I grew up in a church where everything from worship service to Sunday school had everyone facing the front and listening to someone else talk. Later I participated in a house church where we sat around a living room, all on the same level. I met God in both places, but I must say, I grew more in the living room.
If you ever visit a traditional style Orthodox church where everyone stands (no pews or chairs – except in the back or on the side for those who can’t stand) there is a definite front but surprisingly it also has a living room feel in that the action is moving from place to place in the “temple” and the congregation will often walk around in the room to where the current action is. Children might be sprawled on the floor coloring or playing with cars. No one notices if you move around a bit. But you probably wouldn’t want to kick off your shoes. Interesting blend of formality and informality. That was one of the things that surprised me when I visited for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI've been to a couple orthodox churches (once for a wedding--awesome--and once for a vist), but they had pews (must be a bit modernized). From your description, it does sound intriguing--especially the mixture of formality and informality.
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