"Cross and Pulpit"

 

"Have them make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them." -- Exodus 25:9

 

"When the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit." -- Acts 8:15

 

            When I was in high school I had a friend who thought Christians to be a bit odd, and their beliefs goofy, and enjoyed needling me about that from time to time. So when we would pass a church, we would raise his eyebrows and say, "That's God's house. God lives in there." And then he would wait for some response.

            What he found to be odd has its roots in the book of Exodus. There, God had the people construct a sanctuary, which became the dwelling place of God. Jim Bruckner explains that in the midst of the living space for the Israelites, where they lived and slept and ate, would be a dwelling place for God. This tabernacle was not designed for congregational gathering. It was first of all a space for God in the midst of the camp, although it could also be a space for the people to meet God. The Hebrew root word for "tabernacle" means "abide" or "settle down." The point is that the Lord did not just come for a visit from time to time, but rather lived among them. God did not live exclusively in the sanctuary, but He dwelt among the people. So their sacred architecture helped them understand the presence and grace of God in their midst. The furniture in the tabernacle Ð the ark, table, lamp stand and altar Ð all draw out the meaning of God's presence among them.

            In the New Testament, there is tension between Jesus and the temple leadership. So the emphasis is not on the temple as the dwelling place of God, but on Christ himself, God with us, Emmanuel. Then in the book of Acts, the focus is on the presence of the Holy Spirit in and among believers. When the Samaritans believed the Gospel, Peter and John went so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. The demons and unclean spirits were washed away, and even Simon the Magician lost confidence in his sorcery and was baptized. God's dwelling place is with people.

The church has retained both perspectives. God is among us. The Holy Spirit abides in us. Whether we meet in cathedrals or plain meeting houses, the architecture and furniture of our church buildings is there to remind us of the presence of God in our lives. In pulpit, table, font and cross we encounter the power of God's word, the story of the Gospel, the real presence of Jesus, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

            When we enter our sanctuary, the first thing we see is the central presence of a large cross. The empty cross is symbolic of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The cross tells a story, summarized in the Apostles' Creed, that Jesus "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hades. On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

            But the cross does more than tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. We notice that it is a stylized cross. It does not look like the one Jesus died on. It is larger than that one; it is smooth and carries a fine finish on it, not rough-hewn. So this cross is a symbol. It speaks of salvation: that the mission of Christ was completed or finished on the cross, that the cross has great power in our lives,  and that Jesus was the final or perfect sacrifice. We do not have a real cross hanging in our church, a means of Roman execution. We have symbol of salvation in Christ. Other types of crosses bring out different perspectives on the meaning of the cross. The importance is that it draws our attention to salvation.

            The next thing that grabs our attention is the pulpit. The pulpit is not a podium or a lectern or a stand to put notes on. It is a piece of sacred furniture that carries a message. It has through the years been called the Sacred Desk, a symbol of the Word of God. So the preacher who stands behind it submits to the Word of God. This is not a place for personal opinions, for a display of knowledge on a variety of subjects, for novel spiritual insights. To stand behind the pulpit is to stand under the authority of the Word of God, and that requires a letting go of clever ideas, and insightful opinions. The pulpit defines the preacher, limits the preacher, and humbles the preacher. But it also sets the preacher free to simply preach the Word of God and nothing else.

            There are two great temptations for preachers. I think they both come from the early days of television. One of the first national news programs on television was the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. At the end of each newscast, he would say in his authoritative voice, "And that's the way it is, Sunday, May 30th." His newscasts shaped a generation of aspiring commentators. Legions of journalists, teachers, preachers went forth to shape public opinion. Out of that generation came both Garrison Keillor and Rush Limbaugh. But the preacher of the Word of God is not to be a commentator. The pulpit is no place for creative spiritual insights and various observations about life in general.

            The other temptation came from the TV lawyer, Perry Mason. Perry used his ability to discover the truth that others could not see and his power of persuasion to free the innocent and wrongfully accused. Those who stood for the status quo were exposed by his brilliance, and a new day of justice came to the land. I think he spawned a whole generation of lawyers, reformers and protesters. Preachers were tempted to think of themselves as courageous, brilliant guardians of the truth that no one else could see. The pulpit calls us back to the Word of God.

            The pulpit corrects our delusions of becoming Walter Cronkites or Perry Masons.  One of my favorite professors in seminary, George Lindbeck, said that what the Kingdom of God needs most is not brilliant spiritual authorities, but cooks, bottle washers and bureaucrats. The preacher is not to think of himself or herself as the great wise spiritual leader, but as a cook in the Kingdom of God, faithfully feeding the people with the Word of God.

            I learned about being a cook from Tillie Lathrop at Pilgrim Pines in New Hampshire. Tillie was a hard-working, old-fashioned cook, who made wonderful rye bread and rolls, and lots of good plain food. The young campers were sometimes more accustomed to pizza and hot dogs and sugar and would not at first eat what she had prepared. Tillie would not get upset at food returned. She said, "When they get hungry, they will eat it." I have always tried to preach in the way that Tillie cooked. I know I will never live up to her example.

            The hardest thing about preaching is learning submission to the biblical text. There are so many good stories, wonderful insights, and clever comments you could make that don't quite fit what the Bible is saying. It is painful to delete them every Friday afternoon or Saturday evening.

            The leaders of the Protestant Reformation believed that the preached word is the Word of the Lord. It is effective. Both Luther and Calvin were convinced that, when the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed, God himself is heard by the listeners. Wesley Nelson used to tell us in preaching class that we were never to apologize for our preaching because we felt we lacked experience or knowledge. There will always be people in the congregation who know more Bible than you do. But you are preaching the Word of God, and that is where the power is.

            Donald Frisk, former Dean of North Park Seminary, wrote, "Preaching must be the faithful exposition of the biblical message in such a way as to permit the grace of the Gospel to bear on daily life. Through the Holy Spirit the reality of the salvation actualized in Jesus' death and resurrection is made present and effective in the words of the preacher."

            That was stated more directly and simply by the old preacher who explained his method by saying "I studies myself full. I prays myself hot. I lets myself go." The pulpit helps a great deal in that task by keeping the focus on the Word of God and keeping the dependence upon prayer and the Holy Spirit.

            Next week we will consider the other two pieces of furniture in our church, the communion table and the baptismal font. At the table we gather to receive grace. At the font we become aware of our sin, and are washed by Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 This is God's house. By that we mean, the Lord dwells in us and among us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we focus on the cross, we are confronted with both the cost and the power of our salvation in Christ. When we focus on the pulpit, we are engaged by the Word of God which is effective in our lives to bring us to salvation. II Timothy 3:16 says that Scripture is "God-breathed," or inspired, and that it is useful to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness. Let us be careful to listen to this Word, and kneel before the cross to receive our salvation.

            Amen.