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THE FIFTH PEW
No one ever sat on the fifth pew. Usually this didn’t cause any problems except on Christmas and Mother’s Day when attendance was greater than normal. And on those days, no one seemed to mind sitting on the folding chairs placed in the aisle to leave the fifth pew vacant. If a visitor accidentally sat on the forbidden pew, an usher very politely asked him to move to another seat. It was always done with such tact that no one was ever offended. Once a visitor asked, “Why doesn’t anyone sit on this pew?” The first notes of the organ prelude drowned out the usher’s response. He was relieved that it covered his feeble attempt to answer. The members of the church all understood that no one sat on that pew. At least, no one had for at least the last 50 years. Untouched hymnals rested in the racks on the back of the pew in front. The custodian polished the…