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Original poster

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

999 replies

madhairday · 09/09/2012 16:16

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) Grin 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 Grin

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. :)

OP posts:
Original poster
madhairday · 20/09/2012 16:08

Wow at that thurible!! Don't think I'd do very well being there!

lol at the venerable natwest accounts Grin

INteresting ginger about the lack of cross over between Scandinavian and English church music. I didn't know How Great Thou Art was of Scandinavian origin, it's one of my favourite hymns :) Thinking about the words, they are obviously written out of stunning scenery and weather, not typical English drizzle and grey!

I bet there's some great songs we're missing out on though...you ought to teach us some :)

OP posts:
thanksamillion · 20/09/2012 21:04

Hello all and special hello thread newbies
Just popping in to say hello. We're still on the road round the UK but nearly finished. Went to a fantastic church on Sunday with a fab mix of organ and worship band. The DCs are getting a bit fed up of going to a different sunday school (or whatever you want to call it) practically every week but we're coping Grin.

Tuo · 20/09/2012 23:21

Whoah! That is quite a thurible! Can't wait to show that to dd2 tomorrow! Blimey!

Hello Millie! Nice to see you...

niminypiminy · 21/09/2012 12:00

Now that's what I call incense...

Has anybody else here ever been on a Cursillo weekend? I went on one in February, and am going to help out at one this autumn. We have our first training day tomorrow - very exciting. I'm really looking forward to being with other people as they go through it. It's quite an intense, but also a very joyful experience.

DutchOma · 21/09/2012 12:57

Is that in the UK Niminy? Never heard of it, seems very intense.

MaryBS · 21/09/2012 14:22

I've not been on one Niminy, although I've heard of it. One of the Readers I trained with was and I presume still is, heavily involved with it in our diocese :), you probably know her...

SmileItsSunny · 21/09/2012 14:31

Hello. Could I join you, just to pop in and out?
I've had similar issues to ballroompink but finding a church with a great creche has saved me!

nickeldaisical · 21/09/2012 15:41

:)

of course you can :)

do you want to answer the newbie questions?

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?

Grin
BitchyHen · 21/09/2012 18:10

Hi

popping in again to answer the newbie questions

happy clappy or traditional? My church is quite happy clappy but I do enjoy a traditional service too - as long as the sermon is good.

choir or singing group? Choir -I used to sing in a choir before I had children.

organ or keyboards/bands? Love any live music in church we don't have either at my church currently, we rely on CDs for music.Sad

hymn books or screens? screens much easier to follow the service.

and the important one: do you like Graham Kendrick? yes my favourite is The Servant King.

SmileItsSunny · 21/09/2012 21:27

Hi, thanks nickel

My church verges towards the happy clappy, I've had enough of traditional for now, though do like some of the 'proper' hymns!

Choir or singing group? Ummm not sure. Our church has a rota of the musical people who make up a band each service.

Organ or keyboards/bands? Love the sound of organ, but it doesn't suit all types of music. I think there's a place for both :-)

I'd be happy with either hymn books or screens - I think screens are a good use of modern technology, but a PITA when they don't work / aren't operated competently.

Graham Kendrick? I'm afraid I'll have to google that, give me a mo...

SmileItsSunny · 21/09/2012 21:29

Oh wow he is very prolific isn't he?!

I can't say I recognise too many song titles. I was baptised in May, and have been attending current church for about a year.

nickeldaisical · 22/09/2012 11:08

Smile - i'm ShockShockShockShockShockShockShock that you haven't heard of GK! Shock
if you've been attending church for a year, you'll have done at least 80 of his Wink

even us traditionals seem to have to suffer him regularly. Grin

you might know:

oh, god, i can't cope with looking for any more Wink

lalabaloo · 22/09/2012 13:29

So now I'm starting to get the hang of this, nickel is not a GK fan! But some of us are :) Family have just sent us the video of DS baptism, it's nice to watch it again, they even captured the bit where our minister went to give him back and we said no you can keep him, oops! Blush

nickeldaisical · 22/09/2012 13:41

Grin how did you guess? Wink

i like some of his stuff, though. Thorns in the straw and the sad good friday one.

nickeldaisical · 22/09/2012 13:41

Grin about the baptism.
we wanted to film DD's, but the camera keeps having a funny turn.

lalabaloo · 22/09/2012 15:44

Aww, I meant to ask are you nickel from the home birth thread?

nickeldaisical · 22/09/2012 15:53

yes, I am Grin

Tuo · 22/09/2012 17:17

Phew! What a couple of days. Yesterday I broke my tooth and spent half the day phoning around trying to find a dentist to see me (don't ask why I don't have a dentist, I know it's bad, but I had a bad experience and adopted the head-in-sand approach, which obviously backfired badly when I needed a dentist urgently). Then my powerpoint for today's event froze on me and wouldn't save. Consequently, I spent half the night preparing for today, instead of being all organised and early to bed (which never happens, but I can dream). Then I got a text at 7.00 this morning from my colleague... his baby was ill and they were in A&E. I was doing one lecture and he was doing t'other one. And he had half our material for the day. Manic rushing about followed, and I managed to find some notes that would help me fill half an hour in case he didn't make it. Which he didn't. My stress levels were through the roof already before 8 a.m., which is never good!

BUT but but but but... the day went so well, the feedback was really good, and the place was so peaceful that in the end even my stress levels receded somewhat! I am exhausted now, but really happy.

Oh, and colleague's baby is home, so nothing too serious there either, thankfully.

Welcome Smile! Smile

DutchOma · 22/09/2012 20:29

Was listening to radio 3 this morning, some very involved music which turned out to be from the Eton Choir Book. Couldn't get a handle on it, couldn't hear the words, very polyphonic.
Thinking to myself: "I wish I had the music, I might not be able to sing it, but I might just follow it."
Lo and behold, not only is there a budget price CD, but the music is also available and I have cheerfully squandered my birthday money on both of them.

Tuo · 22/09/2012 20:55

Ooh, lovely!

niminypiminy · 22/09/2012 21:00

DO that sounds lovely! Thinking about the choir workshop day that you had to miss - I'm in a choir that has a mailing list with choral workshops and come and sings and stuff like that - some might not be too far from you (if I am right that you are in Northamptonshire?) would you like me to pm you anything I hear about? Singing is so wonderful a release I find and all one's troubles go away and you're just in the music.

Just back from the Cursillo training day and wondering why I felt like it was a good idea to say yes to helping on a four day retreat in the middle of a busy term ... (btw, mary I think I know who you mean, if so she's leading it this time).

Tuo well done for managing the day (and getting something done about your tooth!), it sounds like it was really hard work but so worth it.

DutchOma · 22/09/2012 21:06

Yes, thanks, Niminy, although I am of course very tied with Bob being so poorly. But it would be good not to be tied down to our own choir all the time and do a bit of stretching.

Original poster
madhairday · 24/09/2012 14:38

Afternoon all.

Having just had a rant on the prayer thread about misinterpretations of Paul's writings about women and how he is accused of misogyny, I wondered if anyone wanted to continue the conversation here. It frustrates me how his writings are twisted to oppress women, and I wish people would look closely at the passages and translations, and see that Paul didn't think that way at all....any thoughts/experiences? Anyone had these passages used against them? A friend attended a somewhat conservative church where women weren't even allowed to speak in home groups. Not even allowed to pray. I can't get my head around this....she has left it now and did struggle with it.

OP posts:
gingercurl · 24/09/2012 15:28

Yes, I have! don't get me started!! Angry I used to attend the Cof E closest to our house but stopped going because everyone in leadership, including the women, were misogynist. Examples: The men in the congregation were invited to attend a course that would prepare themto be able to do the sermon in the service. When I asked why this invitation was not extended to women as well I was told that "women don't preach. There is a prayer group for them." Women can only preach to other women or they can teach the children or in a groups such as a house group, never in church. I was told that women who are clergy were mistaken in their calling and God will only send a woman if there is no man around who is willing to go! Talking with the unmarried, female youth worker one day, I was told that my husband was the head of the family and therefore I should obey him, even in situations that I knew for a fact that I was right and he was wrong. If I couldn't convince him otherwise, I should submit to him because as my husband he is "my loving leader". That is not to say that my husband isn't loving or sensible or quite knowledgeable, but I wouldn't just go along with something I thought was wrong just because he said so! On the church website there was a link to a society (the Church Society? not sure) that holds this archaic view and referenced Paul left right and centre in support of it. In the end, I got so angry with them, I stopped going and stayed away from church for five years. Since then, I also get very wary when I hear people say of their vicar/pastor/priest that "they are very good because they preach the Bible." Whatelse would they preach? The Complete works of Shakespeare? The London A to Z? Preaching the bible seems to be code for misogynist reactionary twerpery.
In another context, when I was seriously considering training for the ministry, I was told by someone that women could not hold leadership positions in the church because the Bible (read Paul) is against it and churches led by women are spiritually weak or even unhealthy. Shock Angry

cloutiedumpling · 24/09/2012 15:29

I'd struggle with that too. In fact, I wouldn't have gone back. I struggle with a lot of Paul's writings because I find it difficult to know what has to be read in the light of the prevailing culture at the time and isn't really so relevant now, and what is just as important now as it was then. Anyone got any reading to suggest on this?

Never really had any of Paul's comments used against me. Only my Gran telling me as a kid that my long hair was my crowning glory and that I should never get it cut. She had long hair that she wore in a bun all her life. I think she just liked long hair. I got my hair cut short many years ago.

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