Here is a question for you. I am just wondering what everyone thinks about a church without a pulpit. Do you think it's good or bad? Is it necessary or just a tradition carried over from the catholic church? Does it give the impression that only the preacher can hear from and speak for God?
I don't really think it's a big deal. I'm more concerned with the preacher behind the pulpit who's proclaiming the Word, not the pulpit that holds the Word.
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, [i]he[i]stood up for to read[i]he closed the book[i]and sat down[i]And he began to say unto them...
Perhaps we ought only to stand in the puplit when we're reading the Gospel, and sit when we expound it.
This is one topic that I find interesting about today's Church. How you view the pulpit depends on what you feel is exalted in it.
Today, more serious minded Christians seem to distance themselves from one, feeling that a man is exalted, and "cult of personality" becomes an idol to the people.
In the past the pulpits were magnified and were built rather large because it was from here that the Word of God was to reign.
I guess it can come down to this: Is man exalted in the pulpit, or, is it aflame with righteousness?
Pulpits? Required? NO.
Are Church buildings? No way! If Church buildings tend to seperate the Church from the world they are trying to reach, as well as give us a place to attend to instead of People and God to attend to... then of course a pulpit isn't necessary.....
Just my thoughts.
Are pulpits neccasary? I would say useful. Useful for a Bible stand, microphone stand, for the notes and outlines of what God has laid on the preachers heart during the week to speak to the people about. Other than that, the only other thing I could think of is, in case the where maybe the preacher forgot to do something after he went to the bathroom. zip zip!!!!
Maybe we would get more attention in a service if we stood [b]on
Neh 8:4 And Ezra the scribe stood [b]upon
PreachParsly wrote:
Maybe we would get more attention in a service if we stood on the pulpit.
Neh 8:4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood....
moe_mac rsponse:
Thanks for adding that, I knew it was there, but did not remember where. I started to do a search but didn't. I think what you were saying is why many preachers get so emotional in the sermon that God has given them. They are so wanting the people to hear and understand. I guess getting upon the pulpit would be ok if it got our attention enough to listen.
That was actually my sad attempt at a joke... :-P
PreachParsly I did see some humor and could visualize the preacher on top of the pulpit, but I also saw maybe why some preacher might see the necessity of it. Sometimes the lack of ability to convey humor or emotions in our post and re's: on SI is an advantage and at times a disadvantage.
Sometimes the lack of ability to convey humor or emotions in our post and re's: on SI is an advantage and at times a disadvantage.
You said it. This can really be a problem at times. I don’t know how many times my posts have been taken in a way that had not even entered my mind.
Having said that…when the pulpit is removed in my Church it just looks like a stage, and I don’t like that.
It's useful for acoustics, to help everyone hear what's being said - especially if you don't have a microphone. Jesus used a boat on the lake to help with the acoustics on at least one occasion. Like a natural ampitheatre, I understand, the sound would be reflected from the water so that everyone on the shore could hear.
I think Ezra's "pulpit" was a kind of scaffolding with a platform on top, similar to a stage. There were several other teachers up there with him, who explained and translated the words into Aramaic, so it must have been fairly roomy.
On the jokey side, of course a pulpit sets one "six feet above contradiction".
A probably apocryphal tale is of the preacer who was a real pulpit basher. He was preaching a hot hellfire sermon, and thumping the pulpit.
"I am coming down among you", says the Lord!
THUMP! BANG!
I AM COMING DOWN AMONG YOU!
BANG! BANG!
[size=medium]I AM COMING DOWN AMONG YOU!!!!
BANG! BANG! THUMP! BANG![/size]
[size=large]CRASH!!!![/size]
And the pulpit collapsed, and he did!
Jeannette
LittleGift on 2007/8/4 15:19:06
It's useful for acoustics, to help everyone hear what's being said - especially if you don't have a microphone. Jesus used a boat on the lake to help with the acoustics on at least one occasion. Like a natural ampitheatre, I understand, the sound would be reflected from the water so that everyone on the shore could hear.
moe_mac
That certainly might have been a factor for the acoustics. Were there others? There is a sermon within the post below, about the parable of the seed sower, that Jesus taught from the boat, after he cast out aways with his disciples.
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=17915&forum=40&0
A pulpit isn't any more needful than a church building. Wesley preached from on top his fathers grave stone. Jesus preached from a boat, and on a hill. Most preachers nowdays walk around and preach rather than hanging out behind a pulpit.
That being said, it is useful... when preaching in a church building. Personally, I'd rather that preaching were done outside a church building, where the people that need to hear it can hear it. For that matter, I'd rather that every church building in the world were done away with. Just my opinion.
Some pulpits in older (Welsh) chapels have a gate on them that you can lock! For protection "if the natives get restless"?
Below the pulpit is the "Seit Fawr" or "big seat" where the elders sit (and get stiff necks from looking up at the preacher). Often it has a railing and latched gate around it as well, and it may be on a small platform, a few inches above the rest of the congregation.
Like the different courts of Herod's temple, where certain classes of people (Gentiles, women etc) weren't allowed beyond a certain point.
Ridiculous!
My father told me that his father and older brother (long before my time) once tried to pull a preacher down from the pulpit because of not agreeing with his teaching!
They later started their own church.
Jeannette
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