“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and
said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” St. John 1:29
I wonder if
you have chosen your seat in church for a particular reason. A few years ago, one of my parishioners told
me that she had thought a good deal about it before settling on her choice. A dear
friend, a rather holy woman, had once sat week by week in the pew in front of
her. She didn’t really hear that well,
so being nearer the pulpit was useful.
But really, she chose the pew because it had the best angle for viewing
both her favorite stained glass window and the Altar Cross. Seeing both those
things allowed her to concentrate her mind when she prayed and helped her to
feel that God was near.
I could
understand just what she meant, because I too had a favorite seat, the rector’s
stall at Saint Paul’s Church in Sharpsburg.
Because there I had a perfect view of the Lamb. There was a tiny window in the wall of the
chancel just opposite the rector’s pew, a lamb with a halo, bearing the flag of
victory. Jesus, the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world. No one
could see it but me, but I saw it constantly, as I sat and listened to the
readings, as I turned to the people to pronounce the Word of Absolution or to
approach the pulpit to preach, as I turned to the Altar to pray.
