Know when to shut up...

Do peeps really understand how boring they are when they talk and talk and talk? you know, rambling on and on with no point except to hear themselves talk. most of us have been that person sometime or another, or maybe on several occasions. the joke that i often hear is the one where a keynote speaker gets up in front of a room full of pastors and says that she is going to talk for three hours, because of all people that could understand that kind of madness, it is this group of people who talk way too much on sunday morning. the room always erupts with laughter and everyone pokes and jabs at one another because they know... they are all guilty -- don’t be that pastor.

when you get up to say something, whatever the venue, make sure it is worth while. that means you must do your homework before weekend and mid-week programs. when you are n a small group time with your staff, students, or other pastors, be the person who is succinct and to the point. when i was younger i would speak at a midweek program to kids for up to thirty-five minutes and beyond... junior highers!!! by the time i was done talking the group time following would be cut short to like ten minutes or less. it was awful. i mean, it does not matter if you are the most dynamic person to ever step on a stage - don’t do that! finally one day a leader came up to me and lovingly asked if there was a way for me to cut down my sermon time and give them a little more time every once in a while. i got the hint.

i made it a point from then on that i would always make sure that i would always prioritize the group time over the message. sure, i could give the kids all of my seminary knowledge and all the Bible mumbo jumbo. but it was the time in groups that allowed them to get to know the other kids and their leaders. this helped my leaders raise their leadership abilities and it took a ton of pressure off of me. had that group leader not called me out i would prolly still be giving those long talks, amusing only myself and my leaders would not have had as much time to connect with the kids. Who needs to call you out?