Problems with sitting in the high chair
Sermon for Pentecost 12, 2022, delivered at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Louisville, KY. Text: Luke 14:1, 7-14 , Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Reading the Gospel lesson for this morning, I was taken back to when I was about 10 and with my family, my aunt and uncle and cousins, and my grandparents. We were in Williamsburg, Virginia for a family gathering, and had come to a fancy restaurant for dinner. We were in a room with a long table with place settings, and at one end of the table was a large cobra wicker chair. It dominated the room and was the focal point of the table. As we were gathering, I sat down in it, and my grandfather came up to me and said that it was not my chair to sit in. He was going to sit there and I should pick another place. I was chagrined and embarrassed, and I never made that mistake again. I wait until I’m invited to sit down. My grandparents entertained a fair amount and knew all of the rules of etiquette and how to maneuver socially to be visible and near the c...