The psychology of the front row
Sitting up the front
Everybody can tell an Anglican congregation by the fact that no one ever sits in the front couple of rows. It’s as if they are anticipating the arrival of a busload of Baptists to fill the gaping void. No matter how crowded it gets at the back, no self-respecting Anglicans would ever expose themselves by occupying the front pews.
Here’s some sound reasons why we should change our ways (change??!?) and move forward on Sunday mornings:
- Sitting up the front shows we recognise that we are participants in worship and not spectators – the further back we are the more we feel we are just looking on.
- Sitting up the front gives real encouragement to those who are leading the worship.
- Sitting up the front proclaims that we are a church who are enthusiastic about our worship.
- Sitting up the front means you will see and hear better – don’t you hate those people who complain ‘I couldn’t hear half the sermon today’, when you know they hid themselves in a back corner.
- Sitting up the front leaves the back rows free for those who really need to be there – parents with young children are closer to an escape hatch if they need it, newcomers can feel more comfortable in a strange environment – and it says that we actually expect new people to come.
- Sitting up the front helps us to see familiar things in a different way.
Next Sunday, try moving forward – in more ways than one.
Doug Edmonds
Sitting at the front in church. Drawing Dit