Three stories on one theme ... you are sitting in my seat!

Three stories about the importance of others and the often-unfriendly attitude of those who should have known better … just something to think about when you attend church tomorrow.

Story #1: … She was new to our church. After more than a six-month search for a place to call home she ended up in our sanctuary. She felt accepted and loved. She enjoyed the worship services – both the tradition and the contemporary. She loved the Sonrise Café and the rich fellowship around the table. She was very enthusiastic about our church’s work with Family Promise and the variety of mission outreach programs. On more than one occasion she would share her “sandy beach evangelism” (her words). She shared her renewed faith with everyone she could meet and invited them to join her on Sunday morning. Then I began to notice that she wasn’t there every Sunday. One Sunday turned into a month and one month turned into several. Then finally she returned. With my ever-present cup of coffee I joined her at her table to share that I had missed her. She lowered her head and shared that she really missed being here, but that she was beginning to feel unwelcomed. When I inquired why, she went on to share that during the beginning of one of the traditional worship service the “dear older women” turned to her and said, “We love having new people join us on Sunday morning as long as they don’t sit in our group. Please, next Sunday, find some place else to sit.” And it was said with a smile and a hug.

Story #2: … It was Sunday morning and the gathering place on the second floor had been arranged for the regular Quaker meeting. The circle of chairs numbered well over 100 and in typical Quaker fashion people would arrive as they felt like it and sit quietly waiting for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to fall upon someone to share. Well, this particular Sunday morning a stranger in town found the Quaker meeting room and he arrived, but no one else had. He found a sit and waited thinking that just possibly he had misunderstood the time. After nearly 50 minutes passed another person showed up and walked quietly over to where the stranger had taken a sit and bent down and whispered, “Thou are sitting in my seat!”

Story #3: … You took my parking space

One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, " I always park there! You took my place!"

The visitor went inside for Sunday school, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!"

The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday school, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, "That's where I always sit! You took my place!"

The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.

Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"

The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place."