Free the Chairs!
The chairs are gone. That was my first thought as I ran by the bend in the Crum this morning, and passed the spot where the two folding chairs have been sitting companionably side-by-side for the past few weeks. But no, when I slowed down I could see them. There they are, in the middle of the creek, their metal feet enjoying the cool water as it burbles over their rubber toes.
My sense of relief was enormous. Since I first saw the chairs there in early June, I have taken vicarious pleasure in their relaxed pose by the banks of the Crum. I found myself thinking about them from time to time during the day. How nice to spend the day sitting by the creek in the leafy green of early summer, I thought. Just what I wish to do myself: if the pace ever slows; if I can ever get out from under the work and chores and family schedules; if I can savor even one day that retains the bright promise of its morning.
But in spite of their restful pose, these chairs are not innocent. These are lost chairs, wanted chairs, escaped chairs. They are chairs that have rejected their corporate purpose and made a courageous break for freedom. I discovered this when I read the all-campus email on the Faculty-Staff Digest after Alumni Weekend, announcing that some chairs had gone missing. I had already seen the two suspicious-looking chairs down by the Crum. Before I could think what to do to rescue them, two other staff members had replied to Facilities over the faculty-staff digest reporting the presence of the AWOL chairs.
It was then that I realized we must start a movement. Free the chairs! Responding to my invitation, a number of people have already written to me about the chairs. They are hot chairs that had wandered away from the crowd to cool off by the creek. They are sad chairs that need some time to grieve. They are sneaky chairs. They are amorous chairs, looking for a place that will respect their special love, free of the chaironormative paradigm. They are rebellious chairs, tired of being arranged in straight rows or perfect circles. They are angelic chairs, offering a quiet rest to anyone who wanders by. They are Quaker chairs, taking some time out in silence and reverence in the midst of nature.
Join my Facebook group called “Free the Chairs!”
And this is why we must save the chairs, don’t you see? However they got there, those chairs are there now to receive our projections, our imaginings, and our contemplative thoughts on a long day in the car or the office. We are the ones who are hot or frustrated, sad or sneaky, amorous or rebellious, angelic or spiritual. The chairs, lost from their usual regimented routine, have found a place in our imagination. They have claimed a subversive freedom about which most of us only dream. They offer us hope.
These chairs are not lost. No, they have found their souls. Whether we pass them in the Crum, or only imagine them sitting there in contemplative silence, they give us a glimpse of what we long for: A quiet bend in the river with water burbling over stones, a leafy green bower dappled with golden light, layers of bird song over the syncopated rhythm of the woodpecker’s tattoo. So I say: Free the chairs! Let’s join our voices and demand that Facilities release them from their servitude. It is the Quaker thing to do. Join my Facebook group called “Free the Chairs!” If we get enough members, we can apply to Rebecca Chopp and ask her to grant them a presidential pardon. And in the meantime, this is my advice to you on this first day of summer. Follow their example. Get lost!
Joyce Tompkins
Religious Advisor, Swarthmore College
SPC
- A journey in faith...
- A resting-place on the journey...
- A safe community...
- A doorway to the deeper life of the spirit...
Who We are:
- Swarthmore's progressive Christian community :
rooted in the mainline Protestant traditions, welcoming all seekers of God into hospitable fellowship - Finding divine revelation in scripture, tradition, community, creation, and the gift of human reason
- Students who are Epsicopalian, Presbyterian, Quaker, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, UU, Catholic, agnostic, none or all of the of the above
- Seeking, learning, wondering, questioning, affirming, welcoming, praying, singing, laughing, thinking, celebrating
What we do:
- Thursdays at 6:30 - Pizza and Parables: an exploration of scripture stories and faith questions with a spirit of reverent inquiry
- Thursday evenings at 8:00 pm - Student-led Communion service with singing
- Monthly Sundays at 5:00 - Taizé chant with candlelight and potluck supper
- A new program this fall: Chester Mutual Ministry. Students, faculty and staff are invited for weekly faith-based service in Chester.
- Retreats - (Fall beach retreat, Spring monastic retreat)
- Service projects in Chester and Philadelphia
- Worship and fellowship with members of local congregations
- Credo - dinner and discussion of faith life with faculty members
- Panels and speakers on topics relevant to modern life and faith
- Fun events such as apple-picking, cookie-baking, carol-singing, egg-dying
Opportunities for Trinity parishioners to get involved:
- Taizé service once/month on Sunday afternoons with potluck suppers Work with students on service projects
- Plan a study break with cookies or ice cream for students during exams!
- Invite a student to lunch or dinner
To get involved, contact The Rev. Joyce Tompkins at 610-328-8328 or email at : jtompki1@swarthmore.edu
The Protestant Campus ministry at Swarthmore College
The Campus Ministry at Swarthmore College is an ecumenical Christian ministry sponsored by Partners in Ministry, a consortium of local churches, individuals, and foundations. The campus ministry receives no direct financial support from the College, and is entirely dependent upon the generosity of individuals, foundations, and the five local churches and the Friends Meeting, all of whom understand the crucial importance of supporting a life of faith in college students.
Partners in Ministry has been at work on the Swarthmore College campus since 1982 providing an ecumenical Protestant ministry to Swarthmore students. Founded by five local churches and the Friends Meeting, it was at first a small, part-time affair, but has grown dramatically.
The message of Partners is that of mainline Protestant Christianity. In today's world, religious issues are becoming ever more salient. Extremism is rampant. In this turmoil the voice of mainline Protestantism, once so prominent in this country, is increasingly drowned out. On campus there are many strong secular and equally insistent but narrow evangelical/fundamentalist voices. Partners proclaims the heart of the Christian message in a form that is spiritually meaningful, intellectually creditable, and socially responsible.
Partners is taking seriously the need to challenge and nurture the faith lives of Swarthmore students. This objective is important if we are to encourage students to prepare themselves to enter adulthood with a robust, questioning, vibrant Christian faith; one that neither hides in platitudes nor retreats into secularism.
This ministry is vital to the future of these students and the church. Please join our partnership: Contact Partners in Ministry, PO Box 41 Swarthmore PA 19081. Partners in Ministry is a 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax deductible.