Anodyne

From The Times April 5th

After referring to various sermons dealing with child abuse....

'The sermons reflected one of the most dramatic Easters in memory for church leaders and their flocks, more used to listening to age-old and often anodyne messages about the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.'

Mm. Must have missed something all these years.

Anodyne defn - comforting thing: something that soothes, comforts, or relaxes.

Maybe the authors have never been to Stations of the Cross.