Guarding the Pulpit

The rather spectacular pulpit of Worcester Cathedral is guarded by two sculpted lions each side of the curving staircase which leads to it. This bespeaks the need to guard and vet that which is spoken from it and the theology which from it is spread. Having heard part of the midday prayers delivered by a clergywoman from this very place on the afternoon I was there, the lions are definitely inactive and hard of hearing.

There are things which people say from our pulpit which I do not always agree with, and I know that there are regular hearers of mine who are not quite with me on everything, or who remain unconvinced of certain points. Yet the key doctrines, the articles of faith, the eminence of Christ and the primacy of scripture we must never compromise or suffer dilution. We have no sculpted lions glowering from our podium’s steps but there is some sense of our guarding it and keeping watch. We must not become one of those who delights to quibble over minor points or think ourselves so expert in exegesis that we rush to the preacher after the service to demonstrate our outstanding knowledge, telling him the points he ought to have made, but failed to. But of this we must be certain: if there is mist in the pulpit, there will be fog in the pew.