Meditations of a Church Custodian
I ’ve never been a church cus todian, but I think I know how they feel. Let me set down a dialogue, vocal on the part o f the pewhold- A ers, smilingly silent on i the part o f the custo dian: "It’s stuffy in here
My pew is terribly dusty.” Madam, you have not occu pied it for six weeks. What can you expect? "B rother Custodian, we pray for you every day in our f ami l y devo tions.”
At this the custodian answered right out loud: "Thank you, thank you dear broth er and sister. That’s the first time. . . .”
Why can’t we have that window open ?” Sir, there’s a frail
old lady sits by that window so she can see to read her Bible and hymn book. If you’d move over on the other side of the church near those boys, they’d bless you for opening a window so they could look out on the street during the sermon. "It’s drafty.” Move up front, sir. We have to open this door at the back, to let in latecomers. "Why is this church always so cold?” Wear more clothes, madam. Surely you didn’t come to church merely to show off that filmy new dress. The treasurer showed me last month’s oil bill. Until we have more spiritual ivarmth in this church, generating more gen erosity, we have to keep expenses down. "Why is it always too hot in here?” Sir, is it the temperature or the preacher that makes it hot for you? "That ventilating fan makes such a noise I can’t hear the sermon.” Did you want to?
'Our small son here started us to doing it. One day he said, 'Dad, we al ways pray for our pastor. Why don’t we pray for our custodian? He’s an awfully
by Emmett Russell
nice man, and nobody seems to pay any atten tion to him. He lets me help him sometimes. Where would our church be, if he didn’t keep things going?’ ” Bless you, young man, you do my heart good. You see, I was thinking of resigning. I was fed up. Everything’s all right now. I’ll keep going. Maybe I’ve been kind, of crotchety inside, even if I kept s t ill.. . I know how hard it is to find anyone to do the custodian work in a church.” At that moment the pastor reached them, shook hands and said, "This would be a cheer less church without our good Brother Custo dian, wouldn’t it?” The little boy felt good inside. So did the custodian. Copyright 1965, Th e Evangelical Beacon. Used with permission.
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JUNE, 1965
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