It has taken me one night and one day to recover from Confirmation fever. It was truly an event to mark as "Favorite" in my life events database. Yes, all Eucharistic celebrations are special and each carries a significant message and feeling depending on the season and the reason.
Giant community masses, however, are unsettling for me personally. More times than not they are a testament to the lease favorable of behaviors. It jump starts in the parking lot; biggest and fastest car wins. The reward is lotto-like with the prize being the closest and most strategic spot. My favorite of the two maladies is the latter because I am more than accustomed to parking wars and terrible drivers since Miami and it's surrounding areas are rated worst in the country.
That's my kind of town!
That's my kind of town!
Okay, let's visit the proprietary of pews.
A harmless word (with a big bite): pew [pyoo] noun
1.(in a church) one of a number of fixed, bench like seats with backs, accessible by aisles, for the use of the congregation. So far, I understand. Seats with backs to be shared by a congregation.
Affirmative; good so far.
2.an enclosed seat in a church, or an enclosure with seats, usually reserved for a family or other group of worshipers.
Warning! Here is where we start sinking into the deep murky waters of "pyoo" despair. The word "reserved" infers that the occupying party has a right to defend a seating position. I am now confused. Yes, possession is nine tenths of the law. You arrive, you sit and that is your spot. Possessed. Okay, it's yours. Defend a position or row? What are we in church or on the football field? Another possibility: could it be that the bench was a purchase and thereby now sports a tidy bronze plaque with a familial name on it earmarked for a family of 12? Probably not, but all of these add up to pew pain.
Unfortunately, pew wars happen in community masses, simply stated, because you cannot fit two pounds of bologna in a one pound bag. Final result: poor and pitiful pew behavior. The passive aggressive rises to the surface, the shining moment becomes dim and the mood is altered from happy blue to a dark grey...just like my long forgotten mood ring. I don't know of anyone that didn't own one; but that is a story for another day. In any event, the message of the celebration can easily be missed. This pitiful pew epidemic can only be rivaled by black Friday at a Wal-Mart.
3.those occupying pews; congregation
I will hang onto definition number 3. Pews are to be occupied by any and the many, not saved, not hoarded and not battled. You get there you sit, when the next guy arrives he or she sits. Problem solved. Seems simple, right?
The good news is all family sacraments, to date, are done. I leave the puny pew-ness to the next guy and I will park far and away from the maddening crowds.
See you...on a pew!
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