...to think that bringing your morning coffee to church is a bit inappropriate?

[NannyPlumsSnarkyWand]

I'm pretty sure I'm just being a judgy old gimmer - thought a Sunday morning AIBU thrashing would be in order.

Just passed a group of school mums as they were coming back from church. They were all carrying portable coffee flasks and sipping from them.

I mean, yes I understand the need for coffee in the morning, but part of me thought - is there really such a pressing need to bring your coffee to a formal church service? Can you really not go a whole hour (less actually) without coffee? And then there's something just a bit odd about it. You're going to church, not the theatre, I don't know - my experience of church services is formal. It would have been seen as inappropriate to bring coffee - you have your tea and coffee after the service - but then as I say, maybe I'm just an old gimmer. Is this normal at church now?

So just to caveat this - no, it doesn't occupy a great deal of my thoughts; yes, I do have other more important things to worry about; yes I do have friends; no, I'm not judging their worth as people based on whether they drink coffee during the service or not, I just had a passing thought and wondered what others thought.

Err, the Christian sacrament is literally to eat and drink together. Ok it's been formalised to a sip of juice and cube of bread but I can't see any problem with eating or drinking being disrespectful as long as considerate of others. Pre Covid we had a monthly breakfast service with bacon eggs and everything.

Other than weddings, baptisms and funerals, I suspect that many of the people commenting on this thread haven’t been to a church service in years, if ever.

@NannyPlumsSnarkyWand YABU. Not really any of your business is it?

Sipping something warm whilst filling heart and soul with warmth and faith from God? It’s not inappropriate at all, actually what a brilliant idea. But the idea that members of the congregation would query this or judge you. Less appealing. Very disappointing and really not what Jesus would teach.

YABU at my church we nearly all bring in a coffee to drink during the sermon. Why not? In fact some of us who have to be there early for things do a joint coffee run just before the service starts to make sure we have one. It's nice. Just like being at home.

Really though, why not? Why would this even cross your mind?

@Etulosba

Other than weddings, baptisms and funerals, I suspect that many of the people commenting on this thread haven’t been to a church service in years, if ever.

I've been to Church of England, high Anglican, catholic, Methodist, baptist and non denominational all with the recent past. None where this would ever be a problem. So no.

@IJustLikeBiscuitsOK thanks! I will check that one out and order a stealth colour to avoid judgement 🤣

How is this even a problem?
If attending mass for communion then should be drinking beforehand but otherwise, does it reallly affect you that much??

I and many others wear jeans to go to a Catholic, which I assume is one of those formal legalistic churches you're talking about. Are we not supposed to?

@RichardMarxisinnocent

Clearly, if your Church is not a formal, legalistic Church, then I wasn't talking about your Church, was I?

I wasn't speaking about any general denomination, I was speaking about specific Churches I've been to here who care about arbitrary, non-Biblical rules rather than worshipping God and feeling the Holy Spirit move. Each to their own.

I applaud them for that, but doesn't it take ages to get served? The church I mentioned probably had a congregation of around 500-600, if not more. I'm only judging by how long it takes to make a coffee in Costa.

Our congregation is half of that, but yes it does take ages. They do have 3 barista machines though and I think they can maybe make two at once per machine? This is why, if I haven’t had a chance to have my morning beverage at home before leaving I will take my own in a Thermos cup as I don’t want to wait and risk missing out. Once the music starts up they just finish the people they are currently serving and then clean up/shut down and come join us. They leave the service early to go start the machines up again ready for when it ends. It’s hilarious, when it’s wrapping up the adults are all like horses in a race ready to bolt out so they are not stuck back in the long line. Funnily the elderly still go over to a table that has an urn, terrible instant coffee, tea bags and horrible packaged lamingtons or similar. No idea why they opt to suffer that.

@BethTTC

I and many others wear jeans to go to a Catholic, which I assume is one of those formal legalistic churches you're talking about. Are we not supposed to?

@RichardMarxisinnocent

Clearly, if your Church is not a formal, legalistic Church, then I wasn't talking about your Church, was I?

I wasn't speaking about any general denomination, I was speaking about specific Churches I've been to here who care about arbitrary, non-Biblical rules rather than worshipping God and feeling the Holy Spirit move. Each to their own.

As you didn't explain exactly what you meant by "formal legalistic Church" I was assuming that the use of upper case c (Church) rather than lower case (church) meant you were referring to whole denominations rather than individual church building/congregation, as I personally would use church not Church if meaning one building/congregation. I apologise for misunderstanding.

I don't go to church, but I do tend to think that with anything involving real people (so theatre as opposed to cinema etc) it's rude to eat and drink.
I went to a dance show with friends once and they slurped and munched away and it just felt disrespectful somehow when these people were singing/dancing/acting their hearts out on stage.
And in church I should imagine you can hear slurping more than at an all-singing all-dancing show

maybe its a covid take on a mums coffee morning and they were asked to bring their own coffee - they weren't drinking it during the service but after.

I often take a cuppa with me. Really doesn't seem to bother God...

Our local (modern, not in a church church, has an on site cafe with take away coffee

You’ve no idea of that individual persons needs - medically, emotionally etc.

Just stop judging! Get a grip

The church where I grew up now serves tea and coffee before the service and you are more than welcome to take a cup to your pew and drink it during the service. As an added bonus a couple of members of the church volunteers are really into coffee so it’s freshly ground and brewed, no instant rubbish!

I wonder if the church told people to bring their own cups for tea and coffee after the service. It would make sense currently.

You have no evidence that they were drinking throughout the service and my guess is that they weren’t.
Plus, as mums, maybe they weren’t in the service, maybe they were downstairs in the crèche.

If I had to go to church on a Sunday morning, I'd need something stronger than coffee to get me through it!

Some church services end with coffee. Perhaps during these covid times, they ask you to being in travel mugs for coffee to go.

I went to my first ever zoom service at Christmas. As I was at my dest I started to drink my coffee - force of habit, then realised so continued to drink with my camera off. I think more people will bring drinks to physical church. Things have changed.

I'd be inclined to think that if they were sipping on their coffee throughout an almost hour long service that there'd be nothing left to drink afterwards, so probably they just saved it for afterwards.

Our church has a real community feel. We encourage people to be comfortable and (pre Covid) provided tea and coffee not just for after the service, but before and during as well. One Sunday a month bacon rolls were provided as well! As our minister pointed out, the early church met over food and drinks (“breaking bread” is not merely an analogy). He likes to use the metaphor of a family gathering, rather than a stuffy formal service. At a time when church attendance is on the decline, our membership is on the rise! So in our church, the ladies you saw would be perfectly reasonable, although I recognise not all are the same.