Religion Chat thread number 1

[nickelbabyjesus]

I wanted to put some random thoughts and stuff regarding church, without it having to be a debate or a specific topic (and not prayers, either)

It's basically, a "what happened at church (or in my musical/spiritual life) this week" thread.
Please join me!

I'll start:

We had Midnight Mass (on Christmas Eve, would you believe!), and it was half past 11, everyone was sitting and ready for the service to start - I waved the organist to give me my notes: he was just about to plat them when:
" TAXI FOR suchandsuch " came blaring out of our speaker system.
There's a Wetherspoon's over the road and looks like the DJ's mike was on the same frequency as our radio mikes.
So, all the congregation started giggling and we had to wait 5 minutes until everyone was calm and collected enough to carry on.

Those are lovely nickel - but I think I'd be stepping on toes for the after Meditation before the Cross with the sort of style they are.

We're hoping to have some dance in there this year as well - no no no - not prancing round the church - something \link{\along these lines}

Interestingly during the Sunday School Nativity (one of the Out of the Arc ones) they did have 3 of the youngsters doing a very simple dance down the aisle and it was recieved exceedingly well. I think because the style was "traiditional" (ie ballet/not modern iykwim?) that helped.

you'll have to record the next one (maybe we all should as examples of good ideas - something to present to the PCC!)

have a look at One Way Experience

no clues as to how I know about it, but those pictures were all taken in my church!

The thing with the cross and using it as a visual and physical meditation is so powerful.

One year at my old church, we did a GF thing - they put the cross on the floor and you were invited to place stones and small branches on it.
I was really moved to throw stones at it, but I had to hold off because I might have damaged the floor
I dropped a couple of stones on it, and spent about 10 minutes with my friend's children putting stones all over it.

ooooooo - just been browsing there's LOADS of dance worship/dance ministry stuff on you tube now - going to have a good look when I pick DS3 up.

We have quite a lot of girls in our church, who, as it happens, all dance!! I know the Vicar is keen to get some of it going.........

Yes - I think we should record some of our stuff.

Ahh yes - One Way - our Vicar does something like that in our church every so often (not as a Sunday service as a separate thing).

LOL at 'hands down for coffee'.

At our church in the US they would call out people with birthdays and anniversaries at the end for special prayers. One week there were two girls who were about 16 and 17 who had birthdays. So this was announced and they looked a bit embarrassed, and there was some scattered clapping in the congregation, and then it sort of stopped because they looked even more embarrassed and then picked up again... it was all very tentative. And the priest said (to the congregation): 'Tsk! You're so ... Episcopalian...'.

oh, that one's clever, Baroque- starting out on her own, then everyone joining in.

Bit slow for my liking, but, lovely idea.

hehe that's funny Totally - we've got a retired vicar/deacon/curate (I'm not sure which ) attends our church and he's said that at some of his old churches they used to do the birthdays, adults and children, and anniversaries and is encouraging us to do the same.

I think it's a fabulous idea - we do it at leapfrog - though that's only monthly - everyone that's had a birthday that month (or will have one) has happy birthday sung to them too (with the addtional "May JEsus bless you" verse after the normal one). We do it for the parents, leaders and children and they really REALLY enjoy it.

Actually in December on of the mum's nearly made me cry - of course her little girl knew it was her mummy's birthday so when it was time for birthdays made the fact known. Afterwards the mother admitted that she (a bit like me) has no family nearby, and is single, and her ex hadn't even got a card from her DC for her. Basically she'd had a "none birthday" - so us singing happy birthday to her was the most amazing thing for her

TUO - we have problems with clappign things as well - diamond anniversaries are allowed a clap, but not birthdays. (our old vicar was very ahem and it got a lot of people's backs up)
our junior chorister was allowed a clap when he was admitted lastweek, so we're not too bad!

That's it, then (rambling on), we clap acheivement, not age.

achievement even

I have to say, as well, that doing birthdays can be a bit mean - if you know someone's birthday, and it's annonced, fine, but what happens when it's someone's birthday that noone knows about? It might feel like you're not remembering them, or blessing them.
I know i'd feel left out. :(

(but your example was nice :( )

sod - I meant :)

i'm just filling this thread up with crap typing....

yes - it's a bit slow for me as well but it was just about the only one I found a few years back when I first looked - and I still had it bookmarked , but there's some great ones on youtube for ideas .

I guess we'r lucky at our church that Most people aren't adverse to "different" things being included in a service. We don't do them all at once in the main services (10am communion for example) maybe just one once in a while, and most are reserved for the Family Parade Service . But some of the services we have - especially evening ones and "one offs" such as Easter etc most are quite receptive to us doing something "different" (I think some have started to realise that our "different" services actually draw new people into the church).

Can't wait for when we all get back from Spring Harvest - between us we're pretty instrumental (excuse the pun ) in how services are done right across the board and what's included/excluded (although for major stuff the PCC usually sways it's might hand.......) and I'm sure we're going to come back with loads of new ideas as well.

My BF (who is now heavily involved in the children's ministry) is SOOOOOOOOOO creative, and absolutely fabulous with puppets. So we often have a puppet show that are popular with everyone.

I think most people that want (or are happy) to announce that it's their birthday will pipe up if it's put to the congregation, if someone else hasn't already mentioned it.

OMG - does that happen for anyone else.

Go to youtube - search for Stuart Townend........when I do that the first video I put together end of last year is on the right in "featured videos"!!!

the first one that comes up for me is by missionworship

I would like puppets.

We're okay with anything during the sermon - it can get boring if it's just a a lecture.

but the rest of the service is not to be messed with

yes yes - missionworship at the top of the "featured videos" (on the right of the page) and then a bit further down there's me

oh you are!!!

underneath Psalm 62!

I know that's what I thought too.

It's a shame it's not one of my newer videos that's made it to "featured videos" - that was the first one I did and it's a bit rubbish

I have no idea how that happened, little ol' me on featured videos hehe

\linkP{http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2061&version=NIVUK\looks at the NIV and scurries off feeling a little odd}

ermm, yes, well - I didn't know that was Psalm 61......but those words are words that mean a lot to me....

you mucked up your link

we had psalm 60 for our wedding.
miserable psalm, but i liked the words.
found out a couple of weeks ago it should have been psalm 108 - same words in parts, but much more jolly . It's my own fault - we'd done psalm 60 at evensong, and i remember going "i'm sure the words should "upon Philistia will i triumph" but this one goes "Philitia be thou glad of me" maybe i've remembered it wrongly"

everyone in the congregation going "whyy?? why has she chosen such a miserable psalm??? weirdo!"

that's right, psalm 61 has lovely words.

(proper old psalter version)
Hear my crying o God: give ear upon my prayer.
From the ends of the earth will i call upon thee: when my heart is in heaviness.
O set me upon the rock that is higher than I: for thou hast been my hope, and a strong tower for me against the enemy.
I will dwell in thy tabernacle forever: and my trust shall be under the coverings of thy wings.
For thou O Lord hast heard my desires: andhast given me an heritage unto those that fear thy name.
Thou shalt grant the King a long life: that his years may endure throughout all generations.
He shall dwell before God forever: o perepare thy loving mercy and faithfulness that they may preserve him.
So will I alway sing praise unto thuy name: that I may daily perform my vows.

Love, love, love it.
:)

(not that I just typed all that out, nor do I have a psalter living beside me in my shop all the time, honest)