Pews and Old Age

I'm sure you are wondering what the connection is between these two. Well, I'll tell you--they are both barriers. I'm sure the folks who created the pew were well-intentioned and probably meant for them to provide added comfort and accommodate a lot of people (What is this--an SUV?) But they end up providing us with a routine that prevents us from reaching out to others at the end of OUR pew. And it's almost impossible to break down the wall between OUR pew and somebody else's pew.

Old age is kind of the same way for young people. Older skin and a slower step seem to push us away rather than invite us. We're not being superficial here are we? Surely God has given us the power to see beyond skin and speed and look rather at the heart! It is a barrier for us but it certainly goes both ways. Older generations surely struggle as well with how to communicate with us.

This past Sunday night, my wife led us to tear down both these barriers. On another pew, on the other end, sat an older lady all by herself (Zane). As our minister encouraged us to break into small groups for discussion, I figured that Tracey and I would discuss the verse together. But she had this elderly lady in mind. She encouraged us to include her. So we moved down, crossed a pew, and discussed the verse with her. We smiled at her, touched her arm and shoulder, asked her how she was doing, etc. We had an opportunity to care for her that probably would not have come about when church was officially "over." A huge thanks to my wife for helping us cross pews and connect two generations that may not have a lot in common, but we do have Christ in common...and that has made all the difference.