Based on yesterday's post, and anticipated by one of the comments, let me ask a question: Who sits where for church services? If, in the classroom, the best students sit toward the front and the slackers sit in back, is the same true in church services?
Unfortunately, my church has seating-in-the-round, which complicates this issue. But... in a regular old front-back, side-to-side church seating configuration, what are the patterns?
I think the people upfront are usually people who have been there a long time, not sure why they want to front, though?
Perhaps those in back include visitors and people with small children (who want to make a quick exit if needed).
What else?
Unfortunately, my church has seating-in-the-round, which complicates this issue. But... in a regular old front-back, side-to-side church seating configuration, what are the patterns?
I think the people upfront are usually people who have been there a long time, not sure why they want to front, though?
Perhaps those in back include visitors and people with small children (who want to make a quick exit if needed).
What else?
4 comments:
It also depends on the denomination, age, and probably a few other categories. Denomination: some denominations I've been in, no one sits in the front. Other places, it's full, and fills first. Age: high school students might tend to sit together, rather than with their families, and where they sit changes. My friends and I sat on the right hand side in the front, while the current high school students like sitting in the back center. Also, the little old ladies of my church like to sit dead center in the front because otherwise they can't see or hear the pastor.
My current call in the Church of Scotland has an old diagram of the church pews which lists how much each pew cost to rent--in the old days, that was a source of income.
The most expensive pews are farthest from the front. The cheap seats are front and center.
Too funny, too true.
In Brazil it is mainly the drunks who sit at the front of the church.
From these comments, it's clear that these patterns vary widely across time and place.
Having the front for the cheap & drunk makes for a very funny reinterpretation of what goes on in services...
Post a Comment