[Popman]

Perhaps one reason why pews were a Protestant “innovation” is that Sunday services in many of the denominations, like the non-conformists in 17th century England and Puritans in America, went on for hours on a Sunday.

The puritan church service was a all day affair...with a break for lunch...

They had a assigned deacon to walk down the aisles during service and take a gourd on the end of a long stick to knock you in the head if you fell asleep...

[Jeff Chandler]

They had a assigned deacon to walk down the aisles during service and take a gourd on the end of a long stick to knock you in the head if you fell asleep...

It would be worth studying to become a deacon to get that job.

[Heart-Rest]

"They had a assigned deacon to walk down the aisles during service and take a gourd on the end of a long stick to knock you in the head if you fell asleep... "

In some pilgrim churches, I believe they also used a gentler "feather tickling stick" to wake up snoozers.

[roamer_1]

They had a assigned deacon to walk down the aisles during service and take a gourd on the end of a long stick to knock you in the head if you fell asleep...

That particular device was still in use in the Christian Reformed church my grandparents attended when I was a lad - Though it was but a very long stick with a billiard-ball sized knob at the end...