When I first saw the title of this thread I didn't see it was in Eccles and was expecting actions comparable to helping widows and orphans in distress, feeding the hungry, visiting prisoners etc.
This thread makes me think of the old rhyme: Piskie, Piskie, bow and ben’,
On yer knees and up again.
Presbie, Presbie, too proud to bend,
Sit ye doon on man’s chief end.
I don't know the vintage, probably 19th century or early 20th, but does broadly reflect the differences between the Kirk and the SEC in this area. I was flummoxed on first worshipping in the Kirk that the pews were too close to permit kneeling.
I forwarded that to my old friend who was at Knox College in Toronto, and he had heard it from an elderly professor whose version was almost the same:
Piskie Piskie boo an' ben'
Get ye doon an' up again.
Presby Presby, never bend,
Set ye doon on man's chief end.
Am much obliged to you. I hadn't heard it before and will cherish it.
Our host congregation's building has to use "liturgical east," as the altar is in fact at the south end of the building. This was very likely forced on the original builders by the size and shape of the lot. You can tell by the very odd attempts to connect the main worship area to a separate gym and school building on an adjacent lot--the hallways, stairs and elevator have half-floors, as the two buildings were apparently not built with the idea that they'd ever be connected (either originally belonging to different communities, or somehow otherwise impeded). If both lots had been available when the buildings first went up, they could have had true east, not the weird set-up we have now.
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I forwarded that to my old friend who was at Knox College in Toronto, and he had heard it from an elderly professor whose version was almost the same:
Piskie Piskie boo an' ben'
Get ye doon an' up again.
Presby Presby, never bend,
Set ye doon on man's chief end.
Am much obliged to you. I hadn't heard it before and will cherish it.
Piskie, Piskie, always bend,
Doon on yer knees an’ up again.
Presby, Presby, dinna bend,
But only sit on man’s chief end.
Luth’ran, Luth’ran, stand and sit,
Sing the hymn and ponder it.
Kneel? Well… maybe. If we must.
Trust the Gospel, not our fuss.
Or
Luth’ran, Luth’ran, bend or stand,
Christ alone our chief command.
Kneel if able, sit if sore—
Faith is freedom, not a chore.
As to the placement of the altar in my home congregation, it is the center of the sanctuary.