Ministering in 10 Seconds or Less

I get my fair share of 10 second sound bytes. When I am at the gym on the elliptical (I've lost 15 pounds and counting! Woohoo!), I usually have three options for programming: CNN, ESPN, or local CBS.

At the time of day I am there, Wolf Blitzer's "Situation Room" is on where in general, no single guest can talk longer than 30 seconds at a time, unless they are cutting to a presidential news conference or something.

To me, it is frustrating, because I like to hear complete thoughts by these guests and am usually genuinely interested in what they have to say, but producers at CNN, Fox News, or wherever must think otherwise.

It made me start thinking about how I minister to people in the church. I feel like I am often writing and speaking to a sound-byte culture, so I must tailor a sermon or message in that way. You know, come up with some catchy phrase that incorporates 20-25 minutes of material into 10 words or less.

Is that really what God wants us to do as ministers of the Gospel (and I'm not just talking about those of us that do it professionally!) I mean, do we really remember the sound-bytes 1, 5, or 10 years down the road or do we remember the substance behind what we heard.

I like to think that in the long-term it's better to focus on the substance, not just the delivery. But at the same time, remember that we are in the midst of a radical reformation of spiritual thinking that may for now, only remember your 10 second sound-byte.