Canticles, charisma and chat (Religion thread number 2)

[BaroqueAroundTheClock]

the first one is nearly full.

Anyone welcome, it's basically a "what happened in church/spiritual life/anything else you want to chat about that's vaguely related (or not) to churchy stuff.

"I do think maybe I'm being a bit too 'fussy' (and perhaps have too many fixed ideas about what I do/don't like/want...). "
same could be said about me, but the way i look at it is, does God really want you to go to a place where you're constantly thinking "i don't like this"? or does he want you to enjoy worshipping him?
It's like when they change the set prayers - it drives me mad, because then i have to concentrate on learning the new words, and not on what I'm actually saying.
you'll work it out eventually - sometimes in my church, it feels like we're grasping tightly to something that's slipping away. but during the interegnum, when the church has been able to decide what we do, rather than the vicar, it's been so much nicer - just feels so much more like a family.

It is a difficult one TUO. We are all built differently and find different styles of worship seem to sit better with us than others. I am most at home in the more lively evo-charismatic style places, but have learned to appreciate the breadth of tradition and to worship wherever, I have had to do this due to dh and I being called to a traditional church for our curacy. It has helped me mature in my faith a bit I think, and appreciate how people get so much out of styles that I might not necessarily love. I am thus more open to trying new stuff now (or old!)

However I don't think God necessarily asks us to go somewhere uncomfortable just for the sake of it, we often feel at home with things for a reason and it may be best - especially if newly exploring or coming back to faith - to stick to what feels right for you. The cathedral style sounds like it is helping, but the social bit not working so well. I wonder if there are any house groups at all? I find that it's outside the sunday stuff where community often gets going. Or perhaps you could go to the cathedral services and look elsewhere for some community, or even see what can be started up at the cathedral - other people there may be looking for the same thing?

You sound like you're giving it a lot of thought and prayer and I'm sure you'll come to a solution that is right for you and dd2 :)

yes, i agree - it would be nice to start something new.
:)

The thing with Cathedrals, i think, is that they're so huge that it's hard to feel the sense of community.
but if you started a new group (maybe advertise it on the notice board, or hand out flyers to people you see around a lot), you would make new friends pretty easily.

Morning all (well afternoon now)

Had a nice lie in this morning, haven't done that for ages, then done some ironing, washing, sorting out kids rooms etc, they are a nightmare. Have to now prepare prayers for tomorrow but apart from that will have a lazy day reading. I like saturdays. DS has prepared a 'scavenger hunt' which apparently me and dh have to do together, we have 25 random objects each to find and the first to find them gets a prize. Bless. So that should take some time (and tidying)

DD is having a mammoth play with Barbies room tidy.

sounds lovely.
:)

I wish I could have a lie-in....

My best friend has just rung me, she was to be the CSI Leader in CSI Jerusalem. She's had to drop out, her DD's operation date has just come through - 19th April - I don't know if we even have enough actors now let alone anyone to do the big part

argh! :(

(although, not sure if we should allow you in, because you've abandoned us for so long... )

There's no one else who can step in?

yes yes I know I'm crap - but I'm here now and you're not going to throw me oiut

I don't knwo what to suggest.
If you've not got enough people :(

aaaagh Baroque

Could some take 2 parts each and do quick clothes changes?

WB by the way. You've been missed.

How you feeling nickel?

i'd offer to help, but i live very far away...

I've been feeling quite well, thanks mhd - a bit light headed right now, which is odd.
i'm sure it'll pass.

welllllllllll. we had the practice.

DS1 is now the scribe and the guard.
the girl that was going to be CSI1 is now the leader
her sister (the weakest of the ones we've got - quite quiet and shy, but willing to give it a go) is CS2 (which as it turns out on reading it through today with them all is actually quite a short part
my BF's older DD has stepped in to be CSI3
so now we're just left with CSI1.........there is one girl who will hopefully do it, and the (now) CSI leader suggested someone else we hadn't thought of if she can't.

So looks like we might still be ok - just!

I had a shock after the practice - got a text from exH - could he bring round some KFC and icecream for us for our dinner if I hadn't already sorted it.
Said yes - and so he did, including a tub of Carte D'or just for me , 2 bottles of milkshake for the DS's and 2 boxes of ice cream in cones for them. He knocked on the door only 10 minutes after the time I'd said we'd like it delivered (well to be fair I actually said "6 ish). DS1 got a hug, DS3 was just stunned, and DS2 just thought "CHICKEN"

He then went on to say this was the money that he would have spent if he'd had them this weekend, so thought the least he could do was spend it on them. He also said "sorry I've not had them, it's been a bit mad..........but I know that's not an excuse and I knew you wouldn't accept it that's why I never spoe to ou about it" (hahaha).

He's also said he'll have them ("probably") next weekend..........now if there is one thing he's never done it's say he'll have them on a specific date and not..........we've had the simply not bothering for ever thing, but he's never actually let them down - so I think he almost certainly will have them.

Baroque... glad that the rehearsal went OK and that your casting issues seem to be getting sorted out. All the best directors have to struggle with these things, you know. And very glad that ex-h is pulling his finger out. Fingers crossed that it continues...

Thanks to Nickel and MHD for your thoughts. I'm not sure I'm at the point of being ready to start something up myself yet (bit scary!?!?!?), but I will give it some thought. I have found out that there is a Sunday evening thing at the place where I work which sounds interesting (cafe church?). It's not at a great time for us (Sunday teatime for the girls, with all the getting ready for the next week at school that that entails) but I may give it a try sometime. DH is being a bit today, and complaining that we never get to go out for the day any more because of me going to church, so I'm not sure how well he'd take me going out in the evening too... but we shall see. (He took the opportunity to go out on his motorbike this morning, as we were all at church, though, and obviously enjoyed that, so maybe he'll see the positive side!)

Very happy today because dd1 finally agreed to come with us, and she was a big hit with the Junior Church (mainly because she is not - shall we say - backward at coming forward, so she made a big contribution to the discussion, it seems!!) and she seems to have enjoyed it a lot more than she thought she would. Anyway, have reported back on the 'prayer' thread, but she has agreed to read a prayer next week, too, so she is clearly prepared to come again. Not sure whether she is just seeing it as an unmissable opportunity for her to be given a microphone and the opportunity to 'perform' (this is likely, knowing her!) but, hey, who cares... she is coming and clearly enjoying herself.

That's great TUO :)

Baroque - wow re ex and the KFC!!

nickel, hope you're feeling a bit less faint today.

I am half asleep here, can't be doing with losing an hour esp wehn church is at 9.30 am so 8.30 this morning. aagh.

Our choir is 'off' at the moment, MHD, so they have combined the 9.15 and 11.00 services into one 10.00 service. We normally go at 9.15 (because that's when Junior Church is) so this morning felt a bit like a lie-in, despite the hour! (Having said that, I misjudged the difference the extra 3/4 hour would make to the parking situation in the city centre, so only got there by the skin of our teeth.

Sorry it's been days since I posted! Was a busy week as I ended up working more hours than normal. (I'm hoping to take them back at some point soon!)

TUO - hello!
Sounds like you've been doing lots of thinking and praying and I hope there's an answer just around the corner for you. It could be this Sunday evening group - worth a try!
Great that your DD1 joined you and DD2 today and enjoyed herself. How old are they?

Baroque - sounds like you've got a lot on your plate with CSI Jerusalem! Must have been very worrying when one of your leads had to drop out but great that it looks like it's potentially sorted now.

MHD - I also didn't cope well with losing an hour, especially as I was at the 9am (8am) service this morning instead of our usual 10.30am!

Hello nickel, millie, Mary and anyone else lurking!

Can I just ask a question about how you started praying with your DC? DS is 22mo and over the last couple of weeks at bedtime, I've just said (after his story and before I put him in his cot) "shall we talk to God now?" and then said a very simple prayer about things related to him. For example: "Dear God, thank you for all the fun I had today. Thank you for the chance to play outside. Thank you for my friends and please help Annabelle's mummy feel better. Help me to have a good night sleep and look after us all. Amen"
I try to get him to put his hands together but sometimes he does this and then plays peek-a-boo with his hands! I also try and encourage him to say the "amen" but he's only done this once so far. How do/did you all go about introducing a prayer routine?

Good evening ladies

Baroque - fantastic news re your ex Hope he keeps to his word re next weekend. Also hoping that CSI works out well.

TUO - it is hard finding a church isn't it. Hope you'll find one soon that meets the needs of both you and the DCs. We can have similar problems here too re a day out. DH plays football every Saturday and so we never have a day out as a family unless we plan weeks in advance or do it during the holidays.

We've had a lovely weekend but DS2 has been challenging. He's 3 but has started biting me when he doesn't get his own way. He's also started having tantrums which he never really had before. All very challenging and over really stupid things too. Grrr.

Hello all, a busy weekend here too. I went on Saturday with the kids from one of the projects we set up (it's a club providing additional support for children who've fallen behind at school) to the capital city. We took them to the zoo and then for pizza. Most of them had never been to the city before and certainly not to the zoo or a restaurant. I was very worried we were going to lose some of them but we didn't and they all behaved very well and no-one vomitted in my car.

Yesterday inbetween church (we have a service at 10am and 4pm!) we went to a 10yo boys birthday party. For me it was incredibly sad - his parents are both away working in Italy so they were listening to the party on the phone. It's so common here for one or both parents to be away that no-one even thinks it's odd but I just find it really hard and I think that you can see the damage that it's doing to kids.

Re praying with the DCs, we have one of those clear wallets with space for 20ish photos in it and it's got pictures of family and friends. We have prayer time before bed and the DCs take it in turn to choose someone to pray for. Then we all take it in turns to say a prayer. The DCs usually say Thank you Jesus for... etc. Sometimes they say really profound stuff, often we pray for the cars, jigsaws, playarea

BTW Lyra's not been around for a while - anyone know where she is?

B - glad your cast is getting sorted.

TUO ignore your DH complaining about church- my ex used to complain every week when I got up for church and it drove me mad! (thankfully DH has to get up even earlier than me, and has no choice about going! )
I like the idea of Cafe Church. (sounds a bit like what they do at St Mary's - their sunday service is at 5, so twice a month they have tea beforehand)
and at your DD1

ses I think praying with DCs is going to be difficult for us, as, although we've both always gone to church, neither of us has prayed at home (nor been taught how, nor encouraged to do so). tricky plan, so no idea what to suggest. I like your idea of just saying something quick about the day before they go to sleep. And i know our old assoc minister reads bible stories with her DDs every day.

don't know where Lyra is - she's not been around much the past week.
she has posted, but mainly on the word assoc threads - maybe she's getting on with RL? (heaven forbid! )

I didn't like getting up an hour earlier yesterday - but we did go to bed earlier to make up for it!
We had David Webb as our priest, and there was a baptism. David sooo funny (probably mainly because he's old) - he read the gospel out (said it was a long one so people who wanted to sit could - most people sat, but a couple of stalwart/traditionals stood, as did our newly confirmed chorister, and one of our other stand-in priests (very old man, I thought if he can stand, then i can!) He ad libbed a bit of it! (you know, filling in a bit of background as he was reading the story - it was the Woman at the Well, so he said stuff like "yes, i shouldn't be talking to most of you, because priests aren't allowed to talk to women!"
The baptism was lovely, and it was great to see so many people in the church. Shame my junior chorister wasn't there - there were quite a few children there, so he might have had fun.
I did feel a bit funny during the eucharistic prayers, so had to sit down for that. Felt like a proper wimp, because none of the choir knows i'm pg yet, so they must have wondered why the hell i was sitting (mainly because i'm such a picky stander)

nickel we had that reading too, went on forever, your preacher sounded fab :)

Re prayers with dc. We sort of incorporated it from v early on, I was one for reading to them as newborns so just used to say a little prayer, later as toddlers we had prayer books (Lion do a nice toddler one) and they would choose a prayer from it and we would also pray for family members (v simple, Lord please bless n etc) We would always do a fun 'amen' they did at kids church, sort of prolonged aaaaaaaaa....men! rolling hands in the aaaaa bit and flinging them out on the men bit (prob makes no sense reading it!!) They always liked doing that (and still do)

Now they're older we tend to ask what is on their mind, any worries, so incorporate talking over stuff into prayers, always saying God is here as we talk and it's like a prayer - nickel you could do it that way as it feels natural without 'saying a prayer' so to speak. They now do bible reading notes (Topz by CWR) so have a subject to think and pray about there too. I guess I'd say it's never been a forced thing, just something we do, so as your dc is so tiny still it will be easy to incorporate it in with story time. I love the idea of a photo album to pray through. :)

Just been to a city leaders together meeting - was great. I needed it - have felt v dry lately and not connecting with God - found this morning that I could again and it was hugely lovely :)

I was hoping that because we spend so much time in church anyway, that it would sink in and become natural (maybe!)

DH and I seem to use song as prayer - ie we're more comfortable singing than praying, so if we sing hymns or parts of anthems or psalms, then we're praying, but it doesn't feel ^awkward* iyswim.

That's a lovely way to pray nickel. I do that too :)

:)

should work well with children, too, because they pick up songs so easily.

Love the idea of singing something simple as a prayer. Both DS and I live music and he's making attempts at singing (although he doesn't have a lit of words yet). Any songs that anyone would particularly recommend for a nearly 2yo?

Also like photo album idea. I think I'll start to do that as all of DH's family are in Ireland so may help DS remember them a bit more as well as being a prayer aid.

Thank you ladies!!

That should be love music :)