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Original poster

Pull up a pew (or a fetching plastic chair) Religion Chat Thread No 6

289 replies

madhairday · 25/09/2013 08:57

Helloooooooooo!

A shiny new thread :)

How are we all today?

DS seems to have the beginning of what may be chicken pox so is in bed feeling sorry for himself. My laptop is playing up - a picture fell on it yesterday and killed the b key - it takes ages to make it respond now grrrr - and cracked the screen, so not sure what to do :(

OP posts:

Original poster

madhairday · 18/11/2013 18:06

loving the silver DMs under the robes niminy, reminds me of a friend who got married in purple dockers under her wedding dress :)

Hello all. Conference was amazing, 300 women in church leadership one way or the other, and lovely to catch up with many friends and I don't see enough of, very special time. Lovely worship too, and Carrie Grant was the after dinner speaker, she was amazing and such a beautiful voice.

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nickelbabe · 19/11/2013 17:09

at your silver dockers.

did I mention our hwating is knackered?
the other week when we had HUGE rain, the boiler was flooded (it's underground) and we had no heating for the last 2 weeks. they condemned the boiler and said it needed to be replaced with a high boiler in the vestry. but that meant a hole had to be drilled in yhe wall for the flue so we applied for an emergency faculty. that took nearly 3 weeks! it was approved on Friday and work has begun.
they're also going to completely flush out the system so that we have fully working radiators. before this happened, only 3 radiators worked. oma's seen the size of my church, she can vouch for the fact that not a good thing.

Tuo · 19/11/2013 18:38

Sympathy on the heating, Nickel. Last winter, when all the building work was going on, we had no heat at all for several months. Never did snuggling up to other members of the congregation look so appealing! (And believe me, that's not normally something you'd find me suggesting...!)

Our Head Server would not approve of the silver DMs, niminy. There'd be much tutting in the vestry.

Dutchoma · 19/11/2013 20:00

I know the size of your church Nickel and I'm only glad that it is not your house heating that has gone up the shoot just as the colder weather is approaching. Glad that it is being sorted now. Silver Doc Martins under robes: whatever next

niminypiminy · 20/11/2013 13:09

Just heard on the news the General Synod has voted yes to the clearing the way for women bishops measure, hurrah! Perhaps we can get on now with the important stuff

nickelbabe · 20/11/2013 13:13

communion today was in church house.
according to CW, they can't flush out the radiators because there's a risk of "them turning into colanders"
but they're putting magnets in the system (somewhere) that sgould draw out any lurking metal bits (even microscopic pieces) which is supposed tovhelp.

nickelbabe · 20/11/2013 13:14

yeay! great news.
why should dangly bits give automatic rights to apluing for bishopness and lack of dangly bits prevent?

niminypiminy · 20/11/2013 13:29

I'll shiver in solidarity with you, Nickel, as we have been without heating in church now for a while because of a major building project -- and it's a huge old church as well (has a gallery and everything). Tis freeeeeeezing.

thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts · 20/11/2013 14:44

Some quiet celebration going on here about women bishops although I won't be getting out the champagne until it is finally passed in July.

niminypiminy · 20/11/2013 16:09

Yes indeedy. Still, baby steps.

thanksamillion · 24/11/2013 12:36

Hello everyone. I haven't been around for ages so I thought I'd pop in. I'm anxiously checking the weather reports at the moment as we're probably due snow before too long :(

Yesterday I was in the city at the airport trying to find someone to take some documents to Turkey for me . I actually found someone and they've arrived - better than the courier companies who could only do it in 4 days at huge cost. Slightly odd though!

Original poster

madhairday · 24/11/2013 14:34

Hello thanksamillion, great to hear from you, glad you could find someone to take your documents! How are things with you and your project?

I'm quietly rejoicing over the women bishops measure too, and hoping and praying it all carries through next year. I have several female clergy friends who would make the most wonderful bishops....

DD and her pathfinders group led the service this morning - they were brilliant, lovely to let the young people take over sometimes, one of the 14 yr olds even did a sermon and they played some music, did puppets, drama etc, was refreshing.

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PandaG · 24/11/2013 14:48

love the idea of Pathfinders taking the service. We're off to our Missional Community later - making Advent wreaths and then having tea together. I know we are a week early, but 4th Sunday is MC Sunday. Had intended to make wreaths later in the week with friends as a very low key what is Christmas all about event, but none of the women I invited could come, so we are doing it today as families instead. Doing mulled wine and mince pies before the carol service for the neighbours instead! :)

Tuo · 24/11/2013 15:05

Pathfinders taking the service sounds great, MHD. Hooray for DD. (How is she, healthwise, atm? Hopefully a bit better ...)

We have our monthly labyrinth/quiet service tonight and I really need it. We start with a reading and end with a prayer, but the rest of the time is just silent prayer/contemplation/whatever. I always walk the labyrinth (and we have leaflets that suggest ways of walking prayerfully in the light of the passage read) and then just take the time to let the peace of the place sort of seep into me. It's a beautiful thing.

Also giving thanks cautiously here for the vote on women bishops. Praying for no further hitches this time round.

niminypiminy · 25/11/2013 10:39

Hello all! Much relieved that I've managed to do my first formal sermon and really glad that I'll never have to do that first one again on Christ the King no less. It would have been much less pressure to do a first one during ordinary time but there we are.

Now counting down to our move, which is two weeks from today, and my back has decided to play up -- I suspect it's psychological, but it's still really painful. Ibuprofen is my new best friend.

The pathfinders and labyrinth services and advent wreath making all sound lovely. We have advent carols next Sunday so crossed fingers we will be singing O come, O come Emmanuel which always makes shivers run up and down my spine (although, of course, given our heating-less state there may be shivers all over).

Jaynebxl · 02/12/2013 07:20

Tuo I'm really interested to know more about your labyrinth service. As a total nonconformist I've never really been part of a church that does anything like that but I discovered an online labyrinth a few years ago and loved it, then the uni where I did a post grad thing a couple of years ago had a very rudimentary temporary one. Would love to hear about yours.

Niminy 1 week til you move then? How's the packing? I am still recovering from our move and it has been 4 months now!

Tuo · 02/12/2013 10:19

Jayne - I will PM you with a link, but basically we start by gathering around the labyrinth in silence with some quiet music playing. The labyrinth is lit, but everywhere else the lighting is very low. There is a very vague theme for each service (we've been doing the 'I am...' sayings of Jesus since the summer) but it's not rigid at all. We first read a psalm together (something relevant to the theme) and then there is a reading of the gospel passage we're focusing on. Then there is about 30-40 minutes of free quiet time which people can use any way they like. Some just sit quietly and think or pray. Some light candles. There are prayer stations dotted about linked to the theme for those who like to have something to read or do (write down a prayer, draw, whatever). And some (most) people take time to walk the labyrinth. We produce a little leaflet for each service which is supposed to help people reflect on how they might walk the labyrinth with the Biblical passage in mind. Lots of people like to take their shoes and socks off (we now have underfloor heating ... yay!). During this time there is some music in the background and some periods of complete silence. At the end of this period we call come back together round the labyrinth and to end with we use one of the very brief Compline services from the Northumbria Community (e.g. this one), and then some people like to just go home and hold onto the silence, while others go for coffee and cake.

We are talking about making this a weekly, rather than a monthly, service and moving it to a week night, as we think a lot of people who might come are a bit 'churched-out' by Sunday evening. We may also make it even more unstructured - getting rid of some of the readings, and making it purely about quiet prayer and reflection, ending with Compline.

I am CofE through and through and love a bit of processing with bells, smells, candles, robes and the whole liturgical kit and caboodle... but this feels like a very special thing to be able to do and I am so grateful to have been able to be involved with it.

Dutchoma · 02/12/2013 10:51

We had a temporary labyrinth set out on the floor of our very Baptist church and loads of people did it. Only happened once though.

Original poster

madhairday · 02/12/2013 13:41

I love the Labyrinth thing and if we ever get to build a church I'm going to design one in the floor ;)

How is everyone? nickel, saw your fb status and was really pleased to hear things going well at church :) Hope everyone else is having a peaceful advent.

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nickelbabe · 02/12/2013 14:46

thank you :D
it's just amazing.
97 adultts, 6 children.
all because the mayor asked if she could come along and nring peoople.
they brougt 43 people, all having buffet.
the choir was full - 16 of us (not the levels of the old days but a promising turnout)
we also had a raffle, which sold loads of tickets.
and the best thing is that we sounded brilliant because the church was full :D

Dutchoma · 02/12/2013 16:54

That is really wonderful news, Nickel. I am so pleased for you. What did you sing?

nickelbabe · 02/12/2013 21:15

the usual advent hymns
our choir items were The Lord at first Did Adam make (that was the one with my solo); there is no rose (joubert); adam lay ybounden (peter warlock version); people look east; the advent chorale; rutter's go forth into the world in peace and a couple of plainsongs.

Dutchoma · 02/12/2013 22:22

I'm quite jealous. Our choir will cease to exist after Christmas as Sylvia is going to retire. She still thinks we will do the Midland gatherings (next year at Loughborough and the year after at Central Hall Westminster) but I can't quite see it. It is very sad.

nickelbabe · 05/12/2013 17:38

that's a shame. :(
hopefully we'll be in a stronger position when dh doesn't want to do it anymore, but it's not guaranteed.

nickelbabe · 05/12/2013 17:39

is there a secular choir you could join in your town or would it take up too much time?

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