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.

YC - we had that last week (the pulpit-swapping), with a methodist minister coming to preach at the cathedral in honour of Christian Unity Week. (YC are you actually in Yorkshire [no need to reply if you don't want to - I'm not a scary stalker]. Just that I found out today that West and South Yorkshire have the lowest rates of church attendance in the country.)

Was listening carefully to the music today in the interests of spying information-gathering for MHD. As well as traditional hymns and bits sung by the choir (sometimes with responses) like the Gloria, Gospel Acclamation, Agnus Dei, Sanctus, Benedictus (err... have I missed one?), there were more modern songs (with piano) during the communion (the first sung just by the choir, the second a more modern song from the hymn book - though no-one really joined in because they were all getting back to their seats and so on). Don't know what, if anything, that proves. I guess that, despite the 'token' modern songs during communion, the overall 'feel' of the service would have been very traditional still to someone coming to it anew.

I also looked carefully at the service sheet. The instructions (sit, stand, kneel, turn to follow procession, etc.) were quite clear, though sometimes potentially baffling to a newbie. There was something about 'Following a doxology the congregation will pronounce Amen boldly'. I read this, thinking of you, MHD, and was then listening for the 'Amen' to see if it was in any way bolder than normal. And then I got the giggles and had to bury my face in the service sheet till I got a grip. Anyway, I can't say that people really took on board the instructions about boldness, so perhaps simple 'sit' 'stand' 'kneel' would have been enough!

lmao at the bold amen, TUO!

Thanks for listening out for me! Still collating all info and thinking it through.

TUO- I'm a (North) Yorkshire girl born and bred but I've been living in Nottingham for 12 years. Had to get a passport to leave the county and everything
I'm also in love with my shiny new slow cooker!

YC. I am an adoptive Yorkshirewoman (I know, I know... it doesn't work like that, but whatever - I live here - West Yorks - and love it and am married to a Yorkshireman.)

oh blimey - I lost this thrad

Had a good Prayer meeting on Friday night for the week of pryaer for Christian Unity - I used both my videos (first one is linked to further up the thread) \link{\2nd one is here} - I'm not as happy with it as the first - but it was received well so I shouldn't be so hard on myself.

not good for newcomers who don't know what a Doxology is, thouhg TUO. :(

I think i'd prefer it to say exactly when to say amen by it having printed
Priest: "In the name of the father, son and holy ghost"
People: "Amen"

I forced DH to give the tenors in our choir the unison version of the sung settings, and they actually thought it was a good idea
and we got the sidespeople to give one out to everyone in the congregation so that they could follow it a bit better - don't think any (or many at least) can read music, but if a newbie can, then it helps - and it makes them feel more involved too.
Convinced i heard more robust singing during the Gloria yesterday...

Baroque - we have now done Graham Kendrick 2 weeks running - it was Shine Jesus Shine this week, which I like if it's done properly, but not if it's done badly (had to get DH to explain to the choir how to sing it properly! )
it went well, but unfortunately, the congregation enjoyed it.

I love it Baroque! (your video)

it really does feel hopeful and uplifting.

sorry, i forgot to put - i love the Riding on the clouds bits where there really are clouds.
clever

Kenderick 2 weeks running - OMG - I don't think even I could manage that

We had shine Jesus shine last week - got to have the hand claps at the end of each verse to maek it done properly

Not to mention that you can't sing modern stuff like you'd sing Palestrina - it just doens't work

thanks (for comments about video) it was hard to do as there are no firm facts and figures about what is being/has been done for most of the issues I covered - so went for no captions and used the various (Christian in this instance as it was for a church thing) charities logos to show how many charities are doing work to combat some of the issues.

re the picutre - it's amazing what you can find on google

no, you don't do the clap at the end
[stern look at the church warden and deputy church warden who did that in the last chorus]

last week's Kendrick was The Servant King.
All after the lectionary.

not at the end at at the

"Shine on me, Shine on me" "dada da daa"

you have to do those bits!

ahh - did you do the descant for Servant King - is lovely. (ok maybe I could do 2 in 2 weeks......)

oh, i don't know where it goes! it's naughty to do it.
and they did it on purpose

descant for servant king? didn't know about that.
that might make it more tolerable....

no it's not naughty - it's the only way to do it properly - otherwise you just sound like you're tyring to pretend to be modern

yes - there is quite a lovely descant for servant kind - about to pick DS2 up from (school) choir - will have a looksy see if I can find it

I love Servant King - had it at DS3's Christening >

it's naughty - don't you start!

no further comment

I quite like it too..

right am back - it's a very simple descant - but it does add a little extra to it.

i'm not buying a Graham Kendrick collection book just to get it, though (i want a emoticon that looks less annoyed and more tentative)

no no - I'm sure it's in one of the other books.

I'm trying to remember which book I found it in (some of the girls at our church new it by heart so they used to not need the music )

hehe at you lot.

We did The Servant King this week. It was ok on the organ, that one. However I really don't think Shine Jesus Shine works on the organ at all

nah - Shine Jesus Shine (actually most of his earlier stuff) works fine on the organ.

Again - you need someone that can actually play the the thing and knows what it should sound like (so my very lovely, but rather traditional, assistant organist who is never available to help as he's booked up 6 months in advance for organistless churches makes a right hash of them)

LOL at you two! (I am afraid I don't like clapping of any sort, for from there it is but a short step to arm-waving. [ultra-conservative ])

Nickel... totally agree re. 'doxology'. Half the people were probably too busy wondering what that was to say 'amen' at all, boldly or otherwise.

it does work on the organ

works quite well with the dah-dah-dah-dah chords too.

ach - half of these "traditional" ways of worship come from the restrained middle ages anyhow - back in Jesus day (and before) they used to use trumpets, and lyres, and dancing and cymbals, and to worship they used to throw themselves prostrate on the floor

oh yes - I always do the "dah dah dah dah" chords..........it encourages the congregation to do the clapping of the same nature at the end of each verse

TUO - good girl - i like you

this is why you should hold a hymn book firmly using both hands - then there's no temptation to wave/clap/evangelize.