At each local meeting place of the Primitive Christianity Study Group — commonly called a “Coffee House” — you will find a suggestion box known as the “Lion Post.”
The Lion Post is there so that anyone may freely submit questions about the Bible, personal doubts, or suggestions regarding the way the Study Group operates. All submissions may be made anonymously. This practice has been part of our tradition from the very beginning, dating back to the days when Jonathan Parrott and his friends first started the Study Group.
Parrott and his companions themselves were frequent contributors. Whenever they held a Bible study gathering, they would first offer prayer to God and then open the Lion Post, carefully and sincerely considering each question and suggestion that had been submitted.
Even though submissions are anonymous, it is often fairly obvious who wrote them. At the same time, there are always some for which no one can even begin to guess the author. Over the years, we have learned through experience that among these anonymous messages are many that greatly help deepen our understanding of the Bible and improve the organization of the Study Group. Occasionally, a submission is clearly written by a young child, yet even such simple words have sometimes opened the eyes of adults in unexpected ways.
Each local Coffee House — often shortened simply to “House” — selects from among the collected submissions those it feels deserve special attention and forwards them to the Center House in London. At the Center House, submissions considered to be “especially meaningful suggestions” are then shared with Coffee Houses around the world, where they are put to good use.
In this way, great care is taken to ensure a smooth flow from individual → House → Center House → House → individual. The result is an organization with what one might call “good circulation” — lively, healthy, and constantly renewing itself.
The Lion Post itself takes its inspiration from a post shaped like a lion’s head that once stood in the Button Coffee House, where William Whiston often gave his lectures. From a biblical perspective as well, the lion is a symbol of justice and righteousness, and Jesus Christ is described as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” For these reasons, the lion is considered a most fitting form for a post meant to serve truth and fairness.
It is also a cherished tradition that each Coffee House uses a handmade Lion Post, lovingly designed according to its own ideas and creativity. For this reason, seeing the different Lion Posts has become one of the small pleasures of visiting Coffee Houses in various places.
We hope that you, too, will take opportunities to visit Coffee Houses in different regions whenever you can. And while you admire the Lion Posts, please don’t forget to make new “friends in faith” along the way as well.
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