I Use A First Century Pulpit
A few have raised questions about my decision to dispense with the pulpit. I’d like to explain why I made that change.
Pulpits have a long evolution. The most ancient churches met in homes and services were informal. The teacher stood among the people, or in those churches that followed synagogue traditions, sat, to teach.
When Christianity became legal, congregations were larger and cathedrals and basilicas provided an ambo (plural ambones) – a raised platform on which a speaker stood to read Scripture or preach. The ambo raised the speaker above the congregation so he could be seen and heard by all. Early ambones were about two feet high but by the 12th century they reached eight feet and stairs led to the top of the ambo.
In the 12th-13th centuries, walls were added to ambones as was a small roof (a sounding board that amplified the voice) and this became known as “the pulpit”. It was not a piece of furniture but a structure – you stood IN it, not behind it. The pulpit was set off to the side in the church. Many liturgical churches still have such a pulpit (the Catholic Church I was raised in has one). In Protestant churches this pulpit structure was sometimes moved to the front and center of the church.
It wasn’t until the 1800’s – and usually among the poorer denominations (Methodists, Baptists) – that the pulpit became the piece of furniture with which we are familiar. The preacher stood behind it.
Mountain View put wheels on my pulpit so we could wheel it out of the way when space was needed on the platform. When our weekly musical ministry added more musicians, instruments, music stands, monitors and wires on the platform, we wheeled the pulpit to the rear of the platform during worship and then I rolled it forward when I preached. This became awkward and unwieldy.
Someone brought to my attention that many pastors were dispensing with big wooden pulpits. Some were using lightweight lecterns and some simply stood with no furniture in front of them. I decided to try preaching without a pulpit. If others could do it, I could too!
It was awkward at first – change always is – but before long I was accustomed to it. With nothing separating me from the congregation, I feel closer to my listeners and I believe it enhances connection and communication. Not only am I comfortable doing it, I prefer to preach this way! It’s as though we’ve come full circle – back to the way the first churches did things!
Pulpits have a long evolution. The most ancient churches met in homes and services were informal. The teacher stood among the people, or in those churches that followed synagogue traditions, sat, to teach.
When Christianity became legal, congregations were larger and cathedrals and basilicas provided an ambo (plural ambones) – a raised platform on which a speaker stood to read Scripture or preach. The ambo raised the speaker above the congregation so he could be seen and heard by all. Early ambones were about two feet high but by the 12th century they reached eight feet and stairs led to the top of the ambo.
In the 12th-13th centuries, walls were added to ambones as was a small roof (a sounding board that amplified the voice) and this became known as “the pulpit”. It was not a piece of furniture but a structure – you stood IN it, not behind it. The pulpit was set off to the side in the church. Many liturgical churches still have such a pulpit (the Catholic Church I was raised in has one). In Protestant churches this pulpit structure was sometimes moved to the front and center of the church.
It wasn’t until the 1800’s – and usually among the poorer denominations (Methodists, Baptists) – that the pulpit became the piece of furniture with which we are familiar. The preacher stood behind it.
Mountain View put wheels on my pulpit so we could wheel it out of the way when space was needed on the platform. When our weekly musical ministry added more musicians, instruments, music stands, monitors and wires on the platform, we wheeled the pulpit to the rear of the platform during worship and then I rolled it forward when I preached. This became awkward and unwieldy.
Someone brought to my attention that many pastors were dispensing with big wooden pulpits. Some were using lightweight lecterns and some simply stood with no furniture in front of them. I decided to try preaching without a pulpit. If others could do it, I could too!
It was awkward at first – change always is – but before long I was accustomed to it. With nothing separating me from the congregation, I feel closer to my listeners and I believe it enhances connection and communication. Not only am I comfortable doing it, I prefer to preach this way! It’s as though we’ve come full circle – back to the way the first churches did things!