Fashionably Late

I don't really know or understand why the term "Fashionably Late" came into being. It became a way of showing up for the rich when they were seen on the red carpet and coming to highly publicized soirees.I suppose the point of it being when the person who was anticipated in showing up finally did, he/she had the attention of the room and now the party and/or event can begin. As if it wasn't anything until then.

Well, how arrogant for anyone to come to an invited event intentionally late for the purpose of taking the attention away from the purpose of having the event. Does any of us in the body of Christ do such things? Would we dare have the arrogance as to keep people waiting for the purpose of having their undivided attention?

Personally, it would not be tolerated. I didn't do such things to obtain employment, in keeping an appointment, nor attending church services. I was trained this way as a child. It is the polite thing to do. It should be expected. If I am kept waiting, I leave. I don't like it when the doctor's receptionists deliberately overbook the patients for the slightest chance that someone would cancel their appointment. What if they didn't? What about the possibility that everyone made the appointment given and the waiting room is so full that the medical staff doesn't have the man hours to attend to everyone in that same given day that he/she set the appointment? What about the inconvenience of the patient that is sitting there expecting to get medical attention? Can the patient be as cavalier about paying the bill?

This also happens in church services. I visited a ministry one Sunday morning with my mother. I don't like church hopping because I don't know what to expect especially if the ministry doesn't practice basic principles set in the Word. We were ushered to the front of the sanctuary, being friends of a friend of the pastor. There we sat waiting for the choir to begin singing. They had congregated in their usual positions and the choir director waited for the designated soloist to come to the front of the pulpit. "Oh, me...now? Oh...okay." What? She didn't know she was singing this morning? Why did the congregants have to view that dramatic scene? After the soloist sung her song, they were ready for the second selection. The same singer remained in place and the rest of the choir rustled around as if they didn't know what to do. At least 10 minutes passed that I was never going to see again, when the two sisters of the soloist came and joined her to sing. If I had not been with my mother, I would have left. It wasn't cute. It did not keep me captivated and church time is not the time for anyone to launch their acting career.

This also happened at another ministry. Oddly enough, it was a choir event. I was apart of that choir and was excited at our first music program. The choir and the directors were all ready. The church was full. All that was needed was for the director to give the organist the cue to begin our marching music to come into the sanctuary. He peered in to see if the organist was where he was assigned to be. No one was there. We were all given specific instruction to be and have on what we all were supposed to do and have. We did as we were told. Now the very one who was a pinnacle part of our assembly was missing. Why? He never was missing for regular services. After 15 minutes we no longer thought that he was in a car accident but was deliberately trying to make a scene when he finally showed up. It was 20 minutes that we waited and tried to keep the audience pacified. The organist came in with beige ridding pants,(you know, what the equestrians wear), leather boots to the knee (it was July), and a cane. He gave the cane to the director, made no apologies, and opened both doors to walk down the middle aisle, take his time to get adjusted on the organ bench, and then began playing his version of our march in song. The director contemplated for us to do the entire program acapella.

There is a term that is irritating to me in the Christian circuit that has been said for many, many years: God may not come when you want Him, but He is always right on time. There is absolutely no scripture for that phrase and I thank God there isn't. Why wouldn't God come when I need Him? Maybe because I annoyed my brothers and sisters in Christ being fashionably late. It is the fruit by which some of us have chosen to live (Proverbs 1:31 KJV). You can't complain when God takes His time with you no matter how long it is. If you would like the timing changed - YOU CHANGE FIRST!!!