My Grandad’s chair

My Grandad always sat in the same chair in his lounge. It was his chair, his cushion beside which was his table sat, upon which he could place his drink, TV remote, newspaper and gold half-moon glasses. The chair would be positioned in the optimum TV viewing position. Centre room, 7ft from the TV and 2ft from the door, that way tea could be taken without any TV sight-line infringement. Nobody touched the chair, not even moved it. In a way I am glad the chair was never moved, who knows what kind of museum dust gathered around the carpet indentations would be revealed underneath.

I would hardly ever sit in the chair, nobody would, we would always sit on the sofa. The sofa location clearly had an inferior TV viewing angle. Oblique view, between 8 and 9ft from the TV and was a shared experience; dog, family of 5 and Nanny Barbara (her name was another tradition). If you were to sell tickets for a place on the sofa the purchaser would have to be informed of ‘restricted viewing’. 

On the occasion that Grandad vacated his sudo-domestic throne in favour of a game of darts and a pint of Bass I would consider the benefits of the empty chair. The obvious benefits were clear, I could watch Airwolf and other associated early evening Saturday night TV not in the cheap seats but with a ringside view. But this was not to be. Tradition dictated I was not to sit in the chair. The tradition said that nobody else sits in the chair other than Granddad. Even the curiously named dog Bootsy boy (dont ask!) knew that if he was found in the chair certain peril was sure to follow. Tradition dictated the unspoken rule. 

Churches love tradition. We like tradition because it gives us security. We feel comfortable doing the things that we have always done. We feel safe in an environment where the things we do wont raise any alarms or cause any surprises. Things happen because they have always happened that way, songs are sung ‘like that’ because that’s just the way it’s always been done. The seats get arranged, the flowers get placed, the suits get dry cleaned, candles get lit, hands get raised and roast dinners get cooked. Fifty-two Sundays a year, week in and week out we do the things we do because of tradition. 

And no, I am not just talking about those churches with hundreds of years of heritage. The new-charismatic-modern-non-traditional call them what you want churches have traditions too. In fact it might help greatly if many in charismatic churches woke up to this. Why do we do the things we do in the way that we do them? Now am I saying that tradition is bad? No I am not. Often tradition and familiarity helps people connect and feel secure knowing that they know that their expectations of church will be met. No bad thing. However when tradition takes precedent to mission we need to ask ourselves a question; Has our heritage become more important than our purpose?

Consider these areas of your life and church and ask for each if tradition beats mission;

Preaching
Worship
Pastoring
Leadership
The books you read
The seating layout
Children’s ministry
Youth and student ministry
Pre-church refreshments
Church welcome team
Small groups
Prayer meetings
Language of communication
etc…

Have we got this all sorted at Redeemer? No not yet, but right now we are in a unique position prior to our formal launch to begin to consider these things. My hope for Redeemer is that together we are a people who consider the benefits of the empty chair. A church where mission beats tradition every time.

Comments

How many grandads had chairs? Mine did.  My fondest memories of my childhood were of my grandads chair.  Sitting in front of the TV.  It was the best position in the house and as a young child my favourite place in my world at the time.  It was where every Saturday I got to sit on my Grandad’s knee to watch Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy Throw other guys around the ring.  It was my time with my grandad. It was a place that felt safe no one could touch me when I sat there.  And here in lies the problem with tradition its safe, its comfortable and its secure.  No one can hurt you in tradition.  The problem with that is that we can hide behind traditions and not venture out and meet people where they’re at.  Taking the “traditional” welcome team it’s a warm smile followed by a warm handshake or if very adventurous a hug and an announcements flyer thrust into the hand.  Usually brief usually the only contact people will have when they 1st enter a church for the 1st time. In a large church a person, that 1st time visitor, the unbeliever can fade into the background and never noticed.  Even in a small growing church this could happen as strangers are coming in each week.

As safe, comfortable, warm and homely as my granddad’s chair was my friends were outside playing and there was always an adventure to be had in those days in Drumcoo Green.

By Ian. Posted on Friday 6th Nov 2009 at 13:56

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