Anyone up for a chat thread?

[Paidiske]

I'm laughing. That is so typical.

I'm at the point of the year where I'm more than a bit stressed about all that has to happen in the next week and a half...

 

[Shane R]

And as far as being "Deputy Secretary General for Latin America" (with a titular promotion to Very Reverend!): I got a huge file dump from my only superior about two weeks ago. It turns out, at some point a former Archbishop had commissioned translations of the relevant documents into all of the languages of European Colonialism as well as Swahili. So, I can read Spanish and German enough to figure out what I'm looking at. I've been struggling with sorting the French files from the Portuguese files because I can't really read either but they have very different ways of spelling. The Swahili stuff I discarded because no one under my purview is using that. Then their's the sticky matter of the Dutch files: I don't think I've found any that are actually in Dutch yet but I have one I think might be Afrikaans.

 

[Paidiske]

There are one or two Afrikaans speakers on this site who might be able to help you.

In a pinch, scan it and I'll ask my dad to translate.

I'd offer to help with the French but I assume there are French speakers more local to you!

 

[Shane R]

There are one or two Afrikaans speakers on this site who might be able to help you.

In a pinch, scan it and I'll ask my dad to translate.

I'd offer to help with the French but I assume there are French speakers more local to you!

Where I grew up in N. America is not so far from the Canadian province of Quebec (which you might know is primarily French speaking, although it is said their way of speaking French has not evolved significantly from the 17th century). My father made me watch French Sesame Street on Quebec's CBC network in my earliest years, hoping I would pick it up. I can still count to 6 or 7 and know a few basic phrases!

 

[Paidiske]

French was my mother's second language (English was her third) and she was keen that I learn. While I'd struggle if you dumped me in Paris with no warning, I can read it well enough to read French theological books and the like. (Which is helpful, because some of the best European stuff is never translated into English!)

 

[Shane R]

I was told once that if you want to really understand the theological currents in Europe (as an English speaker) you should know French or German, or preferably both.

 

[Paidiske]

German particularly for Biblical studies. The French seem to be stronger in theology proper.

Sadly I have no German.

 

[PloverWing]

For instance, the influx of new pews are approximately four feet longer than the other pews. To me (and a couple other men), the solution was fairly obvious: put all of the long ones on one side of the aisle and the short ones on the other. This is actually feasible in this particularly space without totally destroying the symmetry of the sanctuary. No, the vestry prefers to shorten them all to the same length.

It seems another solution is to have some rows of short pews mixed in with the long ones, so that a person in a wheelchair could sit in the "cutout" area; our church has a couple of "cutouts" like that. Or, have a "cutout" area toward the back with carpet and soft kid toys, where parents with squirmy small ones could let their kids play quietly, while still being in the sanctuary; there are a couple of churches near me that have an area like that.

Or, well, the vestry could stubbornly saw off the ends of the pews...

 

[seeking.IAM]

We have 2 Cut-out areas for wheelchairs, one 1/3 of the way back from the front and one an equal way back from the back. They are seldom utilized. We have no play area in the Nave. I'm unsure how that fits in with my view of sacred space, but I'm content having children of all ages in worship, cranky or not.

 

[PloverWing]

Our wheelchair areas aren't used at present, but at an earlier point in the life of our church, one of our most faithful members developed ALS, and she spent her last few years in a wheelchair. I was glad we had a space to accommodate her chair, even though we don't have any wheelchair-bound members right now. The cutouts can also be handy spaces for a couple of our older members to stow their walkers.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

We removed our Victorian pews about 20 years ago and replaced them with upholstered chairs.

People with a pram, wheelchair or scooter, can choose for themselves where to sit, as we simply remove a chair or two.

I can’t actually fathom reordering a church and putting in pews.

 

[Paidiske]

I don't like chairs in place of pews. It makes the sanctuary start to feel more like an auditorium or lecture hall.

I do like short, light weight, comfortable pews which can be easily moved around. Flexibility in liturgical space is good. But I think actually shared seating says something important about shared worship and shared life.

 

[Philip_B]

Part of my issue depends on the chairs. Of course we could be orthodox and have neither! I have seen this done with 'budget' chairs and it seems ordinary (read sub-ordinary) on the other hand with good solid chairs it can work - I know St Andrews Cathedral in Sydney had replaced a number of pews with decent chairs and I thought it worked ok (not sure what is happening there now as it is a whole since I was there). In one country church where numbers had fallen in response to a couple of collapsed pews the rector removed the second back pews and swung to third back pews to the walls and moved the font to the centre of the area it created. This had the benefit of highlighting the importance of baptism, creating a area in the liturgical space where it happened with its own focus and moved to Sunday congregation a little closer to the front.

My one issue I guess really is that pews naturally associate themselves with prayer, whilst chairs and chat go together well.

 

[seeking.IAM]

Are kneelers not a thing in your parishes?

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Are kneelers not a thing in your parishes?

Our hassocks disappeared with our pews. I am not sad, as I have flashbacks of small boys building towers with them.

We are not a kneeling fellowship, but have carpet do kneeling for a few minutes is feasible for most.

I do enjoy visiting churches with hassocks embroidered by the various ministry and community groups. Ours were never like this.

 

[Paidiske]

Are kneelers not a thing in your parishes?

There are a few cushions floating around for the few people who choose to kneel.

 

[Arcangl86]

Our hassocks disappeared with our pews. I am not sad, as I have flashbacks of small boys building towers with them.

We are not a kneeling fellowship, but have carpet do kneeling for a few minutes is feasible for most.

I do enjoy visiting churches with hassocks embroidered by the various ministry and community groups. Ours were never like this.

For a second I was all "How do you build a tower with kneelers" then realize you were talking about cushions.

 

[JamieRedheadUK]

Very random so apologies but a Christian forum with a firearms section? Maybe it’s my English sensibilities but that’s a little...shocking in a Christian sense

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Very random so apologies but a Christian forum with a firearms section? Maybe it’s my English sensibilities but that’s a little...shocking in a Christian sense

It’s mostly American.

 

[Paidiske]

I agree. Even as a moderator I avoid that forum.

Americans. What can I say?