16 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people: “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord! 17 They keep saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’ 18 “Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?” Jeremiah 23:16–18 (NLT)
This Tuesday, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde preached from her pulpit at the Washington National Cathedral during an interfaith prayer service. Her words, directed at the President, have created a firestorm of reaction. I write not to address the specific comments uttered on Tuesday but the larger question: what is the purpose of the pulpit? This question is all the more pertinent because this bishop comes from a different branch of the Anglican tradition.
The pulpit is a sacred space where the Holy Word of God is read and proclaimed. Those authorized to preach from the pulpit have been ordained to this prophetic task. Prophetic? Yes! It is God’s revealed word that is proclaimed. It is not a place for the preacher to utter societal commentary, social or psychological perspectives, or to advocate for partisan political outcomes. It is for the proclamation of God’s Word, not man’s.
By its very nature, the sermon is not to shy away from the political. John the Baptist sealed his fate by “speaking truth to power.” Nathan brought a dangerous message to King David and, through him, David was reconciled to God. But the prophet is always accountable for the words he utters. Prophets are never to speak on their own authority but to proclaim only the word of God to which they have been entrusted. Not everyone takes such care, however. He who speaks his own word “takes the name of the Lord in vain.” His condemnation is clear: “But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’” (Deuteronomy 18:20, NLT)
The words spoken in a conversation are different from the words proclaimed from the pulpit. I have a high opinion of my personal opinions: my political beliefs, my economic theories, or how do the Green Bay Packers return to the Super Bowl? Many conversations are based on my education or my experiences. But no matter how much I believe something to be true, I may not utter it from the pulpit. I have a solemn charge to preach God’s word not my own.
In his Second Inaugural Address, President Lincoln spoke of the deep political divisions which had resulted in the Civil War. He said: “Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes his aid against the other.” Political opponents often declare God to be on their side of a political divide. The pulpit is no place to impose one’s own political thoughts on a captive audience. The congregation has come to hear from God not the preacher. Too many preach their own word as being from God Himself.
The words heard from a faithful pulpit may be assumed to be true and faithful. Like the Bereans, hearers should hear it with eagerness but then examine the scriptures to verify the message. Are we willing to listen to God speak?