When people are first asked to preach, their main concern is “how can I fill that time?”  Once preachers have some experience, they tend to want more time than they have.  If you are used to preaching for 30, 35, 45 minutes, then it is a real challenge to prepare a 10, 12 or 15 minute message.  It forces you to “think yourself clear” to a far greater extent.  It forces you to cut more diligently and preach lean.

Sometimes that is forced on you.  Today I am preaching in a series, but through a translator as we have a load of guests from France with us.  The blessing of preaching through an ‘interrupter’ is that I have had to think through the message to a greater level of clarity and simplicity.  I am not sure if I have succeeded yet.  But it is an interesting thought.  Why not deliberately preach short once in a while?  Why not preach a message half as long as you typically do?  It will challenge you as a preacher, it will shock your listeners and demonstrate that church form is not set in stone.  It will allow extra time for musical response, personal response or fellowship.  I am not advocating preaching shorter sermons all the time.  If you are in a church that allows and appreciates longer sermons, then praise the Lord.  But why not cut the length of a sermon periodically, for your sake and for theirs?  Is that a challenge worth taking?