Musings from the Ozone

Empty Chair at Our House

in the Summer time

There they were…comfortable, traditional club chairs, lined up in two rows and placed in front of the blazing fireplace. Sitting there, and waiting on our ride, the thought struck me; those chairs were lovely, but they were not doing their job of holding warm human bodies! Continue with me and imagine the setting. We were staying in a Comfort Inn, which bespeaks the name, when it supposedly provides comfort for travelers, but in this case, there were few patrons in the place.  I will not try to figure out the reason for the lack of patronage to the motel. Perhaps it was the economic climate in the city, but by being so close to the airport, one would suppose that there would be enough business to sustain the outfit?  Still, that was not the substance of my thoughts.

Since my pondering did not dwell on the lack of patrons in this motel, and since I realized that many motels suffer from days of inactivity and bustle, there was something else that struck me as a shade pitiable. It was the fact that there are many empty seats in more places than just motels. I thought, "here was a beautiful lobby with a roaring fire going on in the fireplace and yet, there was no one there, save my husband and I, to enjoy it's warmth and beauty."

Lest you think I am small minded, to dwell on such a minor fact, let me explain that my mind rushed ahead, contemplating on the many beautiful restaurants where there are beautiful surroundings, excellent food, beautiful atmosphere, but no takers. What about the many empty seats in the halls of lovely symphony concerts? When we lived in Montevideo, Uruguay, the resident missionary wife and I, also a missionary, would take our children to go to the beautiful Teatro del Plaza in downtown Montevideo; we would observe the grandiose and magnificent theater hall, but then trudge up to an upper floor with our children where the seats were only a nickel a piece. Even at that meager price, there would be empty seats. Down on the main floor, seats were more expensive at a dollar a piece, and there would be seats a plenty. People just didn't appreciate the arts, so we thought.

This thought broadens out to our churches. There are just too many empty seats, without anyone giving a second thought about them. These seats are fine, and moreover, they are totally free!

Why are there the many empty seats? The question may plague the preacher, the motel owner who complains more about the empty beds, or the restaurant owner, who is dependent on patrons sitting in the seats around his tables. This question is a bit complicated, and I don't really have the time or the ability to dissect each and every problem of empty seats in these separate businesses. However, I can lump all of my thoughts about those empty seats into this analysis. Someone who is absent from the seat will be missing out on something!

That statement sounds trite and lacking in originality, but to examine the issue more closely, one would have to admit that someone missed out on the beautiful blazing fire going in the fancy fireplace, by not being there to sit in the seats set around in the motel lobby. It was an inconsequential 'miss', of course, for those who didn't take advantage of the benefits, but it was the motel owner who had gone to a great length in setting up his lovely scene, only to have it go unnoticed and unappreciated by the absent public. He would suffer even greater if he didn't see the beds in his motel get filled each evening!

The restaurant owner, no doubt, put forth a great deal of work to make his restaurant fare the best in his location. He probably was up before dawn, setting up his utensils, his groceries for the meals and then stayed late to make sure everything was clean and spotless upon closing. His day was lived and operated upon the premise that those restaurant seats would be filled and patrons would leave fully satisfied from their wonderful meal. To miss a meal at that restaurant would be of no great consequence either to the patron, because there would be 100 and one other restaurants from which he could choose. He missed that meal however, and the opportunity would never be the same one again.

A concert is difficult to arrange, and even more so when it is on a professional level. There are musicians to hire, multi-practices to attend, transportation issues, agendas, halls to rent and many unforeseen problems to circumvent. It is imperative to sell as many seats as possible, in order to compensate for the cost of the event. Those that miss the event may have gone to some other event on that same night, enjoyed a totally different experience, but they also missed a tremendous educational and esthetic event, by choosing not to go to the symphony. The event was created for the patron, but if there were no patrons, how long would a symphony orchestra survive?

Lastly, I come to the thought of empty seats in the church. We tend to see the folks sitting in the seats, and indeed some people take advantage of an empty seat next to them, to lay their sleepy child down on it, or place their coats or purses, etc., in the empty space. However, if we should look at that seat with a different perspective, we would realize that someone missed out on a spiritual blessing. It may have been a life changing sermon that they would have heard, but they missed it, just because they were absent from church. One remembers the Lord Jesus calling for the diners to come around the table. Each one had an excuse for why they couldn't come to the dinner. Finally, and almost exasperatedly, the master said to go into the highways and byways and compel them to come to the feast. To miss out on church services is not necessarily a sin; the master did tell us to get in church the more so as we see the day approaching; meaning the end of times, but we do not hear that one must go to church regularly or they will have sinned, rather we hear that we are going to miss out on the 'meal' the Lord has prepared for us! Look around at the empty seats in church, and one will have to sadly admit that there are people who are starving themselves spiritually, when there is no need! Jesus has spread the feast in His house, but the seats at the table are empty. Perhaps one should remember the effort someone has put forth to provide things for them.

Years ago, my husband and I pastored a small church in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Although our church was small, we offered to hold the Upper Peninsula district conference that spring. I was very young, but I worked hard with just a couple of ladies in our church, cooking breakfast for the ministers and wives and a big dinner, later in the day. I had already had some experience in preparing meals, but in preparing meals on the scale of a conference, I had to stretch myself to do more work than I had ever done before! Suddenly, it dawned on me. There is a lot of work and time that goes forth in food preparation, and yet the food was consumed in minutes, and the praise was meager. When a woman prepares a meal, she desires to see that people come to the table, eager to eat and quick to appreciate it!

The Lord prepares a great feast for those that believe in Him. He has sacrificed his life for us, and given us everything we possess. Why do we not appreciate the sacrifice He made for us? Why do we take his ministers for granted? Why do we take lightly the sacrifices people have made that we might know His word, and His doctrine? Have we forgotten that not only did the Lord lay down His very life for us, but that there are also many preachers who have sacrificed all so that we might have churches today?

When I see those empty seats, something comes over me; someone is missing out on the glory of the Lord and the beauty of the fellowship with His church!