Cool Choirs, Clappy Choruses, Cringy Coffee: Religion Chat Thread No 5

[madhairday]

I thought seeing as our other thread has gone somewhere into the oblivion that is old MN pages, I would start us up again anew for a new term. This is a place for those who are Christians (and anyone who's not, we're not an exclusive little club) to chat about life, theology, church, any other stuff and of course Graham Kendrick, as nickel would not forgive me if I forgot to mention him

So all welcome, old and new, it would be fun to chat and chew over anything that comes to mind. Lurkers say hello!

Anyone got a nice juicy topic to get the ball rolling then? Or if not come say hi anyway and tell us how you are doing. :)

Mary, that's lovely.

Nickel -- wouldn't it be good if we were all a bit nearer to each other?

Last night DH and I went to High Mass at a waaay up the candle church in Cambridge last night. Incense poured out like water -- thuribles a go go (made me all asthmatically wheezy), chanting rather than reading of the Gospel, priests standing facing east ( away from the congregation), the whole malarkey.

But I was overcome with the solemnity of it, and had to work quite hard not to cry after I was ashed. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, and a really good choir singing Gounoud's De Profundis probably helped. But I think also I got a whiff of the mystery, the awe-fulness of God, of the way I fall short, and of his beauty and radiance my (HC) church is really good at praise and joy but it can't really do solemn. In its own way, it was euphoric. And bodily too -- I mean, I spent most of an hour and a half on my knees, and that felt right.

Not sure I would want to worship there all the time. But it was quite an experience, as DH said on the way out.

Blue how did it go with the DDO?

Wow sounds awesome niminy and love the words Mary

:) that sounds beautifil niminimy

we didn't go to an ash Wednesday service - we were going to go to st Mary's but dh was freezing (it was a bitterly cold day yesterday and it chilled him to the bone) so we didn't go

I agree. It would be good if we were closer together.

I loved those words to How Great Thou Art translated. I've always felt closer to God when I am outside surrounded by the beauty of nature. I also love the sound of being in a huge crowd Revelations style as well though. I'm presuming I wouldn't feel too claustrophobic!

That service sounds very different Niminy. I've never been to a service like that. Our church is very simple in style. I think it is good to try different things though.

I just think if'm feeling lonely - especially during the day when I'm in the shop and have no customers, so no one to talk to and nothing except me to entertain/cop e with dd.
and when she's grumpy or clingy, I can't move from myi chair and it becomes a cycle of the same thing over and over.

and because I find it so hard to make new friends, the thiught of having to try small talk distreses me.

yy cloutie - I feel part of creation when I'm in a field in the countryside

Small talk is difficult. I usually find it helps if I become a listener and ask about the other person. People are often happy to share stuff.

I have few friends too, and its hard in a social situation such as church, when people make plans and invite each other round in my hearing. Tried doing that myself, rarely seems to work :(

Hugs all round. I think you're all lovely. :) xxx

niminy that does sound rather wonderful. It's not my thing (and I certainly wouldn't cope with the incense) but I kwym re the solemnity not always being done so well, and sometimes needing to fall on our knees and be overcome - that has happened at New Wine though, just in a different way, but as solemn/awe-ful so to speak. Glad you got so much out of it :)

Blue, dd has reminded me I'm taking her to a quiz night at 6, so leaving at quarter to I guess, would that leave us with enough time? (so rubbish at remembering things!!) - we could still have a good coffee and chat time? What do you think. I'll check the times but think it is that. sorry to muck you around. Will text later.

mhd sounds OK, means we don't get home too late for tea! :)

Nickel, a long time ago I used to work in a music library in Bermondsey, which wasn't very busy (it was closed down because not enough people used it), and I remember days when I would be all alone in the library for hours and hours with nothing to look forward to but the next break time and then closing at 8pm. It was so lonely, and then when someone did come that was my social interaction for the day! So I can imagine how you feel in the shop.

Hugs to you, and to Mary. I'm glad you're here, and that I know you both

I've just found this thread here. Can I join you ladies?

Hello jaynebxl! Welcome!

Please do tell us a bit about yourself - nickelbabe has an official list of questions, but as far as I remember they are -

high church or happy clappy?
Worship band or choir?
How do you feel about Graham Kendrick?

(Coo-ee Nickel, what are the other questions?)

And anything else you'd like to tell us!

oh, Mary, I agree about being a listener - but I don't have the skill (or courage) to ask the right questions! I'm more likely to put my foot in it by asking exactly the worst wrong question and then not be able to get it out of my head!
(you might have already worked that out...)

I spent a long time in my church being known but not knowing anyone. I just never spoke to people outside of the choir. in fact, if it hadn't been for the choir, i might never have stayed at the church. I used to move around churches once people had started to talk to me. I thought it was because i wanted the peace of the church, but i think it's more likely that it was because i didn't want to go from "quiet going to church" to "being part of the church community" and all that the journey might entail.
I spoke to more people in the few months after I got engaged to DH than I had in all the previous 7 years in the church. (because of my association with him) :(

jaynebxl
of course you can join in!
welcome to the thread.

I hope you don't mind that we're a bit deep in discussion at the moment - tis the nature of the thread, but we'll be lighthearted again soon :)

do tell us about yourself :)

the full list is:

happy clappy or traditional?
choir or singing group?
organ or keyboards/bands?
hymn books or screens?
and the important one: do you like Graham Kendrick?

(copy+pasted)

anyway, I've written my 4 or 5 sentences on "who are you, why did you join the pcc and what are you excited about for the future?"
It's 2 pages long

I want to have it looked over and edited, but I also want to send the whole thing in as a true thought.

Thanks ladies! Ok here goes:
Happy clappy generally but I like a bit of traditional from time to time
Hmmm singing group really with a bit of choir
Band definitely
Screen for me
Love GK ... Mostly for nostalgic reasons harping back to my student days!

How's that?!

I want to find your answers to those questions now!

And I've just read back a bit on here and discovered that as well as being Christians at least two of you are chicken keepers like me!
Anyway thanks for the welcome. Sorry to interrupt your discussion but I'm glad to be here.

Ooh, chickens, you say - excellent!

Six girls!

ooh, i forgot to put my chickens on my thing!

thanks jayne

six! we've got 3

niminy haven't seen DDO yet! Coming Wednesday! Scary!

Nickel, perhaps you should put it to one side for a day or two, then have a look at it again and think whether you want to edit it. If you don't, at that point, then send it all in. Sometimes though writing it all out can be a good way of finding out what you think, but sometimes it's not good to let people know everything that you think.