Sometimes the lack of ability to convey humor or emotions in our post and re's: on SI is an advantage and at times a disadvantage.
_________________TJ
It's useful for acoustics, to help everyone hear what's being said - especially if you don't have a microphone. Jesus used a boat on the lake to help with the acoustics on at least one occasion. Like a natural ampitheatre, I understand, the sound would be reflected from the water so that everyone on the shore could hear.I think Ezra's "pulpit" was a kind of scaffolding with a platform on top, similar to a stage. There were several other teachers up there with him, who explained and translated the words into Aramaic, so it must have been fairly roomy.On the jokey side, of course a pulpit sets one "six feet above contradiction".A probably apocryphal tale is of the preacer who was a real pulpit basher. He was preaching a hot hellfire sermon, and thumping the pulpit."I am coming down among you", says the Lord!THUMP! BANG!I AM COMING DOWN AMONG YOU!BANG! BANG![size=medium]I AM COMING DOWN AMONG YOU!!!!BANG! BANG! THUMP! BANG![/size][size=large]CRASH!!!![/size]And the pulpit collapsed, and he did!Jeannette
LittleGift on 2007/8/4 15:19:06It's useful for acoustics, to help everyone hear what's being said - especially if you don't have a microphone. Jesus used a boat on the lake to help with the acoustics on at least one occasion. Like a natural ampitheatre, I understand, the sound would be reflected from the water so that everyone on the shore could hear.moe_macThat certainly might have been a factor for the acoustics. Were there others? There is a sermon within the post below, about the parable of the seed sower, that Jesus taught from the boat, after he cast out aways with his disciples. https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=17915&forum=40&0
A pulpit isn't any more needful than a church building. Wesley preached from on top his fathers grave stone. Jesus preached from a boat, and on a hill. Most preachers nowdays walk around and preach rather than hanging out behind a pulpit. That being said, it is useful... when preaching in a church building. Personally, I'd rather that preaching were done outside a church building, where the people that need to hear it can hear it. For that matter, I'd rather that every church building in the world were done away with. Just my opinion.
_________________J. Wilson
Some pulpits in older (Welsh) chapels have a gate on them that you can lock! For protection "if the natives get restless"?Below the pulpit is the "Seit Fawr" or "big seat" where the elders sit (and get stiff necks from looking up at the preacher). Often it has a railing and latched gate around it as well, and it may be on a small platform, a few inches above the rest of the congregation.Like the different courts of Herod's temple, where certain classes of people (Gentiles, women etc) weren't allowed beyond a certain point.Ridiculous!My father told me that his father and older brother (long before my time) once tried to pull a preacher down from the pulpit because of not agreeing with his teaching!They later started their own church.Jeannette