The Chair Brigade

Our church built a new sanctuary.
The former sanctuary is still there.
It is now being used for the youth.
It is a blessing to be able to use two wonderful places for God.

We moved into the new sanctuary right before Christmas last year.
Instead of having two services, the congregation met all together for a few weeks.
It is such a blessing to have watched this project go from groundbreaking to completion.
It stands as a testimony to God’s goodness and faithfulness.

The church building is used for Kingdom purposes.
First and foremost, God’s Word is preached each week.
Ministry happens all the time.
People are ministered to and equipped to live out the faith in Jesus they profess.

The carpets that were installed a year ago, needed to be replaced.
There was a reaction of the glue with the concrete, which emitted an odor that bothered many.
There was never a good time to interrupt the flow of activity that happens at any given time.
A date was set along with the request to help with the daunting task of removing chairs.

We were told that for two weeks, we would have services in the fellowship hall downstairs.
All 600 chairs needed to be moved from the new sanctuary to the downstairs hall.
We have a wonderful man who leads the facilities management at our church.
He has a faithful assistant as well; however this job was too big for them.

Many hands were needed to make this transition happen.
Many willing hands were necessary to ensure that it all went smoothly.
The request was laid at the feet of the men, the women, and the youth.
After the prayer time on the last Sunday night of October, the chairs would be moved.

That night, 32 men, women, and teens stayed after the prayer time to help.
The chairs were stacked and racks were used to transport them downstairs.
However, the elevator was not moving as fast as the helping hands.
Someone suggested a chair brigade.

A human chain was in place.
Helping hands passed the chairs from the upstairs foyer to the lower level.
All the furniture in the foyer and the adjacent rooms needed to be moved as well.
Since there were so many helping hands, all of this was accomplished in one hour.

We had services in the lower level fellowship hall for only one Sunday.
The 600 chairs from upstairs were set up downstairs in much the same way.
We had a sweet time of worship.
No matter the place, we were all together worshiping God; that was all that mattered.

The old carpet was removed and the new carpet was installed.
Only 10 days after the first call for help, a second call was made.
This time 35 people came with their willing hands.
The chair brigade went into action, 600 chairs were moved back into place in 45 minutes.

 Imagine the encouragement those helping hands brought to our facilities leader.
A call for help was answered abundantly.
A human chain was formed.
A chair was lifted and passed along until it reached its destination.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

We could all learn something from this.
Imagine if we carried each other’s burdens in much the same way.
Imagine if a human chain of compassion lifted a burden and then passed it along to another.
Imagine the needs that would be met and the burdens lifted if we practiced this type of help.

The chair brigade spoke volumes.
The chair brigade was an object lesson in one-anothering.
None of us are on an island.
Each of us are part of a community.

We can practice the chair brigade in our families as we lift and carry each other’s burdens.
We can practice the chair brigade in our churches as we help others carry their heavy loads.
We can practice the chair brigade in our neighborhoods as we help our neighbors.
We can practice the chair brigade in the world at large where the needs are great.

It is humbling to see a chair brigade in action.
It is an example of the Church as it should be.
A task that is too big for one or two people is lifted by many hands working together.
A burden that is weighing us down is lighter when the weight of the load is shared.

Despite all of our divisions, people tend to come together in a time of need.
Many hands make light work. (John Heywood)
We know that intellectually but need to see it lived out.
Burden lifting is Biblical.

Does anyone need a chair brigade because their burden is just too heavy?
Can you use your ingenuity and set a chair brigade in motion?
Are you carrying a load that is too heavy for you?
Can you humble yourself and ask for the help you may need?

Moving 600 chairs with many hands made the job go smoothly.
Passing the chair from hand to hand kept them moving towards their destination.
It is the same for us.
We need to come alongside others on this journey.

We may be the ones that spur someone on towards their destination.
We may be the ones that may need help pressing on.
A chair brigade works both ways.
As we journey here, let’s begin a chair brigade in His name and spur one another on.

 

2 responses to “The Chair Brigade”

1. Thanks Gina! Nice to see you yesterday.

   Reply

   • You are welcome, Priscilla! It was lovely to see you as well.
     Gina

     Reply