Choirs, worship songs, after service coffee - the all new religion chat thread

[niminypiminy]

A new place for us to share the lovely, silly and annoying things that happen in church life and share our great love of Graham Kendrick.

lily I see all sorts of religious practices all over the world as being human attempting to make sense of the Divine. Pagans were/are just people trying to figure out God. I don't think our current cultural celebration of Christmas even bears much relation to Christianity, actually - so much of it is social and commercial.

But I decided a few years ago, having come to Christ through New Age practices (or maybe Christ coming to me), that I don't have to decide anything about religions theologically, or about the fact that our practices have taken things from paganism. It isn't good for me to spend too much time worrying about those things when there is work God wants me to do. It is enough that I follow Christ and he chose me. I need to focus on my relationship with him and love my neighbour. All the theory can get in the way of that.

Some of the reasons we do stuff in church is shrouded in mystery. Some of it comes out of a cultural context that made sense at the time and some if it was probably a good idea at the time and everyone has forgotten why. From memory we have our main celebration on a Sunday as it is the first day of the week and as the 8th day is a symbol of the new creation that we see revealed in the resurrection on Easter Sunday. With increasing 24/7 lifestyles I know that the practice of celebrating on the evening before is gaining popularity outside if it's RC context and I've been asked to think about a youth service on a Saturday evening. So things might change.

I love the weirdness of church. I've been trying to find out why they do some things here that are fairly unique and I'm told they have always done it. Then it turns out that they started doing it under a vicar in the 1990s who was more RC than the RCs. So this year we are trying other things and making some new traditions. In 20 years time some new clergy person will be asking why they sing the Peruvian Gloria in the Easter season and someone will say 'we've always done that.......'

Welcome Lily.

I wrote a thing about why I go to church quite recently. It was on our church website until it got refreshed for Lent. When I'm not on my phone I'll see if I can copy it here or link or something.

I was filling in a form the other day and one of the questions was what do you do outside work and I realised that if I could I would spend my whole life (ok, not literally, there are other things to do) in church. Still trying to work out why I love it so much though. I definitely go on Ash Wednesday etc. and I don't feel at all that it's through obligation or expectation but just because I really want to. Though as many of you know I'm pretty new to it all, so it could just be keen green or zeal of the convert.

I am also loving church at the moment. Very sad not to be able to go as much as I would like - DH worked late on Ash Wednesday, for instance.

Was just thinking I haven't been on mn for ages and found you again - used to post occasionally a while ago...

Hello to everyone again and new joiners too

Catching up on this thread has inspired me to listen to GK on YouTube most of the evening (though I did eventually run out of steam and switch to Getty/Townend which is probably my favourite music).

Nice to see you Edd! And glad you found us Lark! I kept losing key threads when they weren't very active, but I've worked out how to find them now.

We reflected on the Corinthians body of Christ passage last night, and I heard that 'even if the foot says it is not part of the body, it is still part of the body.' Badly paraphrased, sorry. So I'm thinking about that. We discussed it and the passage says that God has ordered the body in such a way as it will work if we all play our part. So I need to think about my part!

Lovely to see newbies and some familiar faces on the thread.

Interesting discussion about church. I completely agree that church can mean different things, from a small midweek gathering to a big Sunday service, it can be two people studying the bible together, it can be a bunch of people in the pub talking theology and philosophy. I do think it's important to meet together in some way if we can. Having had weeks and months when I haven't been able to attend through illness I do find something missing when I can't - I really miss communion especially and there's something about corporate worship which is I think very powerful. I don't think we're meant to go it on our own.

But an online community like this one can be church too, where we support and pray for one another, listen to one another and think about theology and worship styles I would hope that folk here feel part of something - mumsnet church?

Yes, Mumsnet church!
I keep an eye on the Christian prayer thread too, though I don't say anything right now.
I do better with networks than actual physical gathering, I think.

You would be very welcome there Pickle.

Thank you Oma. I'll join in/engage properly one day. I'm preserving my energy at the moment- I wouldn't be able to keep track of who is who and who needs what right now. But soon.

Edd - interesting what you say about being keen to spend as much time as possible in church - it's 7 years now since I came to a living faith (as opposed to an vague/abstract/theoretical/nominal one which had no impact on how I actually lived!) through doing a Christianity Explored course and I would still love to spend more time in church if I could - I'd describe it as a hunger - for teaching, for fellowship, for growth... I'm sure there will be dry/difficult patches to come though - I guess an important reason for making the most of opportunities now. I recall a sermon that mentioned the idea of "putting your tent up before the storm" - the more our faith is established and grounded, the better we will weather the challenges and be able to trust the Lord through them.

I might do extra church on Saturday because the archbishop is coming to rededicate a newly-restored memorial. And I'll be having my first confirmation preparation session after the service on Sunday, along with a very nice woman of around my age who is already very involved with the church. So that should be good.

Welcome Lily
:)

I am on sabbatical cos, stuff.... but I still feel that the reason I go to church is because I like the routine and the familiarity and the singing.
I worship God through singing, that's just what I've always done. I feel close when I'm in a structured service because it's easier for me to concentrate when I don't have to think of all the things I should be saying.
I have only recently discovered home groups, but the church whose home group I attend has changed the way they do home groups so we're not currently holding it. And I really miss it. I actually discovered that I looked forward to Wednesday mornings and feel strange now they don't happen.

I have to tell you though....
Our diocese is doing a "top-up" course on "how to make your church autism friendly"
In the description it said "people with autism" . So I tweeted to them saying that I wanted them to change it to autistic people. They asked "why out of interest" and I explained about it being the preferred term of autistic people, and they've changed it on.the website! I was really impressed (as it does demonstrate that they're serious about being welcoming to autistic people).
Obviously I've emailed the course details to admin of other-church asking if she'd forward the details onto my church as a course they really should attend.
Just a shame it's not till July.

newlark yes that's exactly it - hunger - to worship, for spiritual growth, for fellowship, for learning...

And I feel really blessed also because I found my faith 2 years ago (with the help of some women here) and people were confused - everyone wanted there to be a crisis that it was in response to and I hadn't had one. Now my life is one big crisis after another, and I have my faith and church (MN - definitely how I experience it MHD yes - and RL) and a whole load of support that I wouldn't otherwise have had. It's like God laid out a safety net to catch me before I fell, which I gather is the opposite way round to most middle aged converts...

That's good nickel re the training. hope your home group gets going again soon.

broomstick exciting

Good to hear from you Edd. Yes, I think what happened for you was the best MN had to offer, praying you in the direction of God, praying that you would stay open to what the Spirit had to say to you and rejoicing when you began to come through in spite of everything. How are things with your parents now?

oma don't get me started. Still struggling on with DP, DM bonkers, both parents living with me which is, frankly, difficult, v full on at work, now also serious issues with DD1... but on the upside my personal (spiritual) journey just gets clearer and better all the time ...

Edd.
I have wondered more than once why God can't send one trial at a time!

One trial at a time would be nice, wouldn't it.

I don't know about one trial at the time. If they were more spread out we might never be without them.
I wish you all a blessed and peaceful night

oma
Since November I ve been going through awful personal trials with family. I only returned to formal church services last April (so not a year yet). But I have found such strength from it

bootygirl welcome. What a joy to read that you have found such support in your church, long may it last.

Hello everyone - long time no post, but have looked occasionally and prayed for you all. I had to rejoin after my email address expired and I couldn't log in, so I am still niminypiminy just a bit shorter in the name department.

Nickel sorry to hear your church trials are just going on and on. It sounds horrible.

I too think of this bit of MN as being like a church community - it's been really important to me over the years. Edd I am full of admiration that you are managing to carry so much.

Oma I wish there could be a a RL church community for you as well.

Some sad stuff going on with me as my mum has just died; but what I really need to tell everyone is that I have joined the 'worship band' at my church. (It's not much of a band, but even so.) It's a peacemaking move to show some disgruntled people they are loved and valued, and I have to say I have a 'greater love has no woman than to join a worship band for the sake of church harmony' feeling about it. So wish me luck tomorrow as we struggle through a couple of Matt Redman numbers...

Hello also to everyone else too