European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes religion saturday june 25, 1994 soothing sermons Cool fire that raged in pulpit by Terry Mattingly Scripps Howard news service South Hamilton mass. A Tor generations great preachers were expected to plug into god and create electricity. Today lightning rarely strikes in pulpits decades alter the invention of the microphone people would he shocked if ministers raised their voices. Now most use a conversational tone and Tell gentle humorous stories Quot the people who arc coming Back to Church these Days resent being yelled at. ,. T hey think you re scolding them a said the Rev. Haddon Robinson of Gordon Conwill theological Seminary. Robinson is an internationally known teacher of preaching. Quot people want to hear preachers who sound like the people they like on television. They want that warm Friendly television tone.�?�. Loud Brash preachers have trouble in an age of chatty storytelling and personal confessions. But preachers who Lack any sense of drama or wit will be tuned out. Preachers arc supposed to offer helpful insights not Sharp judgments. Listeners want to see glimpses of a preachers heart but May resent words that pry into the state of their own souls. Robinson has trained hundreds of preachers while teaching in Dallas Denver and now in new England. He is also the author of a classic textbook biblical preaching. Throughout his career be has been fascinated with the Impact of Media and technology on the preaching. He said he sees several other major trends. A protestant preachers used to speak for 45 minutes. Today few dare to top 25 minutes. In other churches 2t minute sermons have been trimmed to 12 minutes or less. Obviously attention spans have grown Shorter As part of the television Era another Factor is the increasing number of sunday services offered in larger churches. A you literally done to have the luxury of that extra Lime. You re on a schedule a said Robinson. Quot also the. Younger the audience the More Likely the Sermon will get Shorter. The More secular the audience the More Likely it will get  a Many ministers have stopped using notes and with wireless Lapel microphones have walked away from the traditional pulpit. T Nis adds an appearance of Freedom helps the preacher make visual Contact with people in the pews and emphasizes Subtle physical gestures. Preaching without notes also leads to Shorter sermons. A television tells stories and so do modern ministers. Its hard to quote doctrine or the Bible to people baptized in years of Media and social turmoil. Thus Many preachers Tell stories that gently deliver moral messages. Modern storytellers such As Garrison Keillor have been a major influence. A humor is a terribly important and offers preachers another Way to lower defences Robinson said. But sarcasm or angry humor is rare. The put Down is out. Paradox is in. Successful pulpit humorists offer a kind of self  wit that secs the irony in modern life. Anglican priest David Smith 32, a martial arts experts dons his boxing gloves in his Church in Sydney Australia. Australian priest to Battle for Jesus Sydney Australia a the Rev. Dave Smith will fight for your soul with a Devil of a punch. The 32-year anglican priest and martial arts expert recently challenged All Comers to five rounds in the ring. If he loses hell pay for dinner. Otherwise the loser must come to Smiths St. Aidana a Church the following sunday. Quot in be thrown Down the Gauntlet in the interests of the Church a said the priest who is adept at boxing kickboxing judo wrestling and Hap Kida a korean martial Art based on the other four. Smith was a Street fighter in his teens before he joined the clergy. A Quot i can be a pretty mean fighter and i done to like to lose even in gods name a he told the Sydney morning Herald. Vatican operating budget records 1st surplus in 23 years Vatican City apr after 23 years of red Ink the Vatican says it has turned the Corner and recorded a Small surplus in its 1993 operating budget. In making the announcement this month Cardinal Edmund Szoka urged dioceses around the world to keep up their contributions to the holy see that were Pivotal in wiping out the deficit. The deficit hit ss7.5 million in 1991, but fell to $3.3 million in 1992. Last year a surplus of $1.5 million was recorded. The operating budget covers the curia or Central administration Vatican news Media and diplomatic missions around the world. The figures do not involve the Vatican Bank which Szoka described As an Independent Agency. Also not included was income from Peters Pence contributions to the Pope for use in charities around the world a amounting to just less than $60 million in 1993.scottish anglicans Back ordination of women from wire reports Edinburgh Scotland a the scottish episcopal Church has decided to ordain women As priests three months after the Mother Church of England took the historic step. The scottish Church has 56,000 members. In 1986, it voted to permit women deacons and now has 64 of them. The anglican Church naval is rejected women priests in april. Orthodox jews must share Jerusalem a israelis supreme court has ruled that non orthodox branches of Judaism Are entitled to Public Money. The decision has special resonance outside the country especially in the United states where the bulk of affiliated american jews belongs to the Reform and conservative movements both More Liberal than the orthodox. The dismissive attitude in Israel toward the two groups which have tiny followings in the country has clouded the otherwise solid support for Israel among american jews. The court last week told the ministry of religious affairs Long dominated by the orthodox that it must fund schooling and cultural activities for the other two branches of Judaism Church attracts weddings Honolulu to motorists along Honolulu a King Street its a familiar scene a japanese couple in full wedding costume posing for pictures on the Steps of the historic Kaw Jiahao Church. This scene is repeated up to 130 times a month Church officials said. June is a Busy month for weddings in Hawaii which issues More than 7,500 marriage licenses to out of state residents each year. The 152-year-old Church which has been the sight of hawaiian Cor nations and funerals is one of the most popular wedding Sites japanese visitors choose when planning their nuptials in Hawaii. But Church officials said it is not just a business. Quot Kaw Jiahao Church docs this As a Mission and As evangelism a wedding coordinator Matsuko Machado said. A your primary Mission is to bring christianity to the people who come to  the Christian ministers give each couple wishing to marry at the Church at least an hour of counselling and a japanese language Bible fast held to trim debt Kansas City to. A members of a suburban Kansas City Church have been fasting for one meal a week since january 1993 in an Effort to reduce the National debt. Fasting members of the St. Luke presbyterian Church have been donating the Money saved to a National debt fund. Last year the congregation raised $1,148 for debt retirement. On a recent sunday the Church received the Liberty award from the fund to end the deficit a nonprofit organization in Washington. Quot you Are  funds executive director Lucile Mcconnell told the congregation. Quot you Are giving up something to make a letter future for your  the Rev. Joseph Pallik Thayil pastor of the congregation said he had been praying for several years for a solution to the National debt problem. A i kept asking the lord a what can i do a finally it came to me a maybe a seven year fast and prayer and i could inspire the  Pallik Thayil a native of India said he did not know How Many of the 260 congregation members Are participating in the Effort but he Hopes it will continue to 2000.new Baptist chief grateful Orlando Fla. A he was a poor Seminary student who slept in his car because he  afford a Motel while attending his first Southern Baptist convention in 1961. Quot now look How Good gods been to me 33 year Slater a the Rev. Jim Henry told his congregation sunday in Orlando Days after being elected president of the 15.4 million member Southern Baptist convention. Henry wept As he talked about How he began so humbly and about How his father predicted shortly before he died recently that Henry would be elected