so it's 1:00am - anyone around? In about 8 hours, I'll be en route to my first Church meeting for nearly 9 years...

[Alambil]

and I'm nervous, which is ridiculous!!

I'm here! I'm planning on church in the morning. (Stupid as I've drunk far too much tonight!) Hoping you will be welcomed with open arms.

I'm meeting a very good friend there so won't be totally alone, thank goodness! but still...

It's ridiculous - I believe the same things as them, I like their style... yet still it seems a "big" step to "return to the fold" so to speak

I hope it goes well.

I went to the cathedral yesterday for a few hours and had a wonderfully moving experience. I dearly would like to start going to church. I haven't been since Sunday school when I was 8 (am now 35) so have no idea what to do. But I really hanker after going to a high church ceremony to pray and sing. But I am far too nervous.

I hope you have a lovely day tomorrow Lewis.

Think of yourself as the prodigal son who was welcomed with open arms and given the best.

You probably never left, in your soul Lewis. Enjoy, and say a wee prayer for all of us. I won't be going tomorrow, but sometimes I do, and we shouldn't feel bad about that.

:)

HOpe it went well, Lewis.

(I went to the 8am service and wasn't my best after not much sleep. NIce croissants though )

How did it go Lewis ? After an erratic start, I now go to church most weeks , not because I feel I ought to, but because I want to. I feel a strange sense of emptiness when I don t go.
springtuffy, I know how you feel - we had a cake sale after the service this morning so I ate cakes for most of today...

LeGavrOrf - don t be nervous, if you feel you want to go, it's a shame not to - most churches will welcome you.

LewisFan how did it go?

LeGavrorf, which cathedral? My nephew is a chorister at Westminster.

I hope you enjoyed it.

It was Gloucester cathedral. It's so beautiful there.

I think I will go next Sunday. I will just sit at the back and look inconspicuous!

Hope it went well Lewis.

Hope it went well, Lewis.

LeGav... I think we've 'spoken' on here before about my positive experience of my local cathedral. I initially chose to go there because of the music and the relative anonymity, but was made so welcome that I'm now very much a regular and quite involved with things there. (Admittedly, mine is a smaller, less grand cathedral than yours...) I really hope you pluck up the courage to go. It's fine to just sit at the back. People sometimes come into our services halfway through, stay for a bit and then leave again ... no one turns a hair. Some people join in with everything, others just sit and listen. I hope you enjoy it. I'll be thinking of you on Sunday...

That sounds lovely tub, the way you were welcomed.

It is such a peaceful and soothing place. I am looking forward to going on Sunday. I am going to the Eucharist service in the morning.

I think I am very lucky to live near a cathedral. I grew up in the middle of nowhere and when I was a child we visited EXeter every year at Christmas, and loved going to the very grand cathedral there.

Good luck tomorrow LeGavrOrf. I hope you have a lovely peaceful reflective experience. I have never been to Gloucester cathedral, but also used to visit Exeter quite often as a child.

Sometimes now, on a Sunday morning, I act as a welcomer: just giving out service sheets and generally 'directing the traffic', and it always reminds me of how I felt walking in there for the first time and not knowing anyone and feeling everyone would somehow be able to sense that I didn't even really know what I believed in and that I'd be bound to commit some terrible faux pas. Well, so far so good... they haven't thrown me out yet! Relax and enjoy!