Worship

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Sunday Morning at First Church
Written by: Rev. Terry D. Butters
Unpublished copyright 2007

The flower committee had created several beautiful arrangements of colorful carnations and as was always the case they were sitting just inside the front door when she arrived at quarter past the hour on Sunday morning. She stopped by the Pastor's office to say hello and as it always happened, the big smile and the little wave with the left hand, told her that all was well. She went back out to the foyer and began to place the flower arrangements. One plant, on each side of the doorway. One beside the guest book and one in each back corner of the Communion Table. A quick dusting of the alter rail, pulpit, piano and organ followed the placing of the flowers. It was now half past the hour and she heard a car door shut. Very quickly she moved through the pews straightening the hymnals and then in the fourth pew of the center section, in the very middle of the pew she sat down. The Sanctuary was ready and she sighed softly.

She had been doing this job for thirteen and a half years. The grandmother, who had replaced her mother, had passed it on the daughter, who in turn, when it was time, had given it to her. Her family had done this every Sunday without fail for seventy-six years, which was every year of her life. But the end was coming; she had never married and was the only child of an only child. Just then, she heard the door open and he walked in and sat down behind her in the sixth pew of the center section in the Sanctuary. She turned and smiled as she had done for as long as she could remember. Her family had always sat in the fourth pew and his family had always sat in the sixth pew. His wife had died three years before and their family was scattered all over the state. On holiday Sundays the pew was full of his family. But, this was not a holiday and he too was alone.

Others were coming in now the family that sat in the in the eighth pew on the left section in the Sanctuary, sent over a child to make sure that she was coming over for dinner after church. She sent the child back to ask if the gentleman in the sixth pew behind her could come as well. And soon she heard him say that he would like to come for dinner and that made her very happy. His wife had been her lifelong best friend and she still missed her terribly. His friendship had kept the memories of her friend fresh in her mind. In fact, every Sunday, except for him, on holiday Sundays, some family invited them both home for dinner and her invitation followed by her request for his invitation, became a sort of like a ritual at First Church. In fact there was a sign-up sheet that moved throughout the congregation, she had seen it several times. There was even an emergency fill-in call list always attached to the invitation schedule. Indeed, all was well in the middle of the fourth and sixth pew of the center section in the sanctuary at First Church.

For five years his family had sat in the ninth pew of the right section in the Sanctuary at First Church. His job had moved him, his wife and three children six hundred and fifty miles, but the promotion was worth the move. Everything had gone smoothly; they found a house just a few blocks from his work, the schools and First Church. The neighborhood was super friendly and everyone watched out for each other. His wife had gotten a job at the school and walked the children to school every day. Their membership had been transferred to First Church without any problems. Life was indeed good. Everyone in the family was healthy, robust, and trim and except for the small lump in his armpit he was feeling great. It did bother him a bit that his doctor left a message regarding an appointment for a bi-optic exam. But, he'd had lumps before, this was just another one. Yes, indeed life was good!

As he slid into the third pew of the left section in the sanctuary, his hip was really hurting him. Each time he had to climb the two flights of stairs into the Sanctuary the pain increased. First Church had been his church a long time. In fact he had been on the Deacon Board for fifteen years. All his kids had been baptized at First Church, but were not going anywhere to church at that time. His wife is a member of the quilting circle. Even though she had the flu and couldn't come that morning, he just knew that he had to go to church. But the stairways were getting steeper every week. The cost of the ramp was too much. What would he do? "Maybe next week, I'll stay home," he thought. The Doctor had told him his heart couldn't handle a replacement surgery. "Yes, next week, I'll just stay home."

He couldn't count very far and was always getting his numbers turned around. So he always sat in the front seat of the center section in the Sanctuary. The group home van always dropped him off just before service started and his walk down to the front was just as the organist began to play what she called the "Gathering Hymn." He liked to hear the organ and he really liked to come to church. He couldn't read the bulletin, but he always took one. One of the group home workers would read it to him after dinner. He waved at the man sitting in the sixth seat of the center section in the Sanctuary. And in return, once again, he got a real big smile from the man. He sat down and waited for the
service to begin. He hoped that this week they would sing, "Jesus Loves Me," it was the only song he knew.

She very quietly slipped into the back seat of the right section in the Sanctuary. It had been three weeks since her husband had left for overseas. He was just infantry and she knew that right then he was sleeping. She was really scared and he was always on her mind. They had been married for just a few months, when his orders came they were looking at houses. Now she was alone in the, apartment. Everything was new, the city, the apartment, and her job. She felt so helpless; this church was just across the street from where she lived.
So she had decided to attend a service. Someone in front of her turned and looked at her, she seemed like she smiled at her, and at least she hoped so. There were not many smiles in her life and she so desperately needed a smile.

He hesitated at the door, should he go in or not. Would this church throw him out like the one did down the street? His clothes were dirty and torn. His hair was long and filthy. His hands and face were covered with dirt. People just did not understand there was no way to get clean living in the sewer. He saw a spot in the last pew on the left section in the Sanctuary. No one else was in the pew and he thought that when the pastor started praying he would slip in and sit down. Maybe this bunch would let him set there. He wanted so desperately to go to church. He had grown up in church, but when he left town for the city ten years before, he had started using drugs and stopped going to church when he got to the city. Oh no! Here comes an usher. I'll close my eyes like I'm praying and he may leave me alone. O God, wherever you are, make him go away.

This was his weekend to not have the kids, so he was all alone in the fifth pew of the right section in the Sanctuary. When his wife left him, he was sure that everything would turn out all right. She'd want to come home, he was sure she would. But the divorce papers destroyed that dream. The court gave her the kids, except for every other weekend. Several people looked at him, two smiled, one frowned and the rest lost looked. He wanted to shout out, that it was not his fault. But who would believe him. He'd heard that people were saying that because he did not get the kids, it must have been his fault. At least they let him come to church.

The family came into the church, in order, they always did. Mom was first then the four kids, youngest to oldest followed her in and finally dad. They had sat in the sixth pew of the left section in the Sanctuary ever since they had gotten married in the church. The Pastor back then had invited them to start attending after the Honeymoon and they had and liked it so much. They had joined the church. All four children had been brought forward after birth and given into the care of the Lord. They weren't officers but they served on two committees and were really happy that First Church was their church.

She came through the door to the sanctuary and looked at the people sitting in the pews. Most of them she knew because they had been in the church for so many years. She noticed a new face in the back seat of the right section of the Sanctuary. The woman was looking around at the other people in the pews and seemed to be looking for something. She thought she’s sitting where we always sat and so she walked over to the back pew of the right section of the Sanctuary and sat down right beside the young woman. The young woman smiled at her and she returned the smile. When she had sat down she had slid in far enough for another person to sit on the end of the back pew in the right section of the Sanctuary. She looked at the empty spot next to her. Her husband had sat next to her in the back pew of the right section of the Sanctuary for thirty-nine years. He had not been in church with her for the past six months. She had hired a Care-giver to stay with him so she could go to church each Sunday. He still knew her name at times, but the Doctor had told her that the Dementia was getting worse and that she should start looking for a Nursing Home for him to be in. The young woman whispered in her ear that her husband was in the Army overseas and she whispered back that her husband was at home.

Others came and took their seats they too brought their lives with them, to their pews of the left, center and right sections in the Sanctuary
of First Church.

Jesus said that everyone who was weak and burdened down with the realities of life was to come to him and he would give them rest. Well, they have brought them to the Sanctuary of First Church, and every Sunday after the singing, the prayers, the preaching, and the scripture lessons, they take them back home with them. The singing was beautiful, the prayers were uplifting, and the preaching was inspiring, the scripture lesson was informative. But everyone went home just as tired, and frustrated as they were when they came. Worship was simply a pleasant distracting break from the realities that they faced at home.

O Lord, forgive us!

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