Letter: Whistle-stop sermon

Sir: In reply to today's letter by W. M. Rumball regarding short sermons, I often quote the one sermon among thousands that I can quote verbatim.

It was in the mid-1960s at St Bonaventure's Church in Bristol and on the occasion of some midweek holy day that I pointed out to Father Victor that there was a big football match on television that evening and younger elements of the congregation might get fractious if he went on too long.

When it came to the sermon, he surveyed the congregation, the older members settling back in their pews for the usual 20-minute stint, and said: 'Love thy neighbour - you just go home and think about it]'

Yours sincerely,

CHRIS MAXTED

Altrincham, Cheshire

9 May