empty chair

...pray continually... ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17

in our service last night, i spoke from Colossians 4:2-4 and the instruction of Paul to be devoted in prayer. as i spoke on this subject, i shared again with the church a simple practice that has revolutionized my ability to practice the presence of Christ and have watched others be similarly impacted.

you may have read the widely forwarded e-mail about the man in the hospital who would communicate in prayer as if Christ were sitting in the empty chair next to his bed. the man dies in the hospital, but out of his bed with his head in that empty chair. i first read that e-mail while reading Brother Lawrence's convicting letters in the book "The Practice of the Presence of God." this 17th century french monk had disciplined himself to maintain constant communion with the Living Christ by thinking of Him working beside Brother Lawrence in the routines and mundane activities of each day as the cook for the monastery.

in an effort to Practice the Presence of God myself, i set an empty chair in my office at the church i was serving. i hoped to be reminded of the presence of the Living Christ while i worked on the various administrative duties as associate pastor of that church. but as i worked and as the phone rang, i looked over at the "Jesus chair" only to find it full of papers, books, and anything else i had unconsciously cleared into His lap. at first this was a point of great guilt as i would continually find my work in the Lord's lap -- but then it became a reminder to pray for the work, especially about any projects i may have kept laying aside

then, my pastor at the time would come in and sit in that chair to talk to me about an issue, a project, or idea. the first time i smiled and almost laughed out loud at the site of him sitting in Jesus' lap. but this too became a reminder to pray for those who came in to sit with me

as i shared my misadventures of trying to practice the presence of God with the church i was serving, everyone got a good laugh at their pastor sitting in Jesus' lap -- but the idea soon morphed under our youth to place an empty chair at the front center of the stage during their worship services to remind them that it was the Lord we were singing about, that He was present, that He was alive

this empty chair in the worship service also became an altar of prayer, confession, and love -- at any time someone came and sat in that chair, the music would fade and the youth would gather around to listen to the need of their brother or sister to pray for them.

so i shared this process and progression in my own faith journey last night, demonstrating with an empty chair and leaving it front and center during the response -- then someone came, then another, then we just stayed there as individuals took their turn in the chair confessing, unloading, and receiving compassion, encouragement, scripture, and prayers from the others. and these were multiple, agreeing, heartfelt prayers for each other--it was a longer service--but the presence of the Living Christ was manifest as we "carried each other's burdens and so fulfilled the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)

maybe it's not a chair for you--maybe it's a cross, a picture, or something else you can put close by to remind yourself that He lives, He's with you--to paraphrase Brother Lawrence, you'd think it rude to leave a guest unattended--leave Him not alone.