...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.

[Temp023]

Goodness, you are a judgy bunch on this thread. Did you go the service OP, are you a Christian?
“ Judge not, lest ye be judged”.

[MsMarple]

My church used to serve tea and coffee in china cups after the service. Then, to stop people (and it was mostly older ladies) being stuck on washing up/cleaning duty for ages, they asked us to bring our own reusable cups if we had them. Now, I am guessing, more churches have bring-your-own for covid reasons. Makes sense to me!

[Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear]

Maybe they don't like the coffee served at the church so bring their own in a flask to keep hot and have it at the end of the service.

[FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack]

Did you actually see them drinking coffee in church?

Because otherwise aren't you just speculating on what they may or may not have done and thinking the worse of them for it?

My DM's church used to do tea and coffee after the service but so much is cut down now with Covid I could see them asking people to bring their own flasks so the cups didn't have to be washed up afterwards in the kitchen.

[MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously]

I don't think Jesus would mind. I'd think it unlikely that they were drinking throughout the service, which I could see might be considered a bit inappropriate.

[MissConductUS]

This would bother me too. The point is to focus on the service together.

[RaraRachael]

I've never understood the takeaway coffee thing. We never had it when I was young and I managed to live my life without it. A friend got burned when she tipped a takeaway coffee on her knees. She was 2 miles from home and was taking it home - why not just go home and make a coffee? I just don't get it.

[ZenNudist]

I think its good they got up and went to church, nice that they are hanging out after.

It makes sense to me as churches aren't doing tea and coffee after now that they would bring their own and manage Christian fellowship on the way home.

Assume that they aren't drinking in mass but then again I know some churches wouldn't mind. I'm Catholic so this would be a no no.

Mind you we had a big first holy communion mass where someone not a practising catholic had bought a snack box for their toddler which i thought (for a second) was a bit lacking in understanding and disrespectful.

[KatherineOfGaunt]

But you didn't actually see them drinking during the service!!!

Surely a coffee would go cold in that time. Much more likely they got a coffee after the service and are being environmentally friendly in using their own cups. And nothing wrong with them going to whichever service they want.

You are being massively judgy considering you don't actually know the circumstances and you've based your thread on assumptions.

[UmamiMammy]

I go to a modern laid back church.........dress very casual etc. Never noticed anyone bringing coffee to a service, it does seem odd!!!!
Some people seem permanently attached to their huge coffee mugs these days and can't go anywhere without one.

[HoldingTheDoor]

Surely the fact that they were drinking the coffee after church would suggest that they weren't drinking it during the service? Unless the flasks were the size of a bucket?

[Streamingbannersofdawn]

I helped run a service and I took my own coffee...church coffee is rubbish. Incidentally the Early Church meetings involved plenty of eating and drinking together and it was a huge part of Jesus' ministry.

It could have been Messy Church which often includes breakfast...we had sausage sandwiches at ours. Or is could have been coffee served after the service "bring your own cup". Also Cafe church is now a thing.

I have no time for daft religious rules that do nothing but put people off.

[KatherineOfGaunt]

@MissConductUS

This would bother me too. The point is to focus on the service together.

She didn't see them drinking during the service, she just assumed they did because she saw them with coffee afterwards.

[Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear]

At our church in the family services it is very informal. It is expected that young children will have drinks with them and often snacks. Children run around most of the service and noone would bat an eyelid at anyone sipping from a drink in the service whether child or adult. Not all church services are formal.

[Auntienumber8]

You have no idea if they were actually drinking in church. I went to an amazing church service in Chicago at the Anglican cathedral a couple of years ago, they served a full breakfast after plus in Majorca they had wine along with tea and coffee after the service.

If people want to carry a flask about what does it matter plus they may have planned on being out for a while after church.

[GeordieRacer]

We can't do tea coffee and biscuits after the service any more because Covid. It's a big part of the life of the church, the social part after the service. So people bring their own and drink and chat socially distanced in the church car park. I assume you saw people walking home after similar.

[NannyPlumsSnarkyWand]

@tornadosequins I was passing the church with my dog as they were leaving.

Some were already outside, some were just coming out.

I know some of them by sight - they know eachother.

I am familiar with the service they attended and the style of worship at that service.

Yes a couple of them were sipping the coffee on their way out.

No, it's true, I did not see them sipping coffee during the service since I was not at the service.

Forgot the need for correct detail in AIBU!

[shouldistop]

Lots of churches aren't formal though. Our church has tea / coffee and biscuits straight after the service so they could have been leaving from something like that.

[Star81]

To be honest the older people in our congregation still get their wrapped boiled sweets out for the sermon so don’t see why having a hot drink would be an issue - no rustling of papers !

Also, a lot of churches are having their ‘coffee after church’ in the gardens just now and having to use disposable cups so maybe they just take their own ?

I don’t see it as a big deal really

[TheKeatingFive]

Well i once saw a woman hand out home made cookies during communion, so nothing would surprise me now.

[Confuzzled12345]

@NannyPlumsSnarkyWand because of covid lots of churches are not providing cups for the coffee and biscuits after the service... Yes this is a thing... Most churches have a coffee morning after the service. So... Due to covid, people bring their own cups or flasks.

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

not ideal, but whatever gets you to church eh?

[HoldingTheDoor]

Cookies, sausage sandwiches and coffee? I'm Atheist but I might have to take up going to church again.

[thisplaceisweird]

Matthew 7:1-2 OP.
Perhaps focus on the lord instead of the congregation?

[moynomore]

If there is still coffee to be drunk while walking home, I very much doubt it was being drunk during the service. So, YABU.