Kneeling at church?

[Lamb]

Do you do any kneeling at your church?

 

[tango]

No. Quite a few of the congregation are old enough they'd struggle to get back up again.

 

[Albion]

Good question.

Yes, of course we do, but no one thinks anything of a parishioner who is old or weak choosing not to do so, or, for that matter, a visitor from some other church where kneeling isn't usual.

 

[Faith]

Do you do any kneeling at your church?

No, not since I’ve left the RCC.

 

[Faith]

We sit in chairs with no kneelers.

 

[Josiah]

Only at Communion. Our parish does not have kneelers.

Frankly, I kind of miss that. In my Catholic days, we had LOTS of "choreography" - actions that accompanied worship (standing, kneeling, the Sign, genuflecting, etc.) It kind of helped me be focused on what we were doing and pay attention, and helped me in my spirituality of worship. Lutherans retain some of that but not much. But that's just me. I ain't saying it would be a blessing or all or that it should be a part of worship tradition for all.



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[Fritz Kobus]

We typically kneel for prayer, though occasionally we stand for a prayer. No kneelers.

 

[Lamb]

We can kneel at corporate confession/absolution at my church.

 

[tango]

Thinking about this more, I'm not sure there's even space to kneel between our pews even if you wanted to. We typically bow our heads for prayer.

 

[Albion]

Thinking about this more, I'm not sure there's even space to kneel between our pews even if you wanted to. We typically bow our heads for prayer.

That's right. Churches which don't practice kneeling don't have "kneelers" on which to kneel, natch!

So if the church chooses to have pews instead of chairs--but no kneeling--they normally place them closer together than you'll find in churches which have pews with kneelers attached or even just loose cushions on which the people kneel.

And because the backs of pews slant somewhat (like almost all chairs do) in order for the people to be comfortable when sitting, some space allowance has to be made between the pews so that the people who are behind can kneel comfortably and rest their hands on the top of the pew in front of them.

 

[tango]

That's right. Churches which don't practice kneeling don't have "kneelers" on which to kneel, natch!

So if the church chooses to have pews instead of chairs--but no kneeling--they normally place them closer together than you'll find in churches which have pews with kneelers attached or even just loose cushions on which the people kneel.

And because the backs of pews slant somewhat (like almost all chairs do) in order for the people to be comfortable when sitting, some space allowance has to be made between the pews so that the people who are behind can kneel comfortably and rest their hands on the top of the pew in front of them.

That makes sense. The church near where I grew up was Anglican and had a number of cushions (I think they were called hassocks, but forget because it's been a while) for kneeling. During services there were designated points marked where people were supposed to stand, sit, kneel, sit etc. It all seemed very contrived but I guess it works for some.

The churches I've attended as an adult have either had chairs or pews but without anywhere designated to kneel. Aside from standing to sing they don't tend to go for as much moving about. Sometimes at my church we sing sitting down. I'm not sure whether that's a tradition or simply an acknowledgement that we have a lot of older people and quite a few of them struggle to stand for any length of time.

 

[Albion]

That makes sense. The church near where I grew up was Anglican and had a number of cushions (I think they were called hassocks, but forget because it's been a while) for kneeling. During services there were designated points marked where people were supposed to stand, sit, kneel, sit etc. It all seemed very contrived but I guess it works for some.

Standing for the reading of the Holy Gospel seems appropriate to me, as does kneeling for prayer, and so on. It's quite logical and dates from early times, but those folks who weren't raised as Anglicans (or Catholics, Orthodox Eastern Christians, Methodists, or Lutherans) usually do not perceive the reason for standing, sitting, or kneeling at certain points during the service, that's right.

Interestingly, many in that Christian majority say that they were lost and couldn't understand the format that was being followed in a Baptist, Pentecostal, or non-denominational Evangelical church when they were visiting there!

 

[tango]

Standing for the reading of the Holy Gospel seems appropriate to me, as does kneeling for prayer, and so on. It's quite logical and dates from early times, but those folks who weren't raised as Anglicans (or Catholics, Orthodox Eastern Christians, Methodists, or Lutherans) usually do not perceive the reason for standing, sitting, or kneeling at certain points during the service, that's right.

I guess things you're used to make more sense than things you're not used to, if nothing else.

Interestingly, many in that Christian majority say that they were lost and couldn't understand the format that was being followed in a Baptist, Pentecostal, or non-denominational Evangelical church when they were visiting there!

Some churches don't really have a format as such, it alternates between periods of singing, reading, prayer, whatever.

 

[Albion]

Some churches don't really have a format as such, it alternates between periods of singing, reading, prayer, whatever.

But that appears to me to BE that church's format. You can expect singing, prayer, collecting the offering, then the sermon, more singing, the dismissal, etc....that's their regular order of things, no?

 

[tango]

But that appears to me to BE that church's format. You can expect singing, prayer, collecting the offering, then the sermon, more singing, the dismissal, etc....that's their regular order of things, no?

If "in no particular order" counts as a regular order of things then I guess it does.

 

[Albion]

If "in no particular order" counts as a regular order of things then I guess it does.

What I described IS in a particular order, though, week after week.

However, that order may vary somewhat from denomination to denomination and from congregation to congregation. I merely offered you an example.

To that extent, then, it's not much different from the liturgies you observed in the older churches and which struck you as having been contrived.