Kind of a weird question, but have you ever heard profanity in a sermon?

[ButterflyBlood]

I'm wondering how common this is if it happens.

The closest I've ever heard was my pastor once saying "Jesus pissed people off" which no doubt might've offended some gray hairs if there were any present (I go to one of those youthful hipster-type churches and our congregation is at least 80% under 40, so I doubt anyone was too bothered. People have been known to sell pot at our small group meetings!). But I have gone to launch group meetings for a progressive church plant group where once during our series covering people's stories of change one girl said she wrote up some notes for her speech but believed that God had told her not bother with notes because she speaks better without them and proclaimed "fuck the notes" before tossing them behind her, and one of the associate pastors when talking about the "healing" portion of their mission statement mentioned "getting people through all the shit in their lives".

But anyone heard anything like that in an actual sermon at an actual service?

[saras]

1. Not since the Jesus People (hippie Christians) in the early seventies.

and that was for conscious effect, not the mere carelessness you seem to be describing.

[onpatrol98]

2. Ah...No

[timtom]

3. Tony Campolo

in an address to a college audience, some years ago, said something like, "...thousands of children and families out there going hungry and unnoticed, and nobody gives a shit! And, more people here today will remember that I said 'shit' then the fact of the suffering that is out there."

I was there.

[Critters2]

12. That is brilliant. Good for him! nt

[sweetloukillbot]

4. The Sunday after Pope John Paul II died

My former pastor (ELCA Lutheran) started by saying that he'd recieved word from the synod that the ministers shouldn't dwell on the death of the pope, and his response was essentially "fuck that shit." He then embarked on a lengthy, rambling, profanity laced tirade about the evils of Catholicism in general and JP II in particular (mostly related to AIDS, abortion, birth control, pedophilia, etc) that was shocking, offensive and 100% true. While I appreciate political activism from a church group, there is a point where it crosses an unspoken boundary and his preaching that day, while spot on, crossed the line. One of the most uncomfortable services I've ever sat through. Our church had a large homeless membership and his language was a bit saltier because of them, but his preaching on Pope John Paul II was beyond the pale.

[ButterflyBlood]

8. I'm wondering if that pastor was an ex-Catholic himself

Most Protestant churches and pastors were pretty respectful after John Paul died, but the ex-Catholics can be pretty vicious. I know since I'm one myself and was quite vicious in the past.

[sweetloukillbot]

9. Nah, he was a lifelong Lutheran, but he was REALLY, REALLY anti-Catholic.

If you can imagine a liberal version of a hellfire and brimstone preacher, that was him. Not preaching damnation or salvation, but preaching social justice with a fire that was almost scary. The problem was he had a heart attack (which he survived) and he got kind of strangely driven, egotistical and domineering after that. My mom was assistant pastor and it just about drove her to a breakdown - my wife and I ended up leaving for a nearby Episcopalian congregation.

[Burma Jones]

5. Not in a sermon, but I did attend a service where we sang "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life"

which includes the line:

Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it......

[deutsey]

14. I played that song as part of lay service I led for the UU fellowship I attend

The sermon I wrote was on trickster gods and holy irreverence in religious traditions around the world.

[Burma Jones]

15. That wouldn't be in Westchester would it?

[deutsey]

16. No...I'm in Maryland

[Burma Jones]

17. Ah, I used to sing with the Columbia, MD UU Choir.......

[Irishonly]

6. I don't think I have ever heard it in a sermon.

I have heard both pastors swear outside of church.

[xmas74]

7. Not recently

but a couple of years ago, yes, it was more of a "slip of the tongue".

[Critters2]

11. That's what I'm afraid of.

The main reason I don't cuss a lot is that I'm afraid I'd let loose in the pulpit, if it were a regular habit. I really do think there's a time and place for everything...and not.

[xmas74]

13. And the slip of a tongue was from a pastor

who had just returned from the field. He was also a military chaplain, so it's understandable that he'd been exposed to a bit more salty language at that time.

The one other time was when I heard a pastor read a direct quote. They left out the person's name but the point being that they wanted us to realize what the thoughts of some were in our community-and they weren't pretty.

[Critters2]

10. I've come dangerously close.

Which is why I really should preach from a manuscript.