I believe you can walk into a church and tell a lot about its history, theological leanings, liturgical practices, worship style and mission priorities by looking at the furniture in the sanctuary, and specifically, where the people sit.
At a time when many new or renovated churches have theater seats or folding chairs, Wilshire still has pews in both the sanctuary and chapel, which was the original sanctuary. The pews are in good shape for dating back to the 1950s and ’60s. Like the well-used furniture in a vibrant, multi-generational home, the pews at Wilshire aren’t pristine but still are comfortable and function as originally intended and still wanted.
Last week a dozen of us spent a couple of hours tidying up the pews in the sanctuary in preparation for Wilshire’s 75th anniversary celebration this weekend. That included cleaning out the pew racks, cleaning scuffs off the white wood surfaces and switching out some of the hymnals. For whatever reason, some of the hymnals from McIver Chapel — indicated by that name embossed on the cover — had migrated to the sanctuary, and vice versa.
I spent most of the time cleaning out pew racks. That involved taking out the hymnals, cleaning debris from under the books and using my fingertips to check the gaps under the communion cup holders. Most of the debris I found was candy and cough drop wrappers, scraps of paper, broken communion cups, cracked or dislodged rubber cup holders, and broken or extra pencils and pens. There also were paperclips, rubber bands, buttons off the cushions and clumps of candle wax.
In a couple of pews I found a hard chunk of chewing gum like what you’d find under an old school desk. That brought back a memory from another time when the ushers cleaned out the pew racks and found old hard candy that had to be pried loose with a screwdriver. We chuckled then because we knew the source: a friendly former usher who always had hard candy in his pocket to hand to children as they came in.
I made a quick sweep of the choir loft where I found a couple of half-full water bottles. I’ve not sung in the choir, but I know it’s hard work and I know from sitting up there with Wilshire Winds that the climate can be tropical. I also worked through the pews in the balcony, which were pretty much the same as downstairs, although I found more torn pieces of paper along with crayons and pipe cleaners, indicating the presence of children. Encouraging children to sit in church with their parents at an appropriate age is a good start toward developing lifelong church pew sitters.
So here’s what pews tell about a church: Pews provide structure for pew racks, and pew racks provide space for hymnals, and if a church has hymnals, that means the people still like to sing hymns from books, and the books usually include the old foundational hymns of the church. Pew racks also provide space for communion cups, which means worshippers still receive communion at their seats most of the time.
Pew racks with pens, pencils and card and envelope holders indicate an open invitation for guests to fill out information cards, and members and guests alike to put offerings and tithes in envelopes instead of doing it all online. And the presence of those materials is a pretty good sign that offering plates will be passed at some time during the Sunday service. As an occasional usher, I’m often impressed with how many children are eager to put something in the offering plate. In an age when technology creates impersonal transactions, there still are good lessons and habits to be learned from doing it the old way.
Pews allow people to spread out if they wish, but they also make it easy for folks to squeeze in when needed. I think pews in a church indicate the people there are not afraid to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with each other – like on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday; to hear a retirement sermon or the first message from a new pastor; or to vote on an important matter such as a membership policy that makes room for every body.
Wilshire is celebrating its 75th anniversary this weekend, and my guess is the pews will be full as we reflect on the past and imagine the future. There’ll be plenty of room for every body so come join us. But don’t get too comfortable. Wilshire isn’t a place for sitting still too long. Time spent together in worship, study, fellowship and renewal prepares us for being the hands and feet of Christ, not in the pews, but out in the world.