Perfection

I
. • • . , •,
• • • " . • .
" 'Different from ratheon that c_apol oc- it,'his pulpit would oftener become, as it
.. The Pulpit Silence , . assiozi lady wes, _ald themefacewhen'I of the visited man of her whomin were, people. a Mount of Transfiguration " for"
Chicago. He was of a devbtlana] spirit, Just a word, in*,canclucllng, as to that
• J_]Jot Claytbtt " and just before the incident I shall relate pulpit in a more mfiterial aspocL I have
. . took place, he "had spent a considerable been in a certein church_ {here are three
• " time ln...private religious exereises; if- chairs on the platform-where the preacher
TN MY- college ttme,..years ago, I recall / quartet is being heard. Whatever the I recall.correctly, this hn d issN_d f?rthree stends'tS"speak his me._age," One of these,
; A being in_ the recitation" room of the reason for his temporary non-speaking; days. Then hb proceeded to the home the larger one, is directly, behind "the
"Latin professor and noticing on the blhek- the preacher has an opportunity dtlring it.
!_ .vocal." I)oard these I have"foi'gotten words written. everything: "Voices else' not mind If.ho• dwell falls in Onmake the Sermon use,ol it, heif.heleishis is soon to . a t" m of beenMrs.. ill." Jones, my • . • informant, who had s_cred left the pastor of this desk," to first sit the0thers one. in this" Itwas middi_ te't.he thechair. right, custom- The and of
. (there were a number of words, chalked deliver, if he tu_as over the pages'of some " - Whdn he rang the bell, the lady _nt result was that he was invisible to those
l" on that dark surface), but that aliltarallVe 'book Lu his.hand: _or_in ?my way'.makes It her.maid
the girl hqrried
down to
back
answer
up
It.
the
Immediately
steps, and
in the congregation except to the ones
expression
memory. I
has
was impressed
remained
by
dmbeddad"
its suggesin
.
appear
taking
that'he
place at
is
the
not
moment,
interested
he
inwhat
is losing
Is
"
. o:_cit_dly exclaimed in all sincerity, not sitting
The attendants
near the outer
with seats
efids of
to-&ards
the pews.
the
finn that there is'such_a thing as a speak- contact with. the people in fi'0nt of him; ." inkin_ktlmo to conduct the visitor in, "Oh, _:enter aisle" whould see him only when he
ing silence. . it may seem to them.that he is vitelly con- Mrs..Jones, Jesus Christ" is down there stoqd-up to sing, read/ make announceas
"he " _corned only in What _ he has a speaking at the" door." Such •was the radiance and .menis end preach..Part of the singing was
ml,,h_ I wander th # if a rn,_ent minister h realizes _ t.of re ht_ . part in As "the observer of all obser-" , . beauty on, that. man's face, after" his con- " done,while the cangregation was not stand-
_,-. -.a..,. every. -- _... .--e _ _..o. lwa -- vers" ' no;"win'" d'n welt°"to maintain" "" an at- .esniration on things 'unseen and eternal, ing. The feeling Was ttmt he had]usulhted
•.uh congregauon _ 1; neh,,_ LS prea_nmg, .ll _h_ fim_. not. '_;th a hi_ ys .. utuno"at _ -- aJertnessand • " - respenswenessta - - • that that unlettered glx:l _ough't. the " himself from hls audience fo_ a po/-tian of
........ f .a _........ nnd" nt,_f ps,
tu___ _- ................ of body .. _..e.e ,rh _ wl _ I b e • what - • is ,' going • on, . that will help "
. to make -his.
. : Saviour
in.that home.
really wascoming
" "
to..Im a guest .the se/'vice, With. a consequent loss of el-
• " .......... l- " eta " auditors attentive to him when he ad- feetivenesa:
OesaSlOIL_ when _ win De I IS mos_ p nt _ " " " '_--'* " 1 "" " _ "
" reachln . _ . dresses mere ._me peep e _e preaen. I _;erily believe that. if it were l_essible ". Lai:t Sunday evening I .was in a church
P • g_ "" ' or," • _ " " • . . . for every -minister" to go. from an hour's where the pastor sat in a Chair behind and
I once attended a meeting on Sunday. " c0mmuning,v]lth God directly "into the at dne side of the pulpit. Here he.could
afternoon wl_ere, different persons Who .At time# the p_ter .will come into the -
had part in it sat facing the audience, pulpit with someheavy personal burden, _" _ pulpit,_ there would be shcha splendor be seen bY amuch larger number of folks
" r some private'sorrow with which "no °nhisfaee, andsuchtriurDphandj°ymanl_ ' in the audience The bo_hseeuance _vnn
s_ln_:_ahtitavl_S_i_e?d_ea_ tW_ymYine_,_--strange_ intermcddleth.", He may be • rested in every.movemen_of.his l_ody,'that that dm:in_ those paris of the' mec_
eye
",_e ",acear " Y_:
oneo__.os_,p_rnepan_
_ Y "" ' " Y'"I -"
.....
physically depleted" or" weak
--
In
....
body a
." ..'.'te.an_' been if he
wo.id
did not
be
say
"a _e_on'
a word
fO_:.
his eoun-
J_.,
when he was not _tendin_ h_ b_t h;,_._o_¢
as he was beforeus. Such\au unrespen- rawness o, sp_rus'_ay oe assaumg .nun. . - 'ch_:ist,'" as aflectiveas:anythinghe " would touch with_thosebe_ore "
h_'-There'_)s
in: e_oser._v_o_o_,ioal°';_,_'_'£ir"_,'.7 _'_
siveness,such- a woodenness and llfe..-Tqletany of theset_ngs be manlfestod htier. But,'.llke tl_e_Hebrcw:leaderi'he-."notthe 'se_t_of intermlttentSeparations.
lessuesswas writtenall over.him, that to any"greatextefit'inhisface,as..l)e 'ape . would not be'consclouso[ that.bpteiulor.
one .zmgnt
" -
h_nagme
' .....
an _gYpuan mum
m
y, "i
pears
_
befo_:e
°
his
r
hearers
"'at a
Will
"l
"be
'
to court
° his ,features.
Of course, "the. preacher "is not in the
• - - pLdplt to exhthit, himself. But he is,
:hysome powerful sercery, hadbecg,v0,, is - on
'a galvanized existence. He trtfly appbared ", ¢ rn T ' g . • po , -. It was after long whiting on God that nevertheless, on exhihlttoh, in a certain
to haves ame to 11 ' and et Wbs dead. fram.heavan whereby n minister may find 'Moses came down frown the manntein_ and sense; that is, under'the scrutiny of every :
..
_e _eemea
n
completely
. . _c,
an_wteas.to
..Y _ ' -- .-
nts
that
balm
"there
" "
is
":
n _oy
--
in
rien"
sorrow,
"is
a _ecraf,
--"
: h_aveafy brightness made his e0untenanco one to whom he seeks to hi-lag the message.
S_I*rou_GIn_S.... t al_ o getrle "" r mdiff c re nt" -- to ,_ mr pam. . _xpe crag _i' m•
trum so .resplendcht .that the people to whom of life, Well for him, well. for' his people,
" what speakers preceding or following "him the glory of. his countenance, wdl' be full ' " he-ministered" Were awed (Exodus 34:29- IF even. t_is silences there heeome eloquent
.were saying. . .... of iastructio_and consolation for those who 35). True glortausl_, tru% for pr'eachers of the mighty truths he has experienced
" . .- . sit in the pews, even thbugh heresy not . aS they. tarry h/'the divine l_resen_e in and dcsiras to express. There is a' sacred
I recall a pleasanter scene. A revival be at his best as hq:prcoches. , " preparatlon for the appearance in .the oratory that appeals powerfull] to the eye
service is in _I_rogress, As the evangelist Our,,faesS speak in ways we do. not su- _ presence of their panicle will-be the Words as well as to.the ear, It isthe energizing •
preaches the 'song.1oadar sits facing .the _-_oot, V_hon'I wn_ n t_neh_v in n ee_#_]. " of the psalmist, '_rhey lo6ked unto 'him,
cangregati0n; such
expressionat .on" her joyous .face':.is approastion..,
frequcntl_._:' -"eall_, to.....................
n/_,"YouIdoked one of m_" students sa'sorrowfido_syou. one day "_--said ,; .._ .A[S.R):.andtheirfaceswere lightened (illuminated," " not . ashamed. .'radiant',, Spirit that works: in " ea'ch-case_ "
.
'o_ various statements of the sermon that _.t wlt_; t_,_ fne.]_ nn _b_ ._tfnrm _" (Psalms 34:5). Also, lhq Words of Paul ((
it addo-greetly to the effectiveness of the .the chapel during the regular daily ser- . are applicable, here "But we "all . with . -
message • . vice. And. she added, I wondered if it open •face beholding' as in n glass the glory O divine Master, grant that I may not
There are interva_ while the r_iniste_-, was because you were grieving, over the of the Lord, are, al_anged into the s_ane so much seek. to be cousol_l, as to con.-
Is In the pulpit, when he will not bespeak- failure of some of your students te do * ._. ' , image from glory.to glory' (H Car..3:18). sole; to be Uhderstood as in tuidemhmd;
ing. It may :be, if be'is not his own sopg their work faltlffully." You tony'.be sure It Was while:Jesus pra_/ed that '_is face to I)e loved as in love. For it Is _ giv_
" leader, when the singing is inking phi, m; that after that, seeing raysel{ ns others . did shLue'as, the "rain" (Matt. 17:2, with
- or. as the offering tg being placed in the ' lind seen me, _I ._as careful not to lot Luke 9:29), If a preacher 'would spend ing that We raceive;' _t is "in pardoning
-plates; perhaps when the-choir'is rendering any depressio_ of• spirits find expression - as much time in praying abodt his serthon : that we are pardoned, trod it is in dying
a special number,, or a solo, duet, trio, or in 'n _soi'rdw/ul countenance." - . . ashe spends hi studying _or It, arid writing that we are bern to eternal llfe.----_elected.
16 (356) , , . The PsonchefJ Macjmdne November:December.1945 ". " • .... " {35"/} 17