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.

Hi pigy. I love just turning up to churches and seeing what they're like - there's huge variety as Oma says. If they're using a printed order of service the minister should keep referring to which page you're on (they skip bits), but in many churches these days it's a bit more free form, and the words the congregation say are on a screen. Usually someone says hello and people smile or make small talk. Occasionally they just ignore you - particularly in churches which get a lot of visitors, and in cathedrals. Let us know how you get on.

Hi pigy, welcome to the thread :) Oma and Edd have given wonderful advice. It's absolutely fine to drop into any church at all, I do hope they make you feel welcome and comfortable. Not all do, but many do. And like the others said, there are so many different styles and traditions and it's quite OK to have a look round and find something which feels right for you. If you want to ask any questions about faith then please do ask here, we're always happy to share stuff from our journeys.

Hello all - hope everyone here is doing OK. Just realised the thread had dropped off my threads I'm on and that I was missing it. Been very poorly so not too with it. Haven't been to church in weeks but been taking time to worship at home. Nickel would love my home worship style, all YouTube and hillsong and all of that. No organ (or in fact GK) in sight. Lovely though!

Talking of which, how are you @nickelbeingnormal

MHD, I'm sorry that you've been so ill. I hope that you are feeling a bit better now.

Pigy, like everyone's said, you don't need to make an appointment first, just turn up five minutes or so before the service is due to start so that you can get comfortable. There will probably be some kind of welcome person by the door who will give you anything you will need. Some churches will have a printed order of service, and some will have projector screens with the words.

If you sit towards the back, then you will be able to see what other people are doing and copy them if there is standing or sitting or kneeling or dancing.

Different churches can be hugely different in terms of atmosphere and worship style and so it's worth going to a few up fed out what you hate and want to avoid as well as what you like.

My baptism and confirmation is next Sunday - I'm quite excited.

Oh MHD that's crap. I'm sorry.

I've just been checking out Thy Kingdom Come. I never knew there was a 9 day Ascension Day to Pentecost thing - still such a beginner... :)

Anyway I'm going to do some of those things. One is a 'pray for 5 friends' thing - I thought it might be nice to 'trade' a friend... so the prayed for people have some extra prayers... iyswim. Anyone like that idea?

Broomstick That's so cool. I'm excited for you too. I remember when you and me both read 'Tokens of Trust' (at *niminy's suggestion)...

Thank you everyone for the help! I've moved house right next to a church so will try that this coming Sunday on my own... I'll see if anyone else takes their babies, and what the people are like.

I'm really looking forward to it!

Good plan Pigy

So, I was baptised and confirmed this morning, and it was lovely. DP and the children came and everyone was so nice, and there was very delicious cake afterwards.

Broomstick that is so lovely! Congratulations!

Congratulations Broomstick.

Yay Broomstick I'm so pleased for you!

pigy did you go?

And I was given a copy of God with Us by Rowan Williams which is especially nice because it reminds me of when Edd and I were starting out and reading Tokens of Trust over lent.

I read that one this Lent :)

Congrats, Broomstick!

Congratulations, Broomstick.

How did you get on piggy?

Oh lovely, Broomstick! So glad it went well

I haven't actually read any of the Rowan Williams books but feel I must. I have sooo many on my list right now but never time... I would like to spend my life reading!! Which one would you say to start with?

Talking of books! I have finished my book on contentment in Christ and am starting to pitch it to publishers. Wish me luck... Or actually no! Prayers would be better!

MHD that's amazing. Well done - don't know how you find time to write a book! Will pray (and wish you luck!)

Rowan Williams books - I think 'God with us' was great. I need to re-read 'tokens of trust' - was so full I feel I only absorbed about half the first time around.

I'm so sorry you're poorly again - will pray on that front too.

Talking of prayer -I've just done 9 days of prayer discipline for the first time in my life as part of the Thy Kingdom Come initiative. I'm going to write something about it I think and am telling you all that partly to make myself accountable to someone and therefore more likely to do it...

Been a bit quiet on this board lately. Is everyone ok?

MHD that's fantastic about the book. You write so brilliantly that I'm sure a publisher will take it. Everything I've ever read of yours has really made me think and stayed with me. So sorry to hear you're ill again. Praying for your recovery and for the book. On this day of Pentecost the world needs to hear your Holy Spirit-filled words.

I've been very quiet on MN - finding the curate's life difficult at the moment, and a bit down. Less than a month till I am ordained priest, and I have terrible butterflies whenever I think of it.

PS Of Rowan's books I like Tokens of Trust a lot. Another one I have gone back to is Silence and Honey Cakes, which is about the Desert Fathers.

Praying for your butterflies Niminy. May the Lord guide you and take all your anxiety away.

Sorry to hear you're struggling, Niminy and MHD.

Have people been involved in any good 'thy kingdom come' events? Did you find those activities helpful, Edd?

The run up to priesting is an odd time. My family didn't really get it as I'd been ordained once as a deacon and they were a bit unsure about why we had to do it all again. For me it was a huge deal and I spent lots of time wanting to run away and hide in the weeks before hand. a God is good and it will be fine even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. My top tip for the first preside is not to knock back a whole chalice of overconsecrated wine just before the post communion prayer especially if you didn't sleep the night before or eat breakfast. There was slurring.......

What day are you being done so that we can get some extra prayers in?

I have two twitters. One is worky, the other churchy. The churchy one has several curates, all of whom are in various stages of nerves, excitement and butterflies it seems; very understandable, appropriate even... ? (I know one on FB who is devastated because her priesting has been postponed and she has to find a new curacy post - that is a whole 'nother situation).

Worried though about life being hard, dear Niminy, praying for you right now.

Sorry I've been awol.
I'll catch up

Niminy does that mean you'll be filly fledged and able to take on a priest role?
saints is still looking...

MHD prayers for your book - even if you can't get a publisher, self-publishing can be very cheap these days.

I am here, still church-hopping, still not forgiving them lot.
Found out through sheer chance that a youth choir from thr next town is doing choral evensong next week, so in my capacity as local community news correspondent for the paper, I emailed the choir for info (because there's no publicity at all about it - not even a poster outside the church ffs).
She replied, but copied the friffing Choirmaster into her reply!
I kind of wanted then to wonder how I got the information.

On top of that, it was DD's church birthday yesterday and today we got back from church to find Traitor had popped a card in the door from "your family at st Michael's"
I just cannot understand the blatant ignorance of them, and it re-stirs up my anger.
"We can't be bothered to contact you for 7 months after betraying you, but we'll rub that in by giving dd a card"

Wankers.

pigy - how lovely to hear you're on the start of your church journey - I agree with looking at www.achurchnearyou.com for info, and try a few out, because you'll quickly find your favoured worship style.

Being pentecost, the final hymn this morning was shine jesus shine. Played by a band. And some congregation clapping.
Nightmare. Flames coming from my ears.
Other pentecost songs are available!!
(We went to a church that had a joint benefice service)

Oh sorry, Nickel, I thought Shine, Jesus, shine was one of your favourites.

I am expecting a visit from one of the elders of the church to visit tomorrow to find out 'how I am getting on at Mount Pleasant'. I like him and I welcome the chance to explain why I cannot come to church any more.
I can't even do the knit club any more as they want to stick us in a back room when the whole object for the club was to be a bridge between church and community.