The Powerful Potential of Plastic Chairs

Chairs before service in the last church we visited in Lima, Peru

You've all seen them -- plastic garden chairs, the seemingly official seating choice of churches on the "foreign" field. You'll find them in churches large and churches small, though why I've never known. Why those chairs in particular? Why not pews, even the most basic wooden bench, they can't be that expensive, says my American brain?

But there's a flaw in my American brain. My brain likes clean, neat spaces, rows that don't get messed up, and easily determined seating capacities. My brain thinks inside the box.

Outside the box is found the answer. Plastic chairs allow you to start with 50 chairs for those you know will show but when God shows up and 100s more arrive you can add more rows until you reach the door. When there are more people than chairs you put them up and stand -- allowing more people in God's house. When the sermon has ended and the people gather eagerly to pray you can get them out of the way -- allowing all to gather at the altar without the limiting confines of immobile pews creating an arbitrary size limit on the altar area.

Plastic chairs take the limits off. Plastic chairs are full of potential.

Lord help me to take the limits off. Help me think outside the box.