When the pulpit is empty, what remains of a life shaped by calling?Daniel Hale spent decades standing at the center of a church-speaking, leading, carrying the weight of other people's faith. When he steps away from the role that defined him, the silence that follows is not dramatic. It is unsettling in quieter ways.As Daniel learns how to inhabit his days without a title or expectation, he discovers that belonging does not always come from being needed. It can emerge in overlooked routines, unremarked conversations, and the steady presence of a life lived without performance.Set in a small town where faith lingers even when certainty does not, When the Pulpit Is Empty is a reflective novella about identity after vocation, marriage after transition, and the grace found in simply staying.This is a story for readers who value stillness over spectacle-and who understand that some of the most meaningful changes happen when no one is watching.