We worshiped in the nave on Easter. But then we spent all of Eastertide worshiping in Loehe Hall. (For some of you, that will be remembered as the room where Rachel and Matt's wedding reception was. For others of you, that's where the awesome hors d'oeuvres reception during symposium is held.) For two months we had what was irreverently referred to as "drive-by communion." In college we called it "walking communion." Whatever it is, it makes me very uncomfortable.
So eventually the renovations were close to being finished. Pastor announced that we wouldn't have the kneelers for the communion rail until mid-July, so we'd still be having the drive-by. Several of us asked if we couldn't pleeeeease commune in tables, even if we still had to stand. Okay. That was the new plan.
So last Sunday was the first Sunday back in church. I wasn't here, but my family told me what happened. Pastor announced that we wouldn't be kneeling, but we'd be back to communing in tables. First table goes forward. And people knelt. I don't know if it was habit or what. I'm glad they did, because I wanted to. I didn't care if I had to kneel on hard tile; it somehow seems disrespectful to me to stand while receiving the body of the King of the Universe. (Disclaimer: I am NOT saying anything negative about those whose bodies can't take the kneeling -- pads or no pads. It's part of what some of us must live with in this valley of sorrow.)
Pastor announces at every service that the kneeler-pads won't be arriving for another month, and so it's expected that we will stand but that we may kneel if we so choose. And yet most of us kneel.
I'm glad I'm allowed. I didn't want to be the one to be different, and possibly scandalize everybody else by kneeling when we were told to stand.
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Today I thought, "Okay, Pastor keeps saying we don't have to kneel. I guess I won't, if he's so weirded out by it."
ReplyDeleteAnd then I forgot and knelt anyway. I'd honestly rather kneel for one minute on hard tile than work so hard to remember to stand instead. The remembering just takes my brain away from what it should be thinking about...
I don't think he's weirded out by it. I think he just wants to make sure that those who aren't kneeling don't feel like they should be.
ReplyDeleteStanding is the norm where we are now, most of the churches in the general area remain standing because there are no railings to kneel at although they do stand in tables. It feels really weird and wrong to just stand there!
ReplyDeleteI've listened to that announcement 5 times now, and he's just trying to allow for those folks who likely couldn't get up if they kneeled down on that hard surface. But all but the most ailing have kneeled at all 5 services. When I saw a man limping in with a cane, I was glad he just stood. (I only noticed that because I was at the same table with him. I was too busy playing the rest of the time!)
ReplyDeleteKathy, that's what I told Maggie. When she saw this blog-post, she thought maybe she was doing something wrong by kneeling. No! It's perfectly okay to kneel -- Pastor just doesn't want to make anybody feel uncomfortable by choosing not to kneel. We sure wouldn't want anybody to stay away from Communion because they want/need to stand!!!
ReplyDeleteI did think it was a little funny, though, after his repeated announcements to Bible classes on both Sundays and Thursdays that we would NOT be kneeling, and somehow we end up kneeling anyway. And he rolled with it and changed the announcement for late service on that first Sunday back in the nave. :-)