The Bible Chair Lectern.
The image of the two Lecterns is important for the article this week. For anyone who is a current student or an Alumni of the Bible Chair, you will likely recognize the lectern on the left. In the 9 years that I have known the Bible Chair, both as a student, and now as the Director every Monday night devotional has been taught off of this lectern, every guest speaker has used it, and it has collected many Bibles after a lengthy study.
I knew it had been around for a while, here most recently aside from our student-led devotionals, Bob Shepard has been teaching our Wednesday night Bible Class off of this lectern. According to Bob the lectern on the left is very familiar to him, he told me just the other day that it was already at the Bible Chair when he began working here in 1973. Assuming it arrived before 1973 that would make this lectern over 50 years old. However, it is very possible that it was original to the Bible Chair from the beginning meaning that it could be over 70 years old!
It is hard to know with certainty just how old this lectern is, it would be even harder to estimate just how many lessons, studies, classes, and more have been taught off of it. The Lectern on the left represents decades of Christian teaching and growth. It has been well used over the past several decades, unfortunately, it has sustained many injuries along the way as well. No doubt some of the injuries came about during passionate lessons where the speaker could not help but bang the lectern with his fist to emphasize the point of his lesson. No doubt some of these injuries were sustained as it was being moved from room to room with eager anticipation as to what the night would bring. No doubt some of the injuries came about as young men nervously gripped the edges as they shared their first devotional. If we are honest, some of the injuries came about as students knocked it over during a wrestling match or some other activity. It has been mended, patched, nailed, screwed, glued, and taped in just about every possible way. Nails have come up through the top and caught many Bibles and lesson notes. Since I have been around it has always wobbled, and leaned to one side or the other. Unfortunately, I believe that this lectern has reached the age of retirement.
I am not one to hold on to things. I don’t know what the opposite of a hoarder is, but I am pretty close to that. I will throw ANYTHING away, you can ask my wife. Yet as I brought in the “new to us” lectern on the right, I couldn’t help but stop and think of what this lectern has done in its lifetime at the Bible Chair. Don't get me wrong, it is likely already in the landfill by the time you read this article. As I carried it to the dumpster, I couldn't help but think of how this lectern reflects our lives.
We are all like the lectern, as we go through our lives we will sustain injuries, we will break, and we will move. Every individual reading this article will have experienced it in some way or another. Yet despite the challenges we face in this life, and the “injuries” that we sustain the Lord will be there holding us up, mending us, and using us to fulfill his purpose. However, God never put us in the dumpster, he never throws us away., no matter how look, how we feel, or the pain we experience God has use for us.
1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I don’t know know how long the “new” lectern will be around, as it already has a few injuries of its own. However, I know that while it is here it will represent the same things the old one did, Christian teaching and growth. It will be moved from room to room, it will be gripped nervously, and it will be knocked over a few times.
