Letters

Falling asleep in church

Thu Dec 7 2017 - 00:05

Sir, – A letter-writer (December 2nd) asks what we are to make of the Apostle Paul’s theology when during one of his sermons in Acts 20 a young man “sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer”. Perhaps Paul was going on and on about how women should be silent in church and obedient to their husbands? Perhaps he was telling the group assembled how homosexuals would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven? The young man may have been particularly intelligent and found such preaching tiresome. Many have followed his example. – Yours, etc,

DECLAN KELLY,

Cork.

Sir, – A letter-writer refers to Eutychus, the young man who fell asleep as the Apostle Paul preached “on and on”. Eutychus was sitting in a window frame and, when he fell asleep, fell to the ground from the third floor. He died. However, the great Apostle Paul restored him to life.

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Can modern preachers cope similarly with the results of their preaching? – Yours, etc,

RICHARD ALLEN,

Sligo.

Sir, – The solution to a letter-writer’s problem of boredom, irritation or possibly both with Sunday sermons is simple. Don’t go to church. Stay in bed, read the Sunday papers or go for a walk. It works for me. – Yours, etc,

TOM FULLER,

Glasnevin,

Dublin 11.

Sir, – In response to a letter-writer’s citing of Eutychus falling asleep while listening to a sermon from the Apostle Paul, perhaps it was because Paul was far better at writing than speaking, “his letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive” (2 Corinthians 10:10).

Perhaps the Apostle wouldn’t have bothered preaching at all had your letters page been available in the AD 50s and 60s. – Yours, etc,

RONAN SCANLAN

Leopardstown,

Dublin 18.

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