Gather To Worship.
Remember To Study.
Open Ourselves To Service.
Witness As Disciples of Christ.
Standing in the pulpit is a humbling and honorable experience. If you have every served as a liturgist, lay reader or preached in a church, from the pulpit, then perhaps you understand what I share with you today.Last Sunday, July 12th was my first Sunday in the pulpit at Lake Mills United Methodist Church. Now I must confess, I have stood in that pulpit a time or two in transition visits to the church and the sanctuary since May. But this past Sunday, July 12th was my first actual time in the pulpit with a congregation present in front of me.
I was humbled and honored to be standing in the pulpit and to experience worship with the congregation at Lake Mills. I take my work of preacher and worship leader very seriously; always have and I always will. I keenly sense the ancient Old Testament role of the priest, bringing the people into the real presence of God when I am leading worship and preaching from the pulpit.
I enjoy a good biblical sermon when I am on occasions part of the crowd in the pews and I suspect my congregations have always felt the same of their pastor in his/her role as preacher when they have attended church.
A colleague of mine has helped me to understand and reinforced for me the enormity of the mantle I wear as the preacher at Lake Mills United Methodist Church. She has been consistently strong about telling her congregation that their church is the house of God. She says, “This is God’s house. It is not about you or me, it is always about God and how God is seeking to interact with us and live within us through God’s Spirit. God is present here in the church and in our lives.” I like how she brings the presence of God into the midst of her member’s lives and worship. Good News does come to the congregation from the pulpit, if the pastor-preacher is seriously humbled by the presence and power of the Creator.
While I have stood in the Lake Mills UMC pulpit a few times prior to last Sunday, July 12th, it was indeed a most honorable and wonderful moment to be there with my congregation worshipping our God and Creator together. I had a great day last Sunday and I hope my congregation did too.
Blessings
Rev. Bill
