Posted on by PeaceBang

What You Carry

One of you wise pigeons recently said, “What I carry into the pulpit is just as important as what I say from it.”
That may not be an exact quote and it is overstating the case a bit, but PeaceBang LOVES hyperbole and she does agree that you should not be carrying ugly plastic or flimsy paper folders and such into church.

How many beautiful rituals have been ruined by a minister flapping papers around? For God’s sake, darlings, have some swellegance! Why bother dolling yourself up with robes and stoles and such when you’re going to schlep into the wedding ceremony holding a tacky folder or binder? Such things are noticed, and they do matter. In fact, one of you written to me to remind me to remind you to not carry ugly plastic binders with THE PRICE TAG STILL ON IT. Which means that, yes, PeaceBang’s loving spies are everywhere and one of you now needs to spend some time in the Naughty Corner.

It’s okay, we’ll bring you cookies.

Here is an old post on my use of the Kindle in ministry featuring a beautiful leather cover of the sort that you might want to ask for someone to get you as a graduation present.

I have one colleague in mind who preaches from an iPad, who also might want to investigate the beautiful Oberon designs.
 Again, they’re very expensive, but that is some beautiful handiwork there, and I like to support small businesses that bring beauty and craftsmanship to the world.

By the way, darlings, don’t let this happen to you either literally or metaphorically. Kiss, kiss.

18 Replies to “What You Carry”

  1. The associate pastor at the church I’m attending right now brings his Mac laptop to the pulpit with him to preach… while it’s not as distracting as I thought it might be the first time I saw it, I’m not sure how I feel about having a big, glowing, very recognizable corporate logo centered in the middle of the pulpit. I think I would be more comfortable with it if he had some type of solid/black cover over it while preaching.

  2. I agree – what we carry matters AND speaks. I’ve grown a little lax in attending to such details recently.

    However, I’m also aware of people who carry things – beautiful things – and use them as a barrier to divide themselves from the congregation. Really. I’ve seen it. A beautiful binder filled with liturgy that is held like a wall between presider and congregation. Which suggests to me that it’s not just WHAT we carry . . . but HOW we carry it as well. Confidence, grace and openness go a lot way in that regard.

  3. Once, again, I must mention the beauty of the tastefully leather-bound Prayer Book/Hymnal with which God blessed Episcopalians. My sermons go in a black notebook that is in the pulpit before the service. And yes, even if no one can see it but me, the price tag is off.

  4. I also agree with Sarah about the lovely leather prayer books. 🙂 For the weddings I do, I print a full text service with the names of bride and groom written out, and put it into a slim leather folder with pockets to hold crucial information like the licenses and stuff.

    I am eager to use my Kindle in a service, but I haven’t quite gotten up the guts yet! Maybe if I get a fancy pants leather cover for it…

  5. And reading back through the comments on the other post brings up another point- the idea of using the nice folio or kindle idea for prayers for the dying. The Episcopal Church has some lovely experimental liturgies, but the front cover is emblazoned with a title that prominently declares its use for “Burial of a Child”. So I never used it, unless I photocopied a prayer to tuck into my proper prayer book. Let us be vigilant about what is ON our covers as well as the substance of which they are made!

  6. Oh dear – I did this a couple of years ago, and about died when I got home and realized I hadn’t peeled off the tag.

    My checks are pink now just thinking about it.

    I’m vegan – so won’t be carrying around a leather binder – and would love to know about non-leather options.

    OK, I think this presents me with a well-timed “google” moment, searching for appropriate binders/folders.

  7. For years I used a beautiful journal used by and left to me by my too-soon deceased mentor minister, Frederica Leigh OBM. A few years ago I gave it away as an ordination gift for a colleague who was a child in my church when Frederica was our minister; she has her own memories of our beloved mentor and model.

    Then I got a lovely journal with blank pages, and a black tooled leather cover. My technique for both of these books (which were sort of book size, smaller than 8 1/2 x 11) was the same. I printed the service landscape-wise in two columns, then cut the columns in half and paper-clipped the pages inside the journal. That way I didn’t use up the journal’s own pages by writing on them, and the paperclips weren’t visible to anyone but me; all anyone else saw was the cover of the lovely journal. I like its size and its classy appearance; the black cover makes it look serious but still suitable for weddings.

    Plain ol’ paper works for me in the pulpit, but the manuscript is always already there before the service begins, so no one sees it.

  8. I learned early on about half-size black 3-ring binders. This avoids the giant barricade effect between you & the couple. I have one that is older and nubbled in texture. I like Judy’s idea of the blank journal with clipped-in text.

  9. During my seminary internship, the pastor ordered all 3 interns a nice leather folio – letter size, with a notebook and a pocket. I’m going to look into something smaller once I’m established somewhere, but it was a fantastic gift because I have always had something nice to carry my papers in, whether it’s in worship or for a job interview. It’s a really nice polished touch.

  10. I have a lovely leather cover for my kindle, but now that I’ve switched over to an Android tablet I’m not as happy with the cover – it’s also leather, but the way it’s designed allowed the side opposite the table the flop in the middle. The size between the two makes a difference as well – the tablet does have more of the full-size binder barricade effect. Still, both options are a lot better than a sheet of prayers on the altar and the pages on the pulpit and the bulletin I juggled with the hymnal.

  12. What I carry into the pulpit is just as important as what I say from it.

    I understood this sentence so differently! I was thinking about the mental, emotional, and spiritual baggage that I sometimes carry with me onto the pulpit. Most of the time, I do a very good job of leaving it on the other side of the door so that it does not distract me. But there have been times that my own emotions (joy, pain, et al.) energizes my worship.

    As an aside, I don’t use electronic devices from the pulpit because I unplug on Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath).

  13. Interesting discussion. The Canon of the Cathedral is encouraging a group of lay people to lead an Evening Prayer and sometimes also Compline service once a month. We started six months ago;the leaders used black binders and a fully printed service. We provided a ‘cheat sheet’ to help others follow the service in the BCP. Initially this was important so that as leaders we did not feel awkward trying out new roles (discussion of ‘supplemental rubrics’ is a separate discussion – sheesh what you guys and gals have to know). But at some point I picked up Amy’s comment about separation. If lay lead liturgy is the work of the people in its most basic form, we are doing this together and, to the extent possible, let us reduce or minimize the distinctions. So, I started using our ‘cheat sheet’ and the Book of Common Prayer just as anyone welcomed walking in the door would. Which leads to Frume Sarah’s point, as the group has become more comfortable in this new process, we are not carrying as many of our anxieties into the service. As one member put it “We’re starting to do it as a dance.” It is better for all

  14. I used a clean white three ring binder for the first time I officiated at a wedding. The best man gave me the rings, I put them on the page, preparatory to blessing them, and one, of course, rolled off. A collective gasp was heard.

    Having read about PB using a Kindle for a wedding, that’s what I’ve used since. I have a nice pretty soft green cover, and the inside is a rough suede, and the rings never, never, never roll off.

    Only thing that I don’t like is not being able to scribble a note to myself on the page of the service or sermon at the last minute.

  15. I do three different churches every Sunday. I used to leave parts of my sermon behind. Now everything, the service, the hymns, the sermon, announcements, all are on my IPad. (In a nice cover) No fiddling with bulletins and switching between hymnals. Pricey but the best money I ever spent.
    I’ll never go back.

  16. A relative once gave me a pack of really beautiful file folders, with a William Morris-type pattern. I don’t know if she had any ideas how useful they would be, our just knew I’m a sucker for nice stationery supplies. I ought to use those every week, but often forget. If you’re looking for a low tech solution, I recommend them.

  17. I have a black portfolio for Sundays and lay all the papers out on the pulpit in an orderly fashion so that I am not shifting papers. When I do a graveside service I use my kindle, love that the wind can’t blow my pages as I am reading. I keep paper as a back up in case of technical malfunction.

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