Back when I was leading a small group, we turned the shotgun rule on its head. It was starting to get out of hand. Every time we were headed out to do something, the guys would rush out the door all yelling “shotgun!” pining for a chance to sit in the front. No doubt of course because the front seat came with the added perk of leg room and limited iPod privileges (they had pretty bad taste in music at the time).

Well, things got out of hand and decided that it was really un-Jesus-like to be rushing foreword like that. Especially when there might be someone more suited to sit up front (i.e., taller people, people who get car-sick in the back, etc).

So, one small group meeting, we turned the rule on it’s head and made it the unshotgun rule.

I read over this again today in Luke 14:

"When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Reading it immediately reminded me of the unshotgun rule and how Jesus’ teaching here really does need to be followed. Not just in the proverbial sense of putting other before ourselves, but literally too in the little things.

Like picking the back seat by default until someone invites you upfront.