Scripture

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

~1 Peter 4:9, NKJV

Quote

Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend.

~Henri Nouwen

You may put a lot of stock on how well your pastor preaches, but to someone visiting your worship on Sunday morning, the warmth and love of the fellowship is much more important. People are more likely to return if they feel welcome and loved. The problem is, we humans are easily intimidated or aggravated by change and that could mean a visitor with the audacity to sit in our seat. I have seen it, while in revival at Ford City in Colbert County, a man tapped a visitor on the shoulder and said, “You are in my seat.” To make bad matters worse, the old man just stood there until the visitors moved. Fortunately, the pastor witnessed the whole thing and he went straight to the couple and apologized for the rude man’s behavior. This is why I encourage congregations to move around. Don’t get use to the same seat.

The following is a true story {check it out online}. On April 9, 2017, Dr. David Dao {Asian American} was seated on a United Airline flight from O’hare in Chicago to Lexington. The Airline realized at the last minute that they had overbooked the flight and those who didn’t get to board were offered vouchers but they all refused them and so the airline had to seat those who bought their tickets first. This meant asking some who were already seated to vacate their seat and return to the terminal. Dao was asked by the Airlines to vacate his seat and he refused. When the attendants could not talk him out of his seat, the security people were called. Two armed men approached Dao and ordered him to vacate his seat: again he refused. So they removed him physically and in so doing, they roughed him up a bit. Among other things, they broke his nose. Unfortunately for the airline, someone caught it on their phone and the video went viral in no time. The results, United Airlines lost 800 million dollars overnight as stock prices plummeted. They would have faired better had they offered free vacations instead of vouchers. In trying to save money, they lost money.

We as churches do not want to make the same mistake. Welcome visitors and give them the best seats which in a Baptist church are on the back. We have a baptist church in Morgan county that is at revival pitch and has been for the past several years. They have reached the 80% saturation mark and are wanting to build but that is expensive. Their leaders got together and came up with a temporary plan: all the church leaders, including the deacons would sit up front. If every church would be willing to do this, we would see a change. Asking a baptist to give up his or her seat is a sensitive subject and can get a preacher run off, but we should save the back for guest and late comers.

Extra

I would have shown you the Bob Uecker commercial, “Hey buddy, you are in the wrong seat,” but it is a beer commercial. It is one of my favorite commercials of all time. You can find it on YouTube. Nothing but thanks today. We had a very good weekend and no bad news. If we did, it didn’t get to me. Full schedule today and then Joe David’s latest idea, BREAKFAST WITH the Bible and Bro. Jack, 5:30 a.m. at Warehouse Coffee. My first prayer is that June will be able to get me up. I have not been getting up that early. It is a short devotional time with men on their way to work.

It is cooling and tonight will be below freezing. I had just as soon it stop at 33 but they say it is going down to 27.  I hope they are wrong. Have a good day and week: thanks for reading the blog.