“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Scripture to meditate upon: Matthew 25:13

[Disclaimer disclaimer: this is PROBABLY too long to qualify for a minute message…speed readers not withstanding, but it’s the category I have so I’m sticking to it for now.]

Here is a thought experiment I’ve been chewing on for a week now. It comes in three parts, but to set it up properly, you need to have a particular location in your normal church service in mind. Specifically, the last seat on the left hand side (when looking from the speaker’s location) in the fourth row from the front. (If you are in a congregation where you are not in rows but more of a circle, it would be located just less than a third of the way around clockwise from the leader’s seat.) So we’re clear, it’s not “all the way” to the front, nor in the back, but front middlish of the pack (small groups of 3-5 rows would show up in row 2). Prime location for the typical “reasonably interested” but not necessarily greatly committed person. (Most likely, there’s a usual person or family sitting in this location, but for this experiment, consider there to be an “extra” location outside of their placeholder.)

Scenerio One:

The service has just started a couple of minutes ago. You are not quite half-way through the first song of the opening (non-musical churches would likely be in the extended greeting/announcement time…or whatever you do to begin that does not include an extended “closed eyes” prayer; just wait for the prayer to end and catch-up with the rest of us) and everything is going like normal. Then, a late arrival comes in and takes the “prime” seat location described above. The unannounced visitor is Jesus Christ in the flesh.

The question the thought experiment seeks to answer is this: What effect (if any) would this have on the remainder of your service?

[In particular, would there be noticible changes to the service? Would the singing be better (or more subdued from embarrassment)? How about the quality (and quantity) of the offering taken? Prayers? Would the preaching be longer or shorter? Would there be more or less of a rush to depart after the service ended?]

I would suggest in any case, there WOULD be a noticable, demonstrative difference in the service, although not necessarily what you might consider at first thought. The scriptures show repeatedly Jesus was followed by multitudes of people diminished in society, so His arrival would not be as an individual, but rather a hoard that would likely result in “standing-room-only” overflow spillage out of the building. Many (if not most) would be economically impoverished, infirm, sick or injured, blind, lame, leperous (where they would come from in America is anybodies guess), publicans and sinners. In light of the overcrowding, does your answer to scenerio one change?

Scenerio Two:

Similar to the above condition, execpt you receive notice (by a special FedEx delivery interrupting your service) that Jesus will be attending NEXT week’s service.

Question: what effect (if any) would this message have on the remainder of this weeks service, and what changes would you make to the service plan for the next week?

[If you KNEW Jesus was going to be there next week, would you change your behavior? Arrive earlier than normal for a better seat? Dress differently? Ask friends or relatives to come with you? Would the order of service change, perhaps more (or less) songs and greeting times? More scriptures in the message? More thought GIVEN to preparing the message? More attention to the service in general? More room to move as a result of people being convictioned about their lives in general to simply NOT attend?]

Scenerio Three:

Reading Matthew 25:31-45 suggests (implies? states?) Jesus is present (already) in the midst of your congregation (although not necessarily recognizable in bodily form).

Question: considering the meditation scriptures and answers from the first two scenerios, what changes do you make to the service plan for this week’s meeting?

Phred the Elder
DC3 Elmshaven Itinerant Heretic

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