Weird Christmas Eve church

[StevieNic]

Our family along with my friends agreed to go to the local church for the Christmas Eve service. I attend the church on Sundays since we moved here, it’s ordinary C of E. Based on previous church Christmas Eve services we expected carols, readings (Nativity) and setting up the crib, prayers.

But it was weird, no carols at all but somebody’s child got up to sing a solo
of ‘have yourself a merry little Christmas’. A church member gave a long reading about Judy Garland requesting a lyric change that didn’t seem connected to Christianity or Christmas really. To bring the figures to the crib they played pass the parcel among the pews turning music on and off which took a long time and allot of people didn’t seem to understand what was happening but spoke amongst themselves. Nobody read from the bible or load a prayer, there was no spiritual reflection.

Obviously but a big deal but I was baffled and we wished we’d gone somewhere else for a more spiritual service. Does anybody else’s church do quite different things for Christmas rather than a service?

not what we had at church today
That sounds weird and annoying. I would be cross.

We had a chocolate crib service. It was very loosely linked to hymns and a reading. The children loved it, some of the older congregation were eye rolling. I thought it was glorious.

@RoundandSad I was cross, as we could have gone to a proper service at another church and enjoyed it. I did tell the lady at the door I was surprised there were no carols and she said they sang carols the week before. But it’s Christmas Eve today!!!

Weird. I’d feel the same.

We went to christingle this year, having not been for a while. Even ds1 thought it had deteriorated from all the years he'd gone. It was all a bit woke, with jokes, no clear instructions, poor tech, wierd nativity that looked like it hadn't been practised much. Shame.

Ours was a bit odd. Crib service. We have a new-ish vicar who has been banging the drum about how welcome the community is, but the service was led by the assistant vicar who is not a child/people person and was clearly uncomfortable with all the random children carrying things up the aisle. The order of service was a previous one re-used, with previous vicar’s details on it.

Our service was very traditional, lots of bells, lots of incense, lots of carols, but also a recap on exactly how to receive communion. I started to giggle when the priest said it must be at the altar and not to wonder off around the church. but then a couple of years ago some teen girls cracked out snacks mid service. My own teen DD nearly imploded and I had to remind her not to judge. So I guess they have a lot of non regulars at Christmas (myself included these days).

That's really funny and has reminded me of attending a service at a cathedral when 3 ladies (who had obviously been on a shopping trip) came in, opened packets of sandwiches and started eating. The shock on their faces when we all stood up to sing a hymn was hysterical ~ they finished their sandwiches very quickly and left!

We attended a service in Wells a few years ago that was as weird, put me off ever making the effort again. The new church leader was brand new, I've often wondered how long they lasted and how much the congregation fell the following year...

Love the concept of a vicar not being a people person. Talk about unsuited.

Some churches forget they are supposed to be a place of Christian worship, and not a social feel good club that’s loosely Jesus-themed. There are plenty of ways to make Christianity accessible but stories like this make me despair a bit :(.

In any case, Merry Christmas!