A columnist who writes from Ohio is using the beginning of Lent to wonder about the great cardio workout people get in church:

Before Lent got going, I’d been writing about some of those “edge phenomena” around worship, “adiaphora” or “indifferent things” philosophically and theologically speaking. One was about coming late — or just as services start — and the other was about where to sit when you get there: these are matters that might barely intrude into the consciousness of those of us who attend church regularly, but are major questions for seekers and/or first time visitors.

Another of these “indifferent” matters is standing … or sitting.

Non-Catholics, and even cradle Catholics, make jokes about a typical church wedding in their tradition. Up, then down, then up, then — whoa, what are those things swinging down at me? — you kneel, then it’s back up and …

OK, I’m exaggerating, but not by much. It isn’t just a Catholic Christian thing, however, because some Protestant Christian services have a fairly good cardio-workout component to them, even without kneelers. And much non-denominational contemporary worship has the hovering question of when to stand hanging over their unstructured services, as well.

Before we ask when to stand, what about “why?” Why do we stand at certain points in corporate worship?

Actually, in the ancient traditions of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, you find in most of their worship spaces a distinct lack of seats. That’s right, no seats. None.

In this country, a Greek Orthodox church might have pews, but it’s a practice picked up from surrounding church life (or from buying a decommissioned Protestant church). Back in Russia or Romania or otherwise, the congregation gathers in an open space, with seats along some walls for the elderly and pregnant women, and children sit, if young, at the feet of their parents. Many American Orthodox sanctuaries still are this way, seatless, and standing. For two hours.

He explains why at the link. See what you think. Is there too much jumping up and down in the pews?