I Thought this Only Happened in Church

I thought this only happened at church!

I was at breakfast with my son at the local diner in downtown Gaithersburg.  Oatmeal for me.  Pancakes and bacon for him.  He's 14 and I'm 41, so our ages and our meals are both reversed. 

A man vaguely resembling Dave Matthews waited for his take-out order sitting on a chair nearby our booth.  There was no one at his table, and there were several open tables in the diner. In walks a local, taps the man on the shoulder, and says, “That’s my seat, would you move?”

The man was slightly startled, but smiled and complied, perching on a nearby chair to wait.  My son and I noticed this simultaneously.  He leaned close and semi-speaks, semi-whispers, “I thought that only happened in church.”

“I know, right?” I whispered back.  We both laughed aloud.

All these years as pastor I’ve assumed that only churchgoers were the seat mongers.   Turns out I’m wrong, habits and territorialism apply to all humans.  It only seems hypocritical when Christians do it.  Universally, people are funny about where they sit. 

For example, the White House Press Secretary assigns seats for reporters.  Airlines do it.  Theatres, symphonies, and rock bands, too.  Wild Bill Hickok surely regretted his seat choice at a poker table when he was shot in the back. Rumor has it that some synagogues actually sell tickets with preferential seating to their high holy days services. 

Anticipating the Easter Sunday full house, I briefly considered bolstering our ailing church budget by selling preferred seating for this weekend’s service.  I figured front row seats would be free, middle/middle seats would go for twenty dollars, and that back row seats would be forty.  Guaranteed "End of the Row?"  Two dollar surcharge! 

But that was a short-winged flight of fancy because good religion doesn’t work that way.   And I certainly don’t want to tangle with Jesus, who said, “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the market-places” in Luke 11.43.  Easter is free to all would come. 

So bring a friend and get here early for a good seat as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this Sunday at 10:30.  I pray that our seats won't matter because our hearts will be drawn to stand and worship God as we marvel at the empty cross and the empty tomb.     

Saving you a seat,