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| In our 'posh' seats at The Royal Albert Hall! |
I often use this phrase, ‘please be seated’, in services,
especially ones at which we have visitors (as over Christmas) who are a little
unfamiliar with our liturgy. I prefer it
to the alternative, ‘please take your seats’, because I instinctively want to
shout out in response ‘where’?!
A week ago, on the Friday before Christmas, we attended a thrilling carol concert at the Royal Albert Hall with the London Concert Orchestra, London Chorus and Trinity Boys’ Choir. It was a wonderful evening made even better because of the seats! You see we had booked some fairly cheap ones high on the upper tier but when we arrived the usher presented us with complimentary tickets for upgraded, twice the price, seats (they even swivelled!) down in the stalls – an early and much appreciated Christmas present.
Being ‘given a seat’ is a way of making someone feel welcomed and included. Those who want to be part of a decision making process sometimes say they long for a ‘seat at the table’, and when we entertain family and friends for lunch one way of making them feel at home is to walk into the dining room and say, ‘here’s your seat’.
As the carols begin to fade I’ve been reflecting again this Christmas week on the honoured place those shepherds hold in the nativity story – they were the first to kneel at the manger.
The story of Bethlehem is so familiar yet I hope I never cease to be thrilled with the idea that when God visited our world ‘veiled in flesh’ he gave those hillside keepers of sheep ring-side seats at the Incarnation.
With best wishes,
A week ago, on the Friday before Christmas, we attended a thrilling carol concert at the Royal Albert Hall with the London Concert Orchestra, London Chorus and Trinity Boys’ Choir. It was a wonderful evening made even better because of the seats! You see we had booked some fairly cheap ones high on the upper tier but when we arrived the usher presented us with complimentary tickets for upgraded, twice the price, seats (they even swivelled!) down in the stalls – an early and much appreciated Christmas present.
Being ‘given a seat’ is a way of making someone feel welcomed and included. Those who want to be part of a decision making process sometimes say they long for a ‘seat at the table’, and when we entertain family and friends for lunch one way of making them feel at home is to walk into the dining room and say, ‘here’s your seat’.
As the carols begin to fade I’ve been reflecting again this Christmas week on the honoured place those shepherds hold in the nativity story – they were the first to kneel at the manger.
The story of Bethlehem is so familiar yet I hope I never cease to be thrilled with the idea that when God visited our world ‘veiled in flesh’ he gave those hillside keepers of sheep ring-side seats at the Incarnation.
With best wishes,
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