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. :)

We do a beetle drive and quiz every year (tbh its getting a bit monotonous)

There's one at the WI in a fortnight.

ah, Mary, you cynic!
The kids love it though

(quizzes I don't like so much because I know there's no chance of me ever winning)

I like the quiz part of it. And DD likes the beetle part of it (usually because she wins).

Have booked to go on a retreat day, about St Teresa of Avila, am looking forward to it :)

What is a beetle drive?

For you gingercurl en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetle_%28game%29

Mary that retreat day sounds great

As monotony-inducing ways of raising church funds go I see your beetle drive and raise you a table-top sale

We've got a table top sale this Saturday (you're welcome to come). I trump your table top sale with a Beer Festival :o

Niminy Quiet day is at Bishop Woodford House on 15th with +David, if you are free...

Our church has got an Art and Craft fair this Saturday. (ooh, tomorrow)

Normally, I would be very excited about it, but they've decided to do it at St Mary's this year, which is great, because they've got changeable space, but!
having it at St Michael's meant there was a chance that visitors to the Fair might then come into the town and look in the shops here. (including my shop, of course)
St Mary's is in a residential area, which means that people will go and then go home.
Plus, it's rather hard to park there.

Thanks, Mary.

We (I use the term in the loosest sense, since there is no way that you'll ever catch me participating) seem to have a bit of an abseiling obsession. People forever seem to be dangling themselves off the tower.

Dangling in mid-air while participating in a beetle drive... Now that'd be a fund-raiser!

Just got confirmation of my place on my 'quiet day' in December. I'm between excited and nervous. I don't think I am a very 'quiet' person (internally or externally).

I've got fond memories of beetle drives. Haven't done one for years but when I was a teenager the Womens Guild at the church used to invite the youth group to their meetings a couple of times a year and always had a beetle drive because it was one of the few things that absolutely everyone would join in.

DD was a bit of a monkey in church on Sunday. We were sitting near the front and she decided she wanted a feed. I'm still breastfeeding her and she seemed to think it was self service and was trying to latch on through my clothes during the praise items. When I did sit down to feed her she then decided to use her free hand to pull my v neck top as far away from my boobs as she could so everyone could see my bra. So far I've been feeding her to keep her quiet in church but I think I'm going to have to find another distraction!

I like the sound of a quiet day. Sometimes a quiet hour would be good, never mind a day.

We never got as far as abseiling, but when our roof needed to be repaired, there seemed to be a lot of tea parties and services on the tower roof. (oka,y there was one of each)

cloutie - that's brilliant! DD tends to stand on my lap and then try to latch onto any bare skin she can find - usually my chin (that she bites down on!)
How old is she? Everyone in my church seems to love the fact that she's mobile and loud (especially during any bits where we aren't singing)
sometimes she'll be happy with her cup of water or a cream cracker, but most of the time, she'll want to feed before communion. Which is annoying to say the least - it is very difficult to be cool, composed and sing nicely when you're standing with a 10month old baby shoved up your surplice. (mainly because of the weight, not because it looks like a bodged boob-job!)
If she hasn't started hankering for milk before communion, I can normally pass her over to one of the ladies, and that distracts her so I can sing, but then as soon as she comes back to me, she's straight for the boob.

Hello

Back from land of bleurghyness. :)

DD is seven months now and likes to snack when she feeds so she'll latch on, have a little drink and then push herself off for a little look around (while exposing me) before going back for another drink. Soooo embarrassing.

yeah, they do that.
DD has done that to me twice this morning in the shop.
I've given up thinking of my boobs as parts of my body now.

hey mhd - are you poorly?

Hi nickel, yes I have had a pretty lousy week, but am coming out of it now, I think . :)

i hope so too. :)

I think I am giving up the hunt for a church.

I just can't seem to find one that I can get to and that "fits" well.

Welcome, plaingirly! That's really sad. I only started going to church again (after a very long gap) a couple of years ago, but I really miss it if I can't go for some reason... it sort of 'sets me right' for the week, iykwim. Don't know what to suggest, though, as it sounds as if you've done some extensive searching. Come and talk to us on here... It's not quite the same, but we're a little community of sorts. :)

Hello plaingirly, and second what tuo says - come and join in here. :) What sort of church are you looking for, or are you not sure? I'm guessing you've done an online search etc. It's hard when there doesn't seem to be an exact fit, but I have found that it is often a case of making the best of it and going in with the attitude of giving what I can to make the church a better place

I am kind of old fashioned so I would prefer that sort of church - not sure if they exist though! I did some online quiz that said I was a Baptist.

There are a few churches in town here and I have tried a couple. One was really unfriendly and another was so modern and basically was a pop concert with a tiny bit of God tacked on.

I have tried 2 Methodist churches but there is also a C of E church, another Methodist, a Catholic and some new age type place.

Maybe I am just too picky!!

Hello plaingirly
I sympathise, I've had a couple of times in my life when I've moved and it's been tumbleweed for churches that I'd feel at home in. Over the years I've been to all sorts of church. Yet there were a couple that were full of students and seemed really alive, that I just couldn't click with. My current one I went once to midnight mass on Christmas Eve and knew I'd be going back. That was 14 years ago! Keep looking, it might just find you first though!

Hope you find a better fit soon, plaingirly. Horrible when you go somewhere and it's unfriendly. Sounds like you might like a good old CofE service, maybe try your local one, although they vary from very traditional and high to low and more like the second one you mention