WHAT IS INTERPRETER’S HOUSE?
Interpreter’s House is a metaphorical image from John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Several years ago I borrowed the image as a title to an e-mail group I put together of my church members, fellow ministers and friends. I began mailing some of my ramblings and scribblings to these people under the general heading Interpreter’s House – excellent things needful for the journey. As a would-be writer, I write in several different styles. I have tried my hand at fiction. I write sermons and church newsletter articles often. I have written articles that have been published in magazines and newspapers. But it seems that the type of writing that I do that gets the most positive feedback from people is devotional in nature. Interpreter’s House over the last couple of years has been mostly devotional. I have sometimes tackled current events. I sometimes write with in a mode of what I call “serious silliness.” As Christians, we sometimes forget that the Bible teaches us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. And while joy is more than hilarity and laughter, it certainly does not exclude these happy virtues. And if we are going to laugh, we might as well start with one of the funniest subjects, ourselves.
In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, soon after Christian begins his journey from the city of destruction towards Mount Zion, his first stop was at Interpreter’s House. Many things were shown to Christian by Interpreter. These things gave Christian excellent things, needful for the journey of faith.
Two poetic passages appear in Pilgrim’s Progress towards the end of Christian’s visit to Interpreter’s House. Both are so suggestive of my purposes in writing. As Christian comes near the end of his visit to Interpreter’s House, he concludes –
Here I have seen Things rare and profitable,
Things pleasant, dreadful, Things to make me stable
In what I have begun to take in hand;
Then let me think on them, and understand
Wherefore they showed me were, and let me be
Thankful, O good Interpreter, to thee.
In Pilgrim’s Progress, Bunyan ends Pilgrim’s visit with one of the most captivating passages of the book. As Pilgrim leaves Interpreter’s House, He looks to the Cross and the Open tomb. And as he looks the burden on Pilgrim’s back falls off and is swallowed up by the empty tomb. Pilgrim came to the realization that He has given me rest by His sorrow and life by His death. My hope and prayer is that my writings in some way will point toward the sweet relief of the cross and the blessed hope of the empty tomb and perhaps will in some way cause the burdens of life to fall from some Pilgrim’s back as he or she makes the journey from the City of Destruction towards MountZion.
As Christian leaves Interpreter’s House, he gives three leaps for joy and sings –
Thus far I did come laden with my sin;
Nor could ought ease the grief I was in,
Till I came hither; What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning for my bliss?
Must here the Burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Bless cross! Blest Sepulchre! Blest rather
The Man that there was put to Shame for me!
For His Kingdom,
Stephen Cloud
Pastor of the Lillian Fellowship
www.lillianfellowship.org
Lillian, Alabama
You may contact me at
850.696-9200
or email at stephen@interpretershouse.com
Interpreter’s House is a metaphorical image from John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Several years ago I borrowed the image as a title to an e-mail group I put together of my church members, fellow ministers and friends. I began mailing some of my ramblings and scribblings to these people under the general heading Interpreter’s House – excellent things needful for the journey. As a would-be writer, I write in several different styles. I have tried my hand at fiction. I write sermons and church newsletter articles often. I have written articles that have been published in magazines and newspapers. But it seems that the type of writing that I do that gets the most positive feedback from people is devotional in nature. Interpreter’s House over the last couple of years has been mostly devotional. I have sometimes tackled current events. I sometimes write with in a mode of what I call “serious silliness.” As Christians, we sometimes forget that the Bible teaches us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. And while joy is more than hilarity and laughter, it certainly does not exclude these happy virtues. And if we are going to laugh, we might as well start with one of the funniest subjects, ourselves.
In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, soon after Christian begins his journey from the city of destruction towards Mount Zion, his first stop was at Interpreter’s House. Many things were shown to Christian by Interpreter. These things gave Christian excellent things, needful for the journey of faith.
Two poetic passages appear in Pilgrim’s Progress towards the end of Christian’s visit to Interpreter’s House. Both are so suggestive of my purposes in writing. As Christian comes near the end of his visit to Interpreter’s House, he concludes –
Here I have seen Things rare and profitable,
Things pleasant, dreadful, Things to make me stable
In what I have begun to take in hand;
Then let me think on them, and understand
Wherefore they showed me were, and let me be
Thankful, O good Interpreter, to thee.
In Pilgrim’s Progress, Bunyan ends Pilgrim’s visit with one of the most captivating passages of the book. As Pilgrim leaves Interpreter’s House, He looks to the Cross and the Open tomb. And as he looks the burden on Pilgrim’s back falls off and is swallowed up by the empty tomb. Pilgrim came to the realization that He has given me rest by His sorrow and life by His death. My hope and prayer is that my writings in some way will point toward the sweet relief of the cross and the blessed hope of the empty tomb and perhaps will in some way cause the burdens of life to fall from some Pilgrim’s back as he or she makes the journey from the City of Destruction towards MountZion.
As Christian leaves Interpreter’s House, he gives three leaps for joy and sings –
Thus far I did come laden with my sin;
Nor could ought ease the grief I was in,
Till I came hither; What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning for my bliss?
Must here the Burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Bless cross! Blest Sepulchre! Blest rather
The Man that there was put to Shame for me!
For His Kingdom,
Stephen Cloud
Pastor of the Lillian Fellowship
www.lillianfellowship.org
Lillian, Alabama
You may contact me at
850.696-9200
or email at stephen@interpretershouse.com