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.

broomstick Atonement. Well. If you ever understand it can you explain it to me please?! Seriously though, I have struggled so much with that. And for now I'm finally happy with accepting the mystery. But I'm still up for more discussion if anyone else is. Try Rowan Williams' God with Us - not about it, but all about it, iyswim. Other book recommendations gladly received too!

Continuing the Williams family theme Jane Williams's Why did God have to die is excellent. I heard her speak in the atonement recently - she came and did a study day for clergy in our diocese - and she was fantastic. Clear - as clear as anyone can be about something g that's essentially a profound mystery - but suggestive and undogmatic.

I'll look out the Jane Williams one. I've heard her speak a number of times recently and she is excellent. One book which I liked and isn't too stupidly academic is Scot McKnight 'A Community Called Atonement' which looks at some of the history of how people have answered the question of why Jesus had to,die.

Ooh book recommendations! We almost need a new thread just for them - don't want to miss any!

Talking of recommendations, could anyone recommend good Christian/Bible themed children's DVDs please? Is Veggietales any good?

Hope everyone has had a good bank holiday. Mine has been ok, all things considered. Dd(3) tied a fleece blanket round herself and set up a 'service' at home last night, complete with the odd 'amen' and unintelligible singing (not like our church choir at all...)

I had a nice but unremarkable bank holiday. DD's 'service' sounds adorable.

Last night I was thinking about that time we had a virtual compline, and how lovely it was. Would anyone be interested in doing it again?

Yes I'd love to! We could do Sunday evening if anybody is around?

Yep

Sunday's good for me. Last time DD was ill in a non-dangerous but extremely painful way, so I was praying in her room while she dozed between bouts of agonised screaming. I'm hoping for something calmer this time.

I do find sometimes funerals can be organised by people who don't know the deceased well.
Dh's aunt died, and the priest doing the service (at the crem) had not been given much information at all - she had spoken to aunt's daughter as they drove here.
She did it so well, though - in her talk she encouraged us to talk to each other and share our memories of aunt as it's so personal to us.
I know the priest, but we didn't know she was doing the service, and she didn't know it was dh's aunt, so hadn't had the chance to talk to us beforehand to help with more information.

DoubleGloucester - Veggie tales DVD are good but are a bit focussed on morals so you can end up just thinking "I need to try harder to be..." without much focus on the gospel. The author did a series called "What's in the bible" which are a bible overview a few books at a time - fun and quirky - possible for a marginally older audience than veggietales (5+ rather than 3+ maybe) - he comments here www.christianexaminer.com/article/phil.vischer.shares.regrets.about.veggie.tales.and.how.hes.making.it.right/49630.htm

Veggieta-ay-ayles Veggieta-ay-ayles Veggieta-ay-ayles veggietales!

Thank you so much for that... It had taken me twelve years to forget the song. Oh well.

I'll join in the evening thing- I'll set an alarm, because I'm disorganised/not very conscious of time.

Thanks for that interview newlark, I like what Phil says about children's ability to go deep.
pickle what a theme tune! I got the 'Where's God when I' m scared' dvd and the music has just been going round and round in my head all week!

Hi, can I join you here? I've been lurking for a while. I'm married to a curate and we have 2 small children. It can make church interesting!

Hello blink. We are lucky at church, we have had a regular succession of toddlers training the congregation for seventeen years now. Everyone is completely comfortable with a toddler pottering around through the service. Often followed by an older sibling sent to make sure toddler doesn't get too near the guitars.

I am a total idiot in that I have picked the day for the get together in Birmingham on the same day that we have the concert of our 'new' choir, 17th June. It will be in Finedon and we will practise all afternoon, so I will not be available on that day.
Can we still go to the 24th? Or have people made plans?

I am sorry, but that's Omas for you. Senior moments and all that. The concert had not really got onto my agenda.

Welcome blink!
Another one here going through the 'small child at church' stage... Although I only have one!

Oma, I can make 24th

Let's see if anyone else can. MHD and TUO can't and I have not heard from Niminy or anyone else. I'm keeping it free for now

I can't go, I'm afraid.

Hello blink, welcome. No toddlers in my family any longer. I have older DC but sadly they rarely come to church.

oma I'm sorry I can't make it to the get together this time.

I fell off this thread briefly so I missed the compline suggestion. But I'm very up for it whenever it happens... I love praying remotely with others. As well as here on MN, I have a local what's app cyclists prayer and support group, and a FB community of pray-ers, and an occasional Twitter group... it makes such a difference to me. My solitary prayers seem very insubstantial in comparison.

I have my first Deanery Synod meeting tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thanks for the welcome. We have a 2 year old and a 9 month old. Most of the congregation seem happy with big girl running around but there's always one! She likes to be wherever daddy is and that's the opposite end of church to the children's corner! It's only going to get harder once the baby is on the move.

I think we shall have to leave the plan for the time being, sorry for the confusion.

Never mind. It would be great to do something over the summer though.

How have everyone's weeks been?

At my stay n Scargill I met two people, one who lived in the next village to where I live and one who was in the community but had spent time with a Dutch friend who lives about a 40 minute bus ride away. I met them both this week, which was very pleasant. Apart from that I had all the usual 'events', knit clubs and choir and meeting my next door neighbour so it has been a very full on week.

I've always wanted to attend church, I went to a church school and loved going to the services every week.

Would you have to speak to someone before turning up or is it acceptable just to show up?

None of my family go, I'm the most religious out both sides and they say I'm being silly
But it sounds like you ladies have such a nice time and seam so lovely.

Sorry if this isn't the place to ask?

Definitely a good place to ask. You don't need to ask first and you can just go and see what it's like. With a bit of luck there will be someone at the door when you go in to hand out a hymn book or a notice sheet or both and you can ask if it is alright to sit anywhere, then they will (hopefully) realise you are new and may sit you next to someone who knows what it going on. Don't be upset if it is all a bit strange, and try a different church if you don't like it, don't give up with the first service you attend. Churches can vary an awful lot. You can look on the internet to find 'A church near you' and the different churches will tell you a bit about themselves, so you can get an idea of what it is like. But the main thing is to just go along and see how you feel.