Graham, Gloria and Gossip! Religion Chat thread (part 4)

[nickelbabe]

I know we've not officially finished the last one, but I wanted to get the link in before we ran out of room!

Everyone welcome - the aim of this thread is to generally chat about church life, or just gossip in general!
You don't have to be a regular church-goer, nor do you have to know what we're going on about!
It's not about debate, it's just about chatting
:)

Yay Panda. We can all be crap peddlars together

Glad you had a good morning :)

Oh, MHD, I'm so sorry that you were upset by that comment, which was totally unnecessary. I suspect that SGB has no idea how unwell you often are, and therefore didn't realise how seriously the 'drugged up' comment needed to be taken. But it was still totally unnecessary. It would have been perfectly possible to disagree without being so... so... not sure what the right word is... so belittling.

FWIW, I think you are amazing (), and great to get involved. I get all light-under-a-bushel and think 'Oh... shut up' in a very articulate way when I read that stuff; and then I just navigate away.

(On a positive note, SGB's comment is the sort of thing that my dh would have come out with, once upon a time; but he seems to have backed off from being quite so extreme/judgy/disparaging these days. I don't think he'll ever change his views, but at least he seems to have become a bit more tolerant.)

Need to share that we had a bit of Graham this morning, and I nearly got the giggles thinking of this thread. Can't even remember what it was (my mind has blocked it out!), but it was pretty excruciating - it didn't even scan properly and people were trying to work out where the random extra syllables should go. Not even a cathedral choir could make it sound good. (Mind you, I think it was a bad choice for this particular context and that cathedral choirs should stick to what they are good at!)

Thanks TUO, that's really nice of you :) Someone has reported it now because mumsnet has removed it, so maybe I wasn't being too oversensitive. I think sgb knows about my health probs tbh as I've been in numerous altercations with her now and have talked about God and suffering and such using personal experience. But hey.

Lol at the choir not being able to get round Graham's little twiddles and random syllables

Glad your dh is being less vitriolic. Praying that he will one day change his mind. Stranger things have happened to plenty of ex-athiests I know :)

Sorry - just made myself giggle with images brought forth by 'Graham's little twiddles'

... or, as I like to call it, Graham's inability to construct a line of verse! (Actually, I am being unfair and letting Nickel's prejudices colour my view. Don't know that much of Graham's output, but I do have to say that this morning's was a shocker!)

If SGB knew about your illness, then she was really out of line, MHD. I didn't realise that she'd be aware of it necessarily. on your behalf, and glad that MN has removed the post.

I pray for dh sometimes too (That sounds bad, doesn't it? I mean, he's in my prayers all the time obviously, but I feel odd praying for something which he himself would be so much against... I feel that he should want it first. Does that make sense?), but I am not hopeful. He's very convinced, and very stubborn. But, as I found out, God sometimes reaches out and grabs us when we least expect it, so who knows? I do believe that everything is possible...

Take care of yourself and I hope you feel better soon.

Oh and forgot the 'Ooh errr missus' and the at 'Graham's little twiddles'.

Hi Lostinafrica! Your life sounds really interesting. I bet 4 DCs keep you busy though.

MHD - I haven't read the thread where you've had your most recent run in with SGB but I have seen others. Please don't stop posting. You put things in such an articulate way and I'm sure more people read your posts than you would ever imagine. Praying you start to feel better soon.

I never know who writes what songs, partly because I often forget to take my glasses to church and so can't read the small print about who has written the songs. I like a lot of the Stuart Townend songs though, I've got his compilation CD. I also like In Christ Alone, but can't remember who wrote it!

TUO - you are correct in following my "prejudices" (except mine are judgements on evidence )

We've not had any hymns recently that don't scan properly (it's always funny watching our choir get their heads round hymns they don't know, though )

Blimmin' stonking evensong last night - it all went very well (even after them not being able to work out how to divide 2 triplets in a row in the psalm!).
except I mucked up the Magnificat! I got a little bit carried away, and in the bit where it goes "he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts", I launched into it, suddenly realised on hitting the high d, that no one else was singing a high d, and that in fact I had launched into it with such vigour that I was half a bar ahead of everyone else.
luckily, I realised and pulled back, but went bright red.
After we'd done it, I pulled a face at DH (basically lumping my fist to my forehead in a "dickhead" manner, and wiping my face with my hand) - after the service, I told him I'd messed it up, and he went "oh, so it wasn't Daphne then?" In all seriousness, he thought it was her and not me! bless him!
no, it was definitely me, and I was mortified.
all he could say was "oh, I wonder if it comes out in the recording"

jaffa - In Christ Alone is also Stuart Townend.

mhd - i wouldn't worry about SGB - she's got a habit of telling any religious people that they believe in fairies.
It's very odd that she's got almost a vendetta against God (or religion). I don't understand it.
Shame, cos she is a nice person.

I make a point of praying for her every time I see her doing it. Makes ME feel better anyhow.

Went to the Cathedral yesterday afternoon for Harvest service as DD was singing in it. Don't know how the Reader (and lector) kept a straight face, when just after he said "issue of his flock", on cue a sheep at the back of church went "baaaaa" :o. The sheep then heckled all the way through the sermon :o

at sheep

we had a baptism yesterday morning - it was the priest's granddaughter. She was fine all the way through untilit came to the water bit, then she was wailing and crying! (shewas about 3 too, so not a baby wail)
It was almost like "why is granddad torturing me?"
aww, poor thing.

Loving the sheep Mary.

I do that too whenever I see her posts, I wonder what would happen if we all pray lots

nickel ah don't worry about the evensnog hiccup, just shows you're enthusiastic :)

Just want to say thankyou for all your support over the past few days - you've all been great.

hello all, started to post earlier but DD2 has a D&V bug and I was called away! I've been lurking around but not posting much as things have been a bit hectic.

MHD I wanted to say that I totally think that part of your calling is posting on these boards. I often think 'oh I hope MHD comes along and posts something good soon' I'm never quite as clear or eloquent as you seem to be and fwiw I think that most people really respect what you have to say.

Our exciting news is that we've got a new car! To be honest it's been a really affirming and yet humbling experience. For those of you who don't know, someone borrowed our car three weeks ago and wrote it off. We live 50km from the nearest small town and 90km from the city where we need to go to get most things. Our car was also used for many of the projects we run here and we were really devastated. Insurance here is only third party so we couldn't claim anything and we used most of our savings to buy the original car so definitely couldn't afford another one. Anyway, we emailed our friends and some of the people who support us here (we're not salaried by anyone) and they have been completely amazing, and in the three weeks since it happened have sent us enough money to replace the car with something which is actually better than we had before! Incredible!

Meant to say, Mary do you normally have sheep in church??

thanksamillion that's great! it's amazing to see God at work that way!

Feel a bit disheartened today... :( had a phone call from our vicar this morning about the service sheet I gave him last week. I've been preparing our family/all age service for next Sunday. He asked me who was leading the service, so I answered 'I am'. Our church warden/lay reader is away next weekend and he normally 'leads' the service, except for the Eucharistic bit, he normally does the sermon slot too and makes the booklet.
Our preparation group for these services has known for months he wasn't going to be there and that I was going to do the sermon slot.
Our vicar was very cross as he only knows from yesterday that lay reader isn't going to be there. (Well not my task to tell him, is it?)
So he got cross at me saying I'm not allowed to 'lead' the service as I'm not licensed, and he could get into trouble... To be honest, I was a bit dumb strucken at that point in the conversation, I didn't know what to say anymore. I phoned him back an hour later to tell him I wasn't planning on leading the service, but that I am in charge of delegating tasks, as in saying who is reading and doing the prayers and so on, and that I am doing the sermon slot.
The vicar still sounded very cross and told me I wasn't to talk about this to anyone and he would take it up with the lay reader.
I just feel so :( and feel like sending our lay reader a text/email about it, to warn him about what happened so he can expect our vicar to ring him, but on the other hand I don't want to 'betray' the trust of the vicar as he asked me not to say anything about it. I have told DH about it, as I just needed to vent somewhere, but told him not to tell anyone, which I know he won't.
I will be seeing our vicar tonight, as we have a meeting, but don't know how to react.
I feel like I have done nothing wrong and worked very hard on putting the service together.

Sorry for such a long post, need to get if of my chest.

ah, that's lovely.
shame you had to lose your car to get that loveliness though :(

No we don't, TAM, it was actually the cathedral - I know I said church. They've also had an animal service in the cathedral and there were lots of animals including dogs, cats, and even some alpacas!

And unfortunately your vicar is right, you're not supposed to take services unless you are licensed/authorised to do so (like a Reader), or unless a minister or church warden is present. Encountered something similar when I was in training! But you haven't done anything wrong and I'd tell/show the vicar just how much effort you've put into it!

your vicar was being unnecessarily harsh Blue

and in times like these, we can't be picky and choosy about who leads services! It's not like you were going to bless the bread and wine!

don't worry about it.
I would also tel lthe lay reader that the vicar is going to call. It's not the same as "not speaking to anyone about it"
hopefully, it will give the lay reader some time to compose such phrases as "well, do it your-bloody-self then" and "grow up a little bit" and "needs must- you're not going to be thrown off the cloth for this"

technically, Mary's rght, but i'm working on the assumption that there will be churchwardens in the building.

But the Reader is one of the church wardens, or is the only CW. And if you don't want to queer your patch with the vicar, I'd be tempted NOT to warn the Reader unless you could be sure of his/her discretion!

oh Mary can you explain that to me? so when the minister or church warden is present in church, technically anyone can 'lead' the service? of course not doing the eucharistic part of the service.
I don't know why he's being so cross about it, well I have an inkling, he's almost at retiring age and he thinks people are conspiring against him...
I know I haven't done anything wrong and I gave him to booklet to have a look at, so that's when he noticed that I'd put leader in several places (which to be honest I just copy pasted from a previous booklet) He could have just said can you change 'leader' into 'priest' as lay reader isn't going to be there.

Wow milly that's just brilliant about the car :) So pleased for you. And thankyou so much for your words :)

Ah Blue....that is harsh of your vicar. Sounds like you've worked so hard on this. I am not of the view that someone needs to be licensed but recognise it's something some clergy put more value on than others (I have led services but always with dh/churchwardens in the building) I hope that it will resolve without too much trouble. I know you've got a lot to think about atm and don't need extra stress. Will pray for a good resolution for you. BUt feel free to vent away all you like, tis what we are here for :)

Mary lol I thought when you said a sheep joined in that some joker at the back of your church was baa-ing like a sheep to be funny, I know people who would do this (I'm looking at you dh) so wasn't too surprised but hadn't pictured real sheep!! ha!

I hope so too! I just hate all the tensions between church warden and vicar and I'm quite often caught up in it, working for them. It is also quite difficult to try and separate personal and work life, as I am good friends with the church warden and his wife.
It is also not helping that we're going to move house in December, nicer, bigger house than we've got now (only 0.5 mile down the road, 5 houses further than said church warden ), and adding extra stress. Looking forward to it, but not to the moving bit. (mhd very welcome once we've settled in :) )
And I've still got my annual review to come, today it's been 365 days since I started working here :)

Great about the house news Blue, will definitely pop over when you're in :)

Good luck for the annual review!