Introduction

One thing you will notice, in any congregation, is the routine of its members. Not so much in regard to the worship period but in their general behavior every week. You’ll see the same individuals stand in the foyer greeting people as they enter. Certain members will gather in the auditorium, off to one side, and catch up from the last time they saw one another. The list goes on.

One main thing you might see is that members almost always sit in the same seat for every service that they attend. Aside from ritualistic, it sometimes can be possessive in nature. This is especially noted if a visitor comes in and sits where a long-time member sits. How an individual reacts to this will define their character.

You’re Sitting in My Seat!

Too many of us get possessive of a place in the auditorium that we can’t fathom a time where we would have to sit somewhere else. Some people will raise a ‘verbal stink’ and announce to a visitor, “You’re sitting in MY seat!”

Naturally, if the visitor was humble, they would get up and move. The problem, though, is that as they move, they find themselves in someone’s seat and so on. Eventually, this visitor might simply get up and leave the building never to be seen, or heard from, again.

Weeks later, this same little group complains that they can’t get any new members to join their congregation. Why is that? Because the desire to have a specific seat in the auditorium is greater than the desire to save souls.

Are We showing Partiality?

By displaying our desire to sit in a certain place at every service, we might be showing partiality to visitors. Primarily, when someone sits where we usually do, and we choose to make a “big deal” out of it.

James talked about this, My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4)

Are we willing to put another person’s soul on the line because we don’t want anyone to sit in our seat? If a visitor is simply passing through town on the way to another location, and chooses to assemble with you this day, gladly give up your seat for this one service and resume your seat at the next appointed service time.

Conclusion

Routine is fine as long as you don’t allow it to usurp your reason for being in the assembly in the first place. We assemble to worship God and serve Him. We’re not there to serve self and assert some dominance over those who are visiting.

The way we react to a situation like this will tell visitors whether this assembly is friendly enough to attend or not. People do talk to each other. We should appreciate the visitors we get and allow them to sit where they desire.