When I was young – many, many moons ago – I did like most young people and became a “Back-Row Baptist”. Our church was a little different, though. There were only a few of us Youth, and we didn't sit together, so we didn't spend our services talking and passing notes. Instead, I would always kick back in the far right corner and daydream...usually about the car I wanted or the boy I was interested in :) But, I have to say, there were a few times that I actually dozed off. I hated the idea of sleeping in church, though, because I completely missed everything that was said. At least when I was daydreaming, my ears would still pick up some points. (That was yeeeaaarrrs ago, and no, I don't sleep in church anymore!)
Reading through Acts 20 one night, verses 7-12, reminded me of those times. You see, Paul was preaching in Troas. Since he was leaving the next day, he knew he had to make the most of his time, so he kept preaching until midnight. Well, I guess a certain young man named Eutychus didn't get his nap that day, because he fell asleep. That wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't been sitting in a window. As it was, his trip to dreamland caused him to fall out of the window and to his demise. Paul – the very one whose words had lulled Eutychus to sleep – was the one who rushed down and brought him back to life! How's that for irony?
So I admit it, I laughed at the picture of this in my mind. No, it wasn't funny that Eutychus died, but I could just see the scene unfolding. But then, I couldn't help but relate it to my days of pew-dozing. What pearls of wisdom for my Christian life did my brain not get to process because of my Sunday siestas? The preacher whose voice sang me to sleep – it's nothing personal! – was the same voice that was imparting words that I needed to hear for the sake of my Christian growth.
If we look at these verses on a bigger scale, it becomes more universal. Like Eutychus, a lot of people start out with open ears in life's church service. They have every intention of staying for the entire service and to not miss a thing. But then it starts to happen...First of all, the window is the most dangerous seat, in more than one way. It's an open window to the world, no pun intended :) There's no wall to shield them from the warm sun and gentle breezes of the world outside of the church service. All they have to do is turn their head, and the activities of the external environment can grab their attention. Before they know it, the warm sun and soothing breeze have taken their toll, and the person can barely stifle the yawns that keep creeping up. Pretty soon, their eyelids grow heavy, and the preacher's voice seems to float farther and farther away. Finally, unable to prolong the fight, they succumb to the Sandman's beckoning.
Thus begins the second phase of “Why the Window Seat is the Most Dangerous Place to be in a Church Service”. As they get good and settled in the Land of Nod, their body enters 'sleep' mode. As soon as it's time to roll over, guess where they roll...You've got it, straight to the hard ground below. At this point, sleeping in church doesn't look so bad. Going from dozing in the safety of the service to death in the world is a mighty big change. Fortunately, it's not irreversible! Someone in that church service saw them fall, and you know how quickly bad news travels! Granted, there will be people who will do nothing but say, “What a shame!”, but *somebody* is going to run down, throw themselves on that motionless body, and begin speaking life into it! Many times, it is the preacher who has the power to restore that spirit. The one who preached for hours, full of the Lord's Word, but was unable to keep that person from falling out of the church's window, is the one who can venture down to where they fell and call them back to life!
I've never toppled from a window, nor do have the desire to do so. However, I have found myself hanging on to the {metaphorical} windowsill and looking fearfully at the ground below! Thank God that there were people to come and haul me back into the church! Once I was back in, I decided to take a seat as far away from the window as possible! That's the best insurance against falling out of one :) So, if you've got a window seat in life's church right now, how about moving to a safer seat?