There is ‘a time to be silent and a time to speak’ (Eccles. 3:7), and this is certainly true for the preacher. We must be aware of the danger of being ‘speaking machines’, simply churning out word after word without end, which only succeeds in tiring the listeners, causing them to switch off altogether. No matter how interesting and attractive a voice may sound, silence really is golden at times, and it would be good for us to remember what is often called ‘the power of the pause’ and trust
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