You’re in My Pew!

When I served as the Portsmouth district superintendent, I once went to a church and sat down. I hadn’t been there long when a lady came to me and said very loudly, “You’re sitting in my seat!” I apologized and moved. She looked at me and said, “Who are you anyway?” I told her I was their new district superintendent, and I had come to worship. She was embarrassed and should have been. If I had been someone seeking a new church home, I probably would have never returned to that church.

It’s been a long time since we all gathered together in a church for worship, but soon we will again. How do strangers feel in your church? Does one feel welcome when they come in or do they hear, “You’re sitting in my pew!”

God instructed the Israelites to welcome foreigners. God reminded the Israelites to welcome foreigners because they, too, were foreigners. (Leviticus 19:34) They were not only to welcome strangers but to treat them with kindness. (v. 33) Additionally, verse 34 reminds them to “love them as themselves.”  God had rescued them from oppression in Egypt, giving them a land “flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:17)

As we start worshipping again as the body of Christ, may we always treat those whom we don’t know with love and compassion as we greet them and get to know them. And by the way, it might be a good practice to begin sitting in a different seat on a regular basis so we can meet others we do not know. May you never say, “You’re in my pew.” May you always reach out in love to all in God’s house!

Prayer: You welcome me with open arms, for you love me day after day. Give me your love to share with others. Amen!

Leviticus 19:34 – “Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Image: Andrew Seaman/Unsplash