Sister Seat-Saver

A little over a week ago I attended a Women’s Pentecostal Camp Meeting at Carmel Assembly.  This is #11 for them.  I have attended all but 2 of the 11 years and each one has been absolutely amazing.  Every year I think “This has been the best one yet, it can’t get any better than this” and every year proves to be even better than the year before.  If you have never been, I encourage you to make arrangements to attend next year!  God shows up in a mighty way and miracles are in the making.  This year the theme was Restoration.  Powerful words, mighty messages, an amazing move of the Holy Spirit.  When you look at the pictures, you will wish you’d have been there too!  Check out this website to purchase CD’s or DVD’s of the services.  You won’t regret it! 

Ok… the reason I am telling you this is because….. Sis. Rese Moore (Pastor’s wife, extraordinaire) made a comment at some point during the weekend about (not) being afraid to get up from your place and move… to the altar or slide over for another lady to have a seat, etc, etc… She said “Ok, now, stop being sister seat-saver”. (I wish you could hear that said in the voice I hear as I type it.)  Well, of course that struck me! :)  Sister Seat-Saver… Now there is a poem in there somewhere.  You guessed it… there certainly was!!!  Here she goes….  “Sister Seat-Saver”

I went to church & walked to a pew
I wanted to sit down;
The lady there just glared at me,
She had an ugly frown.
I asked her if she would mind
If I slid in right there.
She said “Not here, I’m sorry, no
This seat is saved for Claire.”
I said “Ok, thanks anyway,”
And moved on to the next;
The lady there just looked at me,
Her face seemed so perplexed.
I asked if I could sit right there
On the pew right next to her;
She said “I’m sorry, not today
This seat is saved for sure.”
So on I went to the next & the next,
No one would let me in.
I dropped my head & left that church -
Back to a world of sin.
Accepted there I knew I’d be
By those with flair & flavor;
Never to go back to that church
To look at sister seat-saver.
© Copyright 2011 Angela M. Jackson

Take a look at yourselves… how are you treating visitors that come to your church?  Are you welcoming them with open arms, sliding over so they can sit down or moving to a different pew if necessary?  Or is it your 4 and no more?  Yes, the church is there for feeding our Christian souls, but it is also for the lost to come and be saved, a place of refuge not of condemnation because of the way they may look, act, or smell.  It is not up to us to decide who should or shouldn’t be there. (Matthew 7:1-3) Let’s leave that up to the ultimate Judge!!  We are called to win souls for Christ… not push them away!!!  Are you being a “sister seat-saver”?