Parish of Llandudno North Wales, Rector's letter

June 2014

The pulpit is an item of church funriturewe almost take for granted - most churches have one, out parish church of Holy Trinity being no exception. But St. Tudno's is unusual in this respect because instead of having a pulpit inside the building it has one outside in the churchyard instead!

On St. Tudno's Day this year we will be celebrating the centenary of this outside pulpit. It was dedicated by the then Bishop of Bangor on St. TUdno's Day in 1914, just a few weeks before the begining of the First World War.

The pulpit was erected to bt the focus for the popular outdoor services held in the churchyard throughout the summer months each year. This outdoor worship was already firmly established by 1914 and it seems that there had been a pulpit of some kind before the present one was built, but presumably there was a desire to have something more substantial from which to lead these services.

The new 1914 pulpit was made of Hopton-Wood Stone from Derbyshire (a similar limestone to that which makes up the Great Orme itself, I believe)and was erected in memory of Sara Edmonson. Today it is a Grade II listed "building"and is still very much in use at out outdoor worship.

We always referrred to it as a "pulpit" but it isn't really a pulpit at all! My Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church defines a pulpit as an "elevatedstand of stone or woodfor the preacher or reader". Similarly my ordinary dictionary says that it is a "raised, enclosed platform from which the preacher in church or chapel delivers sermons".

Our "pulpit" at St. Tudno's is definitely not elevated or raised - it's very muvh on the level, no stairs to ascend here. In fact given that most of the congregation are seated on benchessomwthat above the level of the officiant, he or she actually has to look slightly upwards to the congregation, rather than looking down on them. This can be a lesson in knowing one's true place and certainly not being "six feet above contradiction"!

The term "pulpit" also belies the fact that this is not just a place for preaching from but it also serves as a lectern for the reading of scripture and a "stall" from which to conduct worship. Having said all this however, it has always been referred to as a pulpit and that is what we will undoubtedly what we will continue to call it!

As we have noted, the pulpit was erected specifically to cater for the needs of those attending the outdoor services on Sundays throughout the summer - a modern phenomenon. But I also see a very strong connection here with the earliest days of Christianity on the Great Orme. Probably one of the first things St. Tudno did when he first came to the Orme was to erect a very simple preaching cross. Around this he would have celebrated the Eucharist and said the daily offices of the church. From this cross he would have reached the gospel of Christ to the people of the neighbourhood. Only lster would he have got round to building a church.

Our outdoor pulpit is the modern counterpart of Tudno's cross. Here is a symbol of our calling to proclaim to Gospel of Christ to those who come to our outdoor worship; to call them to repentance and into Christian discipleship; to invite them to share with us in the worship of God the Holy Trinity and to participate inthe Eucharistic breaking of bread.

So I invite every member of our parish who is able, to come on St. Tudno's Day to give thanks for our patron saint and founderand also, in celebrating the centenary of the outdoor pulpit, re-dedicate ourselves to prayer, worahip and the proclamation of the Gospel, not just on the Great Orme at out ancient oarish church but throughout the parish..

Fr. John

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January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 - no letter
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