Not Even in a Pew

While our church's Worship Center is under renovation we are meeting in the CLC, Fellowship Center, and Chapel. I went to the 9:10 service this morning and sat near the front. Traditionally, this service has more of the older crowd but that is changing each and every week. What happened this morning would happen more often in 9:10 but never in my wildest imagination did I think it would happen in the CLC.

Unlike the past few weeks, I got to church early enough to sit up front. I moved up a couple of rows more than normal because I don't like sitting in front of this group that talks throughout most of the service until Gregg begins to speak and sometimes even then they continue to talk. So I am sitting there, enjoying the music when three older ones come up to me and say, "Excuse me, you are sitting on OUR row." On the inside of me I was perplexed at what I had just heard. In our Worship Center, I had heard stories of people claiming seats by virtue of them being willed to them from Deacons of long ago, but in the gym? So, I just moved to the side to let them in and said, "Welcome to your row." They looked as perplexed as I felt. The gentleman says to me, we know this is our row because of where the tape is. (the temporary mat that goes over the gym floor) I just said something like, it is always good to know where you are going. They moved onto and farther down the row. I could feel the look of disapproval directed my way during the first part of the service. At some point, they moved back toward me leaving one seat in between us. I looked over in that direction once and only one of the three brought a Bible. For a moment I felt really smug, like...if you were at all spiritual like me you would have a Bible and a notebook. Of course that was sinking to a level and if you read my previous post, I did not have a t-shirt on to constrain me, though something better, the love of God.

After the service I said to the three, "you have a very good row here. I enjoyed my time sitting on your row, but don't worry, I won't tell any of my friends about this row. Thank you for letting me sit here today." Their stone like faces melted into a smile.