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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Space (01/23/06)
At lunch, Geraldine and Wanda chomped on chicken salad, the new minister, and worst of all, his new seating plan. The chicken salad was okay. It always is at Harry's Hide-Away Diner. The new minister is mostly all right, but my-oh-my, he did have some ghastly ideas.

The Reverend Doctor James Rufus Malloy graduated with his doctorate in May at Princeton Theological and accepted the call to Dwight David Eisenhower Community Church beginning six weeks ago. Of course, he'd studied the church's history through annual reports, financial records, and the copious photographs that Hildy Brandt takes each and every Sunday. It was these photos that caught the eye of Jim Malloy. He couldn't' tell the difference between 1980 and 1990 (except in styles). Everyone was in the same pews! He chuckled to his wife "You know, if they didn't die and move once in a while, the custodian would have a dickens of a job!"

Move once in a while . . . moves . . . Move! That was it! His first Sunday, he'd preach on church unity and the joys of a community, nondenominational church. The second Sunday, he'd preach on the value of friends and loved ones, especially in the church, making direct reference to getting to know new people. Then, the third Sunday, with his wife's help and that of the young, energetic Board Chair, he'd set names down on the pews, mixing the groups and cliques with the families and foundations. It was a master stroke of an idea. Everyone would love it! (Isn't it sad when people delude themselves?)

Now, it's the fifth Sunday of Dr. Malloy's pastorate, and it's not a smooth ride. There are people trying to get into ‘their' pews, minor scuffles, angry letters and panic-stricken Board members. The people are up in arms, trying to figure out how to rid themselves of this meddlesome priest. One group has organised, and its rallying cry is "There's no space for you in my pew!". They've had meetings and dinners, but Dr. Malloy keeps coming back with his idea that Jesus would say there should always be room in your pew for one more.

"Not that way the Good Lord built my lower half" cackled Wanda, who was known far and wide for her humour, especially about her physique. "I'm lucky enough to get me into my pew, Reverend. Now you keep that in mind!"

It was over Harry's chicken salad that those two of the movers of the Pew Group, Geraldine and Wanda came up with their plan. "This'll fix him and his book learning!"

Last Sunday, Dr. Jim Malloy got to his seat at the front of the church to find a piece of paper with lots of other people's names on it. "What's he goin' to do now?" they all wondered, watching closely without being seen to be peering from the back of the church.

Well, he just took some pieces of paper out of a file folder and put them on every pew in the church. Rushing in, the Pew Group and others found their seats with this notice on them:

"This pew is reserved for Jesus. If you want to join Him, you're more than welcome: there is always space for you in His pew, and His heart."
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This article has been read 938 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Kristin Slavik
01/30/06
This was a cute article. I loved the premise. There was plenty of room for good humor here. You do have several grammatical mistakes that need to be cleaned up. Other than that it was an ejoyable read!
Kristin
Phyllis Inniss 
01/31/06
Most enjoyable. We do forget that it is Jesus and His message that we come to hear in church and there's no point listening to His Word if we're not going to practise it.
Lynda Schultz 
02/02/06
What a super idea! It reminds me of a pastor I once had who had to take some not-quite-so-drastic measures to get the different racial groups in our church to sit together, as opposed to whites on on side and blacks on the other. It worked! A little work on this here and there, and you'll have a winner.