Sitting In Our Space

 In some gatherings people like to sit by themselves, steeped in their self-sufficiency.  In other gatherings they look to sit with others, seeming to know their need for others.  That is why they came in the first place.  Churches seem to be where people come for God and not on another when they look for a pew space.  If they know some others well, they may sit close to them.  Strangers are kept at a distance.  In recovery meetings, good ones, newcomers are never left to sit by themselves.  In the pew, the person seems to be there just for God, but in recovery they are there for God in one another.  Jesus never said, “Sit by yourself and pray/worship,” but rather “Love one another.”  So who welcomes the stranger?