pulpit exchange (with a nod to bob kuyper)

united methodists can be funny ducks, to use a very old phrase! as we try to get outside ourselves, welcoming everyone, while also moving away from traditional 'church terms',
we seek to more inviting; "seeker friendly" is the term. but, sometimes we just fail miserably!

case in point, this coming sunday, our area pastors will be speaking (church term is preaching) in neighboring towns. there are seven communities involved, and it will be a fun adventure, i suspect. we are trying to help the area churches feel more connected. i believe that will happen.

well, the 'church term' for this sunday is traditionally called a 'pulpit exchange'. the pulpit is another church term that refers to the station where the pastor preaches. most pulpits are elevated (i suspect to make sure the congregation would know, in days gone by that "he" -- it wasn't until the 1940's that women were able to preach in methodist churches -- was the preacher!, in change, knowing what everyone was doing!)

anyway, we couldn't figure out a more modern phrase to replace 'pulpit exchange', so bob kuyper, pastor at the livingston united methodist church, came up with what i think of as a very funny reflection on that term.

he wrote:

united methodist of the merced circuit will have a pulpit exchange sunday on march 6th.

on the previous sunday,

the pulpits of the various churches will be moved by truck to another church.

a special viewing of the pulpits will be held in each church on sunday evening.

on march 6th, each pastor will be preaching in a different pulpit.

it is felt that viewing the different pulpits will express our unity in diversity.

the pulpits will be returned to their home churches by the following sunday.

united methodists are urged to be in their churches that sunday to view the various pulpits.

ok, so maybe no one else will think that is funny, but i thought it was a hoot! on any given sunday pastors may climb into their pulpits or stand elsewhere among the people in the church. messages are given, to the best of our ability, that reflect not only a bible text, but prayerful consideration of the community that will hear that message. pastors reflect on a text, read what others have shared about that particular test, and then sense what the community in which they serve needs to know about what god is saying through that text. hopefully, we are inspired to make a difference....and to help nudge others to make a difference.

so, just to give you a clue, we won't be moving pulpits around this sunday, but seven united methodist pastors will be climbing aboard their horses (pastors use to ride horses from one church to another in their circuits -- geographical area) and heading out of their communities into a new community to share a word of grace. i'll be getting into my vw cabrio -- still with the top up, as it is very cold in the morning! -- to be in worship with the people of le grand. le grand is an agricultural community not far from merced. and i won't be using the pulpit.

can you imagine if we called this event a 'church exchange'? using bob's reference, we'd be moving whole churches! well, it might give our communities something to talk about! 'oh, those united methodists! no telling what they'll do next!' stay tuned! god's not finished with us yet! find out what its all about....you'll not want to miss the exchanging of the pulpits.