Dear HLPC family,
This morning, I went back into the sanctuary and into the pulpit. I hadn’t been there in some time and wanted to revisit. I remember when that pulpit was moved from Kenny and Katy Rahn’s basement to our newly built sanctuary after Kenny had built it for us. It took 10 men to move it into our sanctuary onto the platform! It truly communicates by its very essence something about the Word of God from which it is preached. For example, our pulpit serves to hide the preacher to a degree—thus putting the Scriptures and not the preacher front and center. Don’t expect a Plexiglas lectern anytime soon at HLPC. Our pulpit also communicates weight and heaviness. This reminds us of God’s authority as well as His holiness as the Hebrew word for holiness, “kavod,” carries the idea of weight. There is thought behind this particular piece of furniture in our sanctuary.
Not long after I began preaching here, I taped two messages for me and anyone who preaches to see when they enter our pulpit. The first message is from John 12:21 that reads, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” These are the words of some Greek speaking people to the Apostle Philip who came to meet the Lord. Those words in our pulpit are a reminder to preach Christ above all else.
The second message came from one of my seminary professors, Dr. Simon Kistemaker, and it reads: “Expound the Scriptures, Exhort the Sinner, Exalt the Savior.” I find that to be a great summary of what a preacher is called to do whenever he stands behind what the Puritans referred to as “the sacred desk.”
These are great reminders of what is to take place every Lord’s Day in the HLPC pulpit. May the Lord keep me and all who have and will preach here committed to these things.
Your Pastor,
Paul