AWKWARD MOMENT

We had a NEW experience today.   As we were about to pull out of the church parking lot, we noticed someone's vehicle still there.  We thought perhaps this person had gone with someone else for the afternoon and left his vehicle there.   Decided we better check out the Church to be sure we didn't just lock someone in.   As we approached the main entrance, we heard something inside.   My hubby unlocked the door and sure enough a man was sitting in the pew just reading his Bible.  He had every intention of staying in the building in our absence.  

AWKWARD  MOMENT

Remember the days, not too long ago, when we NEVER locked a church door,  people were free to come in and pray as they wanted to.  BUT things have changed, and we (like other Churches) lock our doors to keep from being broken into.   For a moment in time, we both wished we lived back there a few years ago.   He appeared to be innocently content, sitting in a pew, reading a Bible.  BUT we do not know the man very well, so we know we could not let him just stay in the Church building all afternoon by himself.

AWKWARD MOMENT

How do you tell a man who is reading the Bible, to stop and depart the Church because the service hours are over and no one will be here????  Do you hear the tug-of-war in our hearts?   We both felt so "legalistic" at saying, he could not stay in the Church building....and yet we knew for safety of our Church, this had to be said.

AWKWARD MOMENT

We approached the man and told him he would have to leave the building since no one will be here until evening Church.  He talked about a waste of AC, that he could benefit from if he were here.   We told him, we just could not allow him to be here.   We did not know him well enough, to allow that.   He said, "Do you think I am going to steal something?"   Now I  am suspicious when someone brings up something like that on their own...but we just repeated, that we could not leave him alone in the Church building , he would have to leave.

AWKWARD MOMENT

He reluctantly got up....put the Bible back in the pew where he had found it, and slowly headed for the door.   Why did our insides churn at this assignment?  Is it because we spend so much time praying that people will come IN thru those doors, and now we are actually telling someone he has to leave.  Such talk goes against who we are at heart, and yet the safety of the Church is also our responsibility.  This was very hard on my husband (who is the Pastor) and I. 

AWKWARD MOMENT

I remember back in "my yesterdays" - when I struggled with mental illness - there was MUCH comfort in sitting in a Church building.  In fact twice I drove to Marquette to attend the church my Psychiatrist attended....just to feel safe and in the presence of the two powers I felt held my key to wholeness: God and my Psychiatrist.   There is safety and comfort, in just being in a sanctuary when the Church is filled with the power of God, like ours is.   Our services are bathed in the love of God's presence, so the Building itself is peaceful and a feeling of safety is there.  So I could identify with his feeling of wanting to just SIT in the church building and feel SAFE for a couple hours.

AWKWARD MOMENT

But the bottom line was, we really don't know him.  The safety of the entire Church is utmost in our position as Clergy.  He had already enjoyed the sweetness of God's presence, the Joy of our fellowship and the good food of our potluck.  So we knew he had already been ministered to.   We were not sending him out spiritually, emotionally or physically destitute.

AWKWARD MOMENT

Yes it was a very awkward moment in time, the kind we hope never to repeat....and yet we REJOICE that  someone wanted to "camp out" in our Church building because he felt safe and loved here.   May the LORD bring in people who need safety, spiritual food and LOVE.....but keep us as leaders strong to protect the Church at such vulnerable, awkward moments. I am so thankful that my husband felt he needed to "check" instead of "assume" that this person was spending the afternoon with someone else.   Thank you LORD for watching over us and giving us the strength we needed.

AWESOME MOMENT

LORD, I pray for this man who was wanting to rest in our sanctuary today...in the building that we call "Church".  Thank YOU that he felt it was a safe place, an inviting place to spend an afternoon, and a quiet place to read the Bible.  Please give him understanding as to why we had to take that action today.  Please do not allow him to entertain anger against us.   Father, work in his heart, meet his needs and help him to be all he can be for YOU.  Thank YOU, Lord Jesus!