to be amazed at people going to church

[Hullygully]

I really didn't think anyone still did the whole church on Sunday thing (this is not meant rudely, am just genuinely amazed).

Why do you go?

Don't you go out dancing and drinking on Sat and have a terrible hangover?

Or don't you want to have a lie-in with the papers?

Do you have roast dinner after?

Where do you live?

I dunno...I thought they had two old ladies in each I spose

I go occasionally, only to give DD a lift though. DH goes every week. He lives in Belgium (only until next Monday) and has, as long as we've been married and in every country we've ever lived, tracked down an RC church to attend.
It really isn't that astonishing. Are you as incredulous about people attending mosques? temples? synagogues?

Churches are for waking people up at, ironically, ungodly hours of the morning with their flippin bells.

I know lots of people who go to church though. They have lunch after, generally. I suppose they go for all kinds of reasons. Believing in God, seeing friends, singing in the choir etc.

1. Why do you go? - I don't get to go much but when I do I like the singing, I like the community, I support my MIL and I like the peace of talking to what I think of as spirit/god

1. Don't you go out dancing and drinking on Sat and have a terrible hangover? - not much dancing (too old) but do drink plenty on saturday (and fridays)

1. Or don't you want to have a lie-in with the papers? - I do most of the time do exactly that but there's usually boring chores to do on sunday which prevent me going to church plus a kid who doesn't want to go so I don't make her and stay behind with her

1. Do you have roast dinner after? - not really, can't be faffed - usually have bread and antipasta stuff/buffet/stuff from the fridge

1. Where do you live? - in a town in Herts.

A girl in DD1's class never goes to birthday parties if they are on a Sunday.

Why do you go?
To have a part of the week that is not full of worries about work/family/money/chores, to concentrate on the spiritual

Don't you go out dancing and drinking on Sat and have a terrible hangover?
No, I'm not 18 any more and can hold my drink.

Or don't you want to have a lie-in with the papers?
What papers? No delivery out here. But the service doesn't start until 11am anyway.

Do you have roast dinner after?
It isn't night time: I have Sunday lunch. Cooked by my husband. Or Sunday dinner, at night.

Where do you live?
Home Counties.

Add message | Report | Message poster

Some churches have evening services. I have a toddler, so getting up isn't an issue!

Sunday

Holy Communion at 8am - the 1662 service - peaceful, beautiful, uplifting, an oasis in a mad world, tranquillity, continuity, a connection with past, present and future, a feeling of belonging to a community. I find it diffcult to express but I am sure others will express it much more eloquently!

And then;

Sunday papers

Walk the dogs

Sunday roast with the family and friends (washed down with good wine!)

Watch a movie

Bliss - what's not to like?

Abra1d: "Where do you live?
Home Counties."

I think we could have guessed that from the fact that you refer to dinner as lunch:-)

PS Also in Herts

My family all go to church (I am the black sheep who rebelled at 16 ) - it's a massive church and they have three services to fit everyone in, so they can either go early (9.15), a bit later (11.30) or in the evening (7.30). They usually go in the morning, Sunday roast is chucked in the oven on timer before they leave, ready for lunch. They go because they enjoy the God-time, some of them have responsibilities like leading Sunday School and singing in choir, and their social life revolves around the church so all their friends are there. They also do home group on Wednesday evenings and fundraisers/social events at least one Friday evening a month... it takes up a lot of their time.

There are three buildings dedicated to the worship of Christ (CofE, RC, Spiritualist) and a Kingdom Hall as well as other multi purpose places used for followers of Islam and Hinduism (if there's a dedicated building, it's well off the beaten track iyswim and not got a massive great sign like all the churches!) in my small semi rural town.

Massive support to the community, for regular attenders and non-believers alike!

Why do you go?
Because I believe in God and find it helpful to get together with others to worship, chat and eat cake, I find the services stimulating and refreshing (in the main, there are always the tedious exceptions)

Don't you go out dancing and drinking on Sat and have a terrible hangover?
Nope - not well so very rarely nowadays. Used to though and the evening service was my friend

Or don't you want to have a lie-in with the papers?
Church is at 10.30, plenty of lie in for me, although we're thinking about starting a new service on an afternoon partly for this reason :)

Do you have roast dinner after?
Often yes

Where do you live?
West midlands.

HTH :)

I go because I really enjoy it, I meet lovely people there and have made friends with many of them. Dd enjoys playing with the other kids and DH has made friends too, which is hard to do when he works long hours and commutes and weekends are otherwise full of housework and DIY.

I gave up late Saturdays years ago but even at uni would be at the union 'til 2am and still made church at 1030. We often have friends over on a Saturday but we still get to church.

Church is at 1000 now so I'd get a lie in except dd is up at around 0730 anyway. Before her we'd get up at 0900 and be there for 1000.

Sometimes we have a roast, but usually in the evening. Sometimes we go to a friend's house or they come to us. We had a big church BBQ last week at the local country park.

I live in the South of the Uk.

We do miss it sometimes, if we're away for the weekend or really want to do something that day and it can't be done at another time. If we are away we try to find a local church though. We went to some amazing ones in Florida and Singapore.

Tr00ll 'respect for satin' - First time I've know anyone go because of the clothes

Hully How many parents of small children do you know who get to go out dancing and drinking every Sat night and / or get a lie-in with the papers on Sun morning? So those questions don't count for loads of us on here!

I go because I want to grow in my faith. I take the DCs so that they can learn about God too. It's often a bit of a faff to get there but I'm always glad I've gone when I do manage it.

DH and I both work shifts so we generally have a roast on an evening that we're both around, not a Sunday tradition.

DCs both under 5 so don't really do Saturday night dancing or Sunday morning papers anymore. Prior to kids used to do both and go to evening service instead to avoid all the noisy kids as it suited better.

That was a cracker of an OP Hully. I made me laugh a lot. It was like proper market research. I think we need to know whether they are:

18-25
26-40
41-65
65+

and their job title and income bracket.

Disappointingly, no-one so far has answered "to get my kids into the local C of E school, of course".

Why do you go?
I like the thinking time, I enjoy the hymns and the sense of community. I always feel more at peace afterwards. It gives me a chance to reflect on the week and think about whether I have genuinely tried to be a nice person or not!

Don't you go out dancing and drinking on Sat and have a terrible hangover?
Not usually but if I did have a really bad hangover then I probably wouldn't go.

Or don't you want to have a lie-in with the papers?
If I was bothered I could go to a Saturday evening service

Do you have roast dinner after?
Not every week but if a service is at 9 or 10 then it isn't difficult to do a roast afterward.

Where do you live?
North East.

Why do you go? Because I am a Christian and for us, part of that is belonging to and attending a church.

Don't you go out dancing and drinking on Sat and have a terrible hangover? I used to! And sometimes go to church feeling rough. However, where we live now has no decent nightlife, and I hate hangovers. Plus have a newborn so haven't had more than a couple of small drinks at any one time since last summer.

Or don't you want to have a lie-in with the papers? Nah. Before I was on maternity leave I got up at 6am for work so going to church at 11.30 WAS a lie-in. We also have afternoon and evening services if you can't make it in the morning.

Do you have roast dinner after? Nope. Can't ever be bothered to cook a roast. My in-laws go to church and ALWAYS have a roast afterwards, though.

Where do you live? East Anglia