39 — The Empty Chair

 A weekly blog of Creative Ideas for Leading Worship

The Empty Chair
Praying for the Absent

A simple act that invites the congregation to prayerfully honour and remember those who are absent.

Click for audio narration

Introduction

In every congregation, there are those who are missing: friends who are ill, family who live far away, people who have drifted from faith, or loved ones who have died.

Their absence is often keenly felt, especially during worship, where community is at the heart of our gathering.

This simple, tactile act of prayer – the Empty Chair – offers a powerful way to honour those absences and bring them prayerfully into the circle of worship.

 

Setting the Scene

At the front of your worship space, place a single, unoccupied chair. It should be visually distinct – perhaps covered with a special cloth and set slightly apart to signal its purpose.

Introduce the chair early in the service, explaining that it represents those who are not physically present but are still part of our spiritual community.

You might say:

"This empty chair represents those who are missing today. It stands for our friends and family members who are sick, grieving, travelling, struggling, or simply not with us. It also honours those who have gone before us.

As we continue our worship, you are invited to come forward, take a moment at the chair, and place a note with a name or message on it."

 

Materials and Participation

Provide small slips of paper and pens or pencils – either on a table nearby or handed out at the start of the service.

Encourage people to write names, a simple prayer, or even a brief message such as "Thinking of you" or "Come home soon."

These can be placed directly on the chair.

This physical action allows worshippers to externalize their concerns and prayers in a visible way. The growing pile of notes becomes a testimony to the love and longing that undergirds the community.

It also helps to normalise expressions of absence and grief in a setting that often focuses on presence and joy.

 

Connecting with Scripture

You might link this action to a scripture such as Luke 15 – the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son – which all celebrate the return of the absent one.

Or use Paul’s words in Philippians 1:3-4: "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy."

 

Expanding the Practice

This idea could become a regular part of your worship – perhaps once a month, or during significant liturgical seasons such as Advent, Lent, or All Saints’ Day.

It could also be used in small groups or prayer gatherings.

Over time, the empty chair might accumulate a quiet sacredness – a visual reminder of God’s care for all, present or absent.

 

Conclusion

The Empty Chair gives form to our longing, our concern, and our hope. It reminds us that worship is not only about who is present, but also about holding space for those who cannot be.

In doing so, we practice a deeper kind of hospitality – the hospitality of memory, compassion, and prayer.

Ngā mihi
Philip