# Help!!! The puritan board is corrupting me! lol



## Jon 316 (Apr 19, 2009)

I'm currently doing some supply preaching for Baptist churches who are in ministerial vacancy. Today I was asked if I preferred to preach from the pulpit or from the lower platform using a music stand. 

My normal choice would be to not preach from the pulpit, having come through the brethren movement i.e emphasis on equality of the brethren etc... 

However having recently been challenged by the historic symbolism of the pulpit (the centrality of the Word of God') I found myself being convicted about choosing the pulpit! Crazed but true! I have done quite a bit of preaching over the years, most baptist churches do not have a 'pulpit', and this is the first time I have actually preached from the pulpit. Aside from anything else it was actually more practical, there was space for my notes, and my bible! 

I was totally taken a back at the end of the meeting when an older lady shook my hand at the door as she was leaving and said "I was really pleased to see you use the pulpit, and I was really pleased you wore a tie, and I also liked some of the things which you said'. Lol!!! 

I found that quite amusing... Oh man where have my house church loyalties gone to?!!!


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## Theognome (Apr 19, 2009)

We are the PB. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We shall add your biological and theological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile.

Theognome


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## TaylorOtwell (Apr 19, 2009)

Maybe next time you will wear a gown


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## Archlute (Apr 19, 2009)

TaylorOtwell said:


> Maybe next time you will wear a gown



Yeah, I've never thought that elevating the Word of God in our preaching requires us to play dress up.


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## Ivan (Apr 19, 2009)

Jon 316 said:


> I have done quite a bit of preaching over the years, most baptist churches do not have a 'pulpit', and this is the first time I have actually preached from the pulpit.



I have preached in many Baptist churches and I can count on one hand the times I did not use a pulpit...and I have preached hundreds of times in many different churches. 

I find that time to time here at the PB general statements are made about Baptist churches that do not match my experience. I wonder why that is?


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## Jon 316 (Apr 19, 2009)

Ivan said:


> Jon 316 said:
> 
> 
> > I have done quite a bit of preaching over the years, most baptist churches do not have a 'pulpit', and this is the first time I have actually preached from the pulpit.
> ...



Perhaps because you are in the USA? 

Almost every Baptist Church I have been to in Scotland has a platform with moveavle lecturns, not a pulpit. Granted I have not been as many Baptist churches as you, so that could be another reason?


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## DMcFadden (Apr 19, 2009)

Ivan, do ya think it might be because you are a SOUTHERN Baptist? Most of the dozens of (non Southern) Baptist pastors I know preach from a music stand or lucite lectern these days (those congregations range in size from 25 to 6,000). I agree with our brother from Scotland. The PB is a corrupting influence on me in MANY ways as well. 

Hey, you really CAN teach an old dog new tricks!


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## Ivan (Apr 19, 2009)

DMcFadden said:


> Ivan, do ya think it might be because you are a SOUTHERN Baptist?



Could be. The thought crossed my mind. Although there are a few SBC churches that use those spindly lecterns and music stands. Not me. We're considering whether to refurbish our pulpit or get a new one. 

It WILL be a PULPIT!

As to the influence of the PB...I am not influenced...I deny it!


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## PresbyDane (Apr 19, 2009)

Me neither, if I just deny it, then it will not be so


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## DonP (Apr 19, 2009)

TaylorOtwell said:


> Maybe next time you will wear a gown



Gowns are for girls. 

Is a theological or educational robe. 

not akin to a priestly robe but... 

shows you graduated so they know they have a real scholar preaching the word and not a walk on preacher kid who had hands laid on him or it was his daddy's church


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## Theognome (Apr 19, 2009)

PeaceMaker said:


> TaylorOtwell said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe next time you will wear a gown
> ...



Ahh... go back to history. The gown is in fact a toga. During the Roman era of Constantine, Christian elders were called upon to act a magistrates to judge civil matters, due to two things- 1., the acknowledged wisdom of such elders and 2., the massive backlog of cases in the Roman courts that needed revue and judgment. 

Toga!!!!!

Theognome


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## DonP (Apr 19, 2009)

Theognome said:


> PeaceMaker said:
> 
> 
> > TaylorOtwell said:
> ...



Wow thanks, and I thought its was cuz they just had a shortage of good britches and hadn't invented the zipper yet??


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## Marrow Man (Apr 19, 2009)

Ivan said:


> DMcFadden said:
> 
> 
> > Ivan, do ya think it might be because you are a SOUTHERN Baptist?
> ...



Just make sure it ain't one of them see-through pulpits.


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## Rich Koster (Apr 19, 2009)

Theognome said:


> We are the PB. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We shall add your biological and theological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile.
> 
> Theognome



Would that be an acronym for Puritan *Borg*?????????????


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## Marrow Man (Apr 19, 2009)

As long as we aren't talking about _Marcus _Borg...


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## OPC'n (Apr 19, 2009)

VERY GOOD!!!! Got to get everyone out of the Brethren Movement!!!


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## Ivan (Apr 19, 2009)

Marrow Man said:


> Ivan said:
> 
> 
> > DMcFadden said:
> ...



That's not a pulpit!


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## Skyler (Apr 19, 2009)

Theognome said:


> We are the PB. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We shall add your biological and theological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile.
> 
> Theognome



Wouldn't that be Unitarian Universalists?

We do more of changing theological distinctiveness to match our own.


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## matt01 (Apr 19, 2009)

Ivan said:


> churches that use those spindly lecterns and music stands. Not me. We're considering whether to refurbish our pulpit or get a new one.
> 
> It WILL be a PULPIT!



Some of the best preaching (God glorifying...)that we ever sat under was from a pastor preaching behind a music stand.


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## Pergamum (Apr 20, 2009)

PB TOGA PARTY!!!






TOGA

TOGA


TOGA

TOGA



And go powder your wigs as well!


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## Ivan (Apr 20, 2009)

sans nom said:


> Ivan said:
> 
> 
> > churches that use those spindly lecterns and music stands. Not me. We're considering whether to refurbish our pulpit or get a new one.
> ...



Indeed, but at least it's not one of those fiberglass things!


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## Pergamum (Apr 20, 2009)

Even better than a pulpit would be a raised pulpit so that you can preach DOWN on the people....the brimstone can literally be raining down on their heads!......

...and if they sleep, you can throw stuff at'em!


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## Skyler (Apr 20, 2009)

> ...and if they sleep, you can throw stuff at'em!



I've heard that a bullhorn is more effective. When you see people sleeping, you take out the bullhorn and address them by name.

They will never sleep in your church again. Someone else's maybe, but not yours.


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## DonP (Apr 20, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> Even better than a pulpit would be a raised pulpit so that you can preach DOWN on the people....the brimstone can literally be raining down on their heads!......
> 
> ...and if they sleep, you can throw stuff at'em!



Silly, you can't throw stuff at people when you are wearing a gown 

Its so the word of God is elevated in the eyes of the people. 

The sacraments should be on the next level down, then the people lower. 

I forget what chapter this is in, must be in the reformed talmud somewhere. 

But the scripture does say 
1 Cor 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order. 
NKJV


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## pepper (Apr 21, 2009)

Did Paul ever refuse to preach because he did not have the right pulpit?


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