two hours to the congregation in Lancashire that was not used to good, solid expository preaching. In any event, at the end of the sermon he said something almost apologetically: "that he would no longer trespass on their patience." But the people would not allow him to stop. They urged him on, "For God's sake, sir, go on, go on!" Fuller describes the consequence, "Hereat, Mr. Chaderton was surprised into a longer discourse, beyond his expectation, in satisfaction of their importunity."

I believe many in the pastorate would be sent into great shock if their congregations responded this way.