Turn The Hinges

The Save The Date came first.
The wedding invitation came more than a month ago.
There was no decision as to whether we would attend the wedding or not.
This was the son of our dear friends.

The passage of time astounds me.
This young man and his sister were in our home often.
They played with my children.
As many of our friends had children, the children soon outnumbered the adults.

The day of the wedding came.
We arrived at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and were shuttled to the church.
From the church, we were shuttled back to the Art Museum for the reception.
Numerous wedding planners, clipboards in hand, handled all of the details of the day.

It was a black tie wedding.
It was delightful to see all of the guests in their tuxes and gowns.
The rain that was in the forecast never happened.
Nothing could dampen the spirits of the guests; this was a day of celebration.

As we arrived at the historic church in Philadelphia, I did not know where to look.
Exquisite flowers, imported from England and Holland, graced the entryway and the aisle.
It was the church itself that amazed me.
I had never seen a seating configuration like the one that was before my eyes.

I was escorted down the aisle, while my husband walked behind me.
We were escorted to a box pew.
The door was unhinged and we were told to watch our step as we went inside.
Other people were already sitting in the box pew.

My husband and I are tall; however the box pews were a problem for those much shorter.
We could see over the top of the railings that were all around us.
We had no idea of how many people were actually in the church.
We were all in our own private little box.

I thought that the bride and groom would stand in the front.
Yet there was a pulpit high above the congregation on the opposite side of the church.
From the box pews, we could see both sides by turning our head.
However, we could not see the main aisle.

I wondered how we would see the bride and her attendants.
I wondered how I would see my friend, the mother of the groom walk down the aisle.
I wondered how I would see the little flower girls and the ring bearers.
I wondered what people did when they were not as tall as my husband and I.

What really struck me were the pews.  They are box pews, which were common in colonial New England.  Box pews basically segment the church into compartments defined by five foot high walls and are large enough to accommodate an entire family with benches along two of the walls…It is theorized that the pew walls resulted from the fact that early churches were not heated and the walls minimized drafts serving to keep the occupants relatively warm in winter.  Families typically would sit together.  Members of the congregation had to purchase their pews and pay a yearly rental to maintain them.  Different pews had different prices depending upon their location.  Those on the center aisle and near the front fetched a higher price.  It entitled the owner exclusive use of that pew and in some churches the pew boxes were even furnished and decorated to their owner’s tastes. Where families sat indicated their social status and so the church was not only physically segmented but socially segmented as well.  The high walls also afforded people privacy in both their worship and non devotional activities.  I can understand now why the pulpit in many of the old churches was in a perch constructed high above the congregation, so everyone could see the preacher and he could see them. (taken from, The Box Pew Mentality, by Tom Stuart)

Can you imagine families huddled together in the cold church inside their own box pew?
No one else in the church could see you as you were sitting in your own private box.
Only the preacher, who was standing at a raised pulpit, could see everyone.
I cannot imagine the box pew seating did much to help the fellowship in the congregation.

I would not have liked sitting in my own private box.
We were disconnected even though we were sitting with six other people.
There was no sense of being in church with anyone else.
Everything that was happening was happening outside the confines of our box.

What I saw and then read in Stuart’s article caused me to pause.
Do we have a box pew mentality in our own churches?
Do we tend to sit with the same people and have our own little mini church?
Are we fragmented and private rather than being welcoming and open to others?

We now have heated churches.
We do not need to huddle together to keep warm in the winter months.
Yet we still huddle and talk to a few people instead of many.
We box ourselves inside our large sanctuaries and auditoriums.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)

When the bride and groom came down the aisle as husband and wife we were all standing.
After the families exited, ushers came down to open the door of our box.
The old hinge was turned.
The door opened.

Do we have to do a little hinge turning ourselves?
Do we have to open the door so that others will know they are welcome?
Do we have to get outside of our box and outside of our comfort zones a bit?
Do we have to be more intentional to be in fellowship with others in the congregation?

Get out of the box.
Turn the hinge.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Fellowship in Jesus’ name.

Watch what happens.

St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA.

2 responses to “Turn The Hinges”

1. How very interesting ! Thank -you, Gina for sharing.

   Reply

   • You’re welcome, Linda!
     I learned a lot about box pews as well.
     Gina

     Reply