A Church with No Pews -   17 September 03 by: Steve

 Becky and I are in an interesting position.  We own a church building and I'm not quite sure why God has us owning it, but I'm glad He did.  I think originally He had me buy it to so Christian Charity Center would have a home.  (And that's another story how this all came about, it was definitely a gift from God!  I'll tell it in another writing, but that's not what's on my mind right now.)  The building has turned out to be used by God for several things, especially in the last few months.  For one group of people, God used it to make a point.  For another, it was used for storage, for another, a starting point.    But it is, right now, for me,  a Church With No Pews.  I mean, I walk into the "sanctuary", there is an old shaky pulpit, but not a pew in site.  A church with no pews.  But, that's not exactly right. This church has pews, just not in the traditional places, I guess.  I mean, I guess I had to use quite a few for the nursing homes, the hospitals needed some.  I'd like to get a set out to the prisons, perhaps even a street corner or two.  Oh, you can't see these pews, but you just have to have your eyes opened.  I guess when I considered where those pews could be best used, I figure God wants us to do a little Gospel spreading among the elderly and the orphans, the widows and the afflicted.  If I had to take those pews back from them, why then I'd have a church full of pews, but then who'd suffer?  Tell me, where do you think the pews would do the most good?  I've seen churches that were full of pews, but never had any in a nursing home, or a hospital, or a prison, or a street corner, and so, the Gospel never reached those places, sadly. 

Someday, I'll have a few leftover pews, then I'll start putting them in this old church building.  But I sure wouldn't want the members, the Christians to think they could only come to the church building then -- I'd rather they go out to those other places, also.  Sometimes, people get stuck in those pews somehow, in the church.  It's true, I've seen it happen.    You know what, perhaps I might even need to move that old shaky pulpit, perhaps setup several of them in different locations. 

Now, I'm being a little facetious here.  But I feel a deep anguish at the condition of a lot of the churches today.  We were not meant to huddle in fear, we get just a little too comfortable in our churches. We were meant to go out in the world.  If God is with us?????  My heart aches for a church that is actively doing God's will.  We have gotten away from this part of God's work, and I would submit it might be the most important part.  I believe someday we will be allowed to see just how many opportunities we missed to help our neighbors.  We go to church and we tell God we love him, yet we are reluctant to do his Will.  We need to get back to the idea of servitude, but we all want to be king. 

  Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant