THE PULPIT & THE PREACHER

THE PULPIT
In the reformed faith, the Pulpit is built magnificent and raised above all platforms making the preacher seen by all... the dignity of the WORD! And the pulpit is built on the right handside of the 'Empty' Cross seen on the Chancel facing the Congregation.

Some keys to note: as preacher, before the Word, there is the Hymn for the Word sung preceding time of the Word. This 'hymn' is a prayer, it is not to be cut/shortened by omitting verses because it is wrong to rush prayers. The Hymn is sung solemnly according to the tune... upon the last verse of the Hymn, the preacher moves to the Pulpit and unanimously the Congregation says AMEN after the last word in the Hymn without any form of prayer by the preacher because the HYMN in itself is a prayer but, if the preacher wants to pray before giving the Word, then just before the last verse of the Hymn, the preacher moves to the Pulpit and after the last word in the Hymn, WITHOUT an AMEN, the preacher says his prayer (because his prayer is a continuation of the prayer embedded in the Hymn, if the Congregation should say AMEN before the preacher prays, then it means that the are two prayers now! one prayer is the order) and before the preacher prays, he does not say LET US PRAY (because the people where already praying via the Hymn) so, he just keys in his prayer without interruptions of AMEN or LET US PRAY and after his prayer, the Congregation says AMEN!