The Modern Old Baptist Pulpit
[Copied from Glad Tidings, July 2020 (Editor Elder Larry Wise). Originally from “The GOOD NEWS Newsletter”, Jan., 2008]
The pulpit today should still be the same; however, I do grant that it
SEEMS very different than when I was a youngster growing up in the
Old Baptist Church.
It could be that WE HAVE CHANGED “ourselves,” it
being so very gradual, since we daily and year by year grow IN GRACE
and IN THE KNOWLEDGE of Him—2 nd Peter 3:18. That is, the
PULPIT, generally speaking, is a man-made tangible material entity, yet
it REPRESENTS in PRINCIPLES a FIGURATIVE factor of an Office Work
of the Ministry, whether in a building or not. On a mountain, in the
Valley or down by the Riverside, Preaching the Gospel IN TRUTH is the
“pulpit.”
Now, just maybe, we have LEARNED MORE, at our more mature
age, and this knowledge has now stifled our innocent attitude toward
the Pulpit of 2007. I believe WE HAVE LOST that humble, meek,
and sincere respect for it ourselves. When I was a very young child, my
parents taught me to RESPECT the Church, and at the very moment
that we drove upon the grounds, walked through the front door, and
took our seats, there was a DIFFERENT, sacred, humble, reverential
attitude that settled in over me in this special convocation. This
FEELING lasted until the last AMEN. Then upon leaving this sacred
place as we drove back to our secular abode, the lingering feeling of
that Worship Service still prevailed and was an abiding factor in my
memory for the next several days. I could easily tell the difference in
THAT DAY OF THE LORD, and the days back to school or at work. We
should strive to retain that SEPARATION of Church Worship, and that
of Daily Chores. It SHOULD STILL be our place of refuge, where
light shines in and darkness recedes. The HIGH POINT of the Worship
Service seemed to be that moment that the Minister entered the
Pulpit. Attention was centered upon the WORDS to be spoken from
God’s Word, and not just “on the man.” That was and now is what
the FOCUS SHOULD (STILL) BE, and not be lost in the shuffle of other
distractions. We should always be keenly aware of the difference when
“common language” is spoken and the Holy, Divinely Inspired
“Written Word” of the Lord is quoted.
Sunday morning was then, and still is, a most SPECIAL, consecrated
area of our life. It is not and never should be a place of worldly
attraction and entertainment. It is that SPECIAL concerted
attentiveness of our Souls, and our bodies are to be presented during
this “separate moment” as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to our
Lord (Rom. 12:1-3).
