Platform Decorum, Announcements, and
Preliminaries
Dignity of the Messenger—Decorum is necessary in the desk. A
minister of the gospel should not be regardless of his attitude. If he is
the representative of Christ, his deportment, his attitude, his gestures,
should be of such a character as will not strike the beholder with
disgust. Ministers should possess refinement. They should discard
all uncouth manners, attitudes, and gestures, and should encourage
in themselves humble dignity of bearing. They should be clothed in
a manner befitting the dignity of their position. Their speech should
be in every respect solemn and well chosen.—
Testimonies For The
Church 1:648, 649
(1868).
Platform Conduct—But things that are wrong often transpire in
the sacred desk. One minister conversing with another in the desk
before the congregation, laughing and appearing to have no burden of
the work, or lacking a solemn sense of their sacred calling, dishonors
the truth, and brings the sacred down upon the low level of common
things.—
Testimonies For The Church 2:612, 613
(1871).
An Offense to God—Sometimes the assemblies of God’s people
have been treated with a commonness which has been an offense to
God and has robbed the sacred work of its holiness and purity.—
Letter
155, 1900
.
Waste No Time With Apologies—Many speakers waste their
time and strength in long preliminaries and excuses. Some use nearly
half an hour in making apologies; thus time is wasted, and when they
reach their subject and try to fasten the points of truth in the minds of
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their hearers, the people are wearied out and cannot see their force.
Instead of apologizing because he is about to address the people,
the minister should begin as if he knew that he was bearing a message
from God.—
Gospel Workers, 168
(1915).
The Public Prayer—The prayers offered in public should be short
and to the point. God does not require us to make the season of worship
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