PEEKING BEHIND THE PULPIT
Jim Dyet
April 1, 1992
A pulpit generally looks just fine-when it's seen from the pew.
Commanding center stage-except in a divided chancel-it can be quite impressive. It's the main focus of attention, a kind of Mount Sinai, from which a preacher hands down divine pronouncements every Sunday.
Maybe that's why so many floral arrangements find their way to the front and sides of the pulpit. Flowers make Mount Sinai seem a little softer and friendlier.
A pulpit is so awesome, some call it a "sacred desk"-a strange name really, because no one ever preaches from a desk or writes at a pulpit.
But if you think a pulpit looks awesome from the front, you should see it from the back-the view the preacher and choir get. If the front of a pulpit resembles Mount Sinai, the back resembles the valley of Hinnom-Jerusalem's garbage dump.
You just can't imagine what's buried under the "sacred desk." An inventory would likely include an earring, keys to a Chevy Corvair, a copy of last year's Christmas program, half a glass of water- long since dried out-left by an evangelist two years ago, a copy of the annual budget, a dozen Mother's Day bookmarks, a broken Christmas tree ornament,
and umpteen hand-written notes that missed the bulletin and had to be read from the pulpit:
"Thanks for the flowers and prayers . . ."
"The Women's Missionary Fellowship meeting has been postponed . . ."
"Remember to bring your favorite dessert . . ."
"Please pick up your teen at 8 A.M., after the allnight lock-in . . ."
"Workers are still needed for VBS . . ."
Why, an archaeologist could almost reconstruct the church's history from digging into the back of the pulpit.
Perhaps it's good that the pulpit has two sides. The front inspires worshipers; the back keeps the preacher in touch. After all, the ...
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