You may have
noticed something different last week: there is a new pulpit on-stage. Actually
it is not a new pulpit at all. It is an old one, our old one, in fact. When it
was replaced I do not know, but it has been out of service for many years. It
was in a storage room in Building B when we decided to make a change. We brought
it to the Worship Center, removed the wheels from the bottom, and set it in its
place facing the auditorium seats.
The new pulpit
is a little old. It is not as trendy as the glass one we had been using. It is
simple and traditional. Its solid wood and straight lines resemble the rampart
of a fort more than a stand for the speaker’s notes. It is the kind of pulpit
you might have seen in 1915 or 1615 rather than 2015.
The new pulpit
is a little beat up. There are some scratches and scrapes on it. It is a pulpit
made to be used, not admired. It is a pulpit for preaching sermons, not telling
stories. It is the kind of pulpit from which a preacher might contend and
defend, and the scars are reminders of those Christ’s Church carries.
The new pulpit
is solid, despite its age and blemishes. It is made of wood, not glass. It is
strong, the kind of pulpit a preacher can smack with an open hand or fist to
emphasize his point. It can support the preacher’s Bible and the significant
doctrines it contains. It is the kind of pulpit for weighty preaching and can
withstand use and abuse.
The new pulpit has
been around awhile and is a little beat up, but it is solid, just like our
congregation. We have seen difficult days, but we are still standing. In fact,
we are stronger than ever. The pulpit is a symbol of who we are today, the
changes that have been made, and the future that lies ahead. We seek an old way
forward, an ancient way, the way announced by prophets, apostles, and preachers
since the time of Abraham. The pulpit represents what we are building on: the
preaching of God’s word. Scripture is primary, the teaching of it is central,
and its place is permanent. The new pulpit does not have wheels, because
preaching should not be pushed aside. This is who we are. This is what we do.
And this is what we will continue to do, by God’s grace, so long as the Lord
wills. Soli Deo Gloria! -JME
