November 06, 2008
Capacity
A couple weeks ago at church I was lamenting about our lack of space and said I hated to invite people because there might not be any place for them to sit. A fellow member gently chided, “Oh no, don’t let that hold you back. Some of the rest of us will just stand up if we need to.” Of course he was correct. However, as one who helps get people seated, I’ve seen people leave, or feel they should leave, just because they can’t easily find a seat. Every Sunday I find myself breathing a sigh of relief once everyone is seated. What is so interesting about this situation is that when some of the regulars are absent, there are visitors taking their place, so the facility is almost always maxed out. It sort of reminds me of the widow of Zarephath who, having run out of flour and oil and was preparing to starve to death. Through the prophet Elijah God said, “…The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.” (1 Kings 17:14 NIV) I’m assuming we will not run out of seating and that God will provide us a larger facility…all before the Fire Marshall declares we’ve reached capacity.
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3 comments:
Gail;
-----The church I am attending is discussing another one of those, “You gotta change your church before it dies” books. All the elders read it and swooned. They passed it off to a bunch of small groups. They all swooned. Now we have a small Sunday school class going through it a chapter at a time. But they are not swooning. I keep bringing up the idea that, since it is the Lord’s church, maybe we should be looking at those issues in the light of His Word. Slowly the thought is steering away from the certainty that traditional church culture is a wet blanket. Thank you for the testimony you’ve born to what is happening at your church. Maybe it will help this Sunday school class turn its eyes off another baby book and back onto the Bible.
Love,
Steve Corey
What a wonderful problem to have - too many people and not enough seats! If those who leave because there's not enough room want to stay badly enough, they'll be willing to stand if necessary. Of course, if they are elderly, that presents a different situation. Then, maybe it's time for those seated who are younger to 'stand before the hoary head' as KJV puts it, and give up their seats in honor of the elderly. When we are attending there, I would love it if my children could learn from my example as I willingly give up my seat. And then maybe they, too, could be given the opportunity to learn to honor the elderly by being asked to give up their seat. (My kids can stand or sit on the floor, a whole lot easier than an older person can; or a pregnant woman; or a mother with a little baby-- or me, for that matter!) So anytime we're there and you need more seats, please feel free to come and move us out!
In Him,
Arlene
Arlene;
-----How not only kind of you! How not only respectful of you! But even more, how Scriptural of you! I am sure our culture’s references to the elderly as “seasoned” refer to merely lots of years. If there seems to be any nuance beyond that, seeing how the elderly are treated today, it seems to be that they are cooked. Like well seasoned roasts, stick a fork in them, they are done. But that is not the scriptural perspective. They are seasoned with experience, having become consistent throughout, hanging around life long enough to cure to completion like a good old fashioned ham (not like our water-added hams that are injected with brine today and thrown into the smoker tomorrow.) It is the best of the elders, those who struggled to live their long lives in obedience, that the Word looks to as leaders. That is why the Word refers to leaders as “elders”. Duh, you contemporary, yuppie “elders“, get a clue.
Love,
Steve Corey
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