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.

Our church does a good mix - no choir tho. I'm in the singing group (we have a rota - there's a few!)
I prefer modern all the way. Partial to a bit of Matt Maher after I saw him a couple years ago

Nickelbabe thank you!

I have lost my GK cherry. I needed a nap and he sent me off to sleep so all good there then

School Christmas concert tonight. Lots of great trad stuff, several choirs, awesome. But the choir who sounded most like they believed what they were singing was the gospel choir. But they were left out of last week's carol service in the cathedral. I feel a word is in order.

There are many many types of choir though...

I'm tone deaf, so best I stay out of the choir, but I'll waft some (non-lung-clogging, to spare our lovely MHD) incense about to make it seem trad-ier in here. There may be fewer of us, but we have SMOKE!

I'm also hoping to get to Greenbelt in 2017.

happy clappy or traditional?
choir or singing group?
organ or keyboards/bands?
hymn books or screens?
and the important one: do you like Graham Kendrick?

Sorry forgot the entrance requirement..
happy clappy
Both but preference in small band because I'm in it
Screen because hymn books make an awful noise as they hit the floor
Graham kendrick is great, but I've sung shine Jesus shine too often now... Servant King though...

I sing trad choir elsewhere, but the freedom to harmonise at will opens emotional/spiritual doors for me.

I had a lovely service on Sunday. A nativity that I had not organised and lots of hugs, as I've a difficult family situation underway.

Learned how not to do it, as well, from people who showed me they understood by sharing their own 'difficult situation' experiences with me. Turns out that a silent hug is worth a thousand 'yes, when that happened to me, I felt...' I really must remember that, as I suspect I tend to do it, too.

I tend to prefer it the other way round pklme funny humans aren't we

Pkl, just listened to servant king... ok, he's growing on me ;)

Sorry about the difficult family situation.

I am sitting in a v beautiful old church with famous choir though, so def not defecting

(In case you were worried, nickel)

Liking the incense too Tuo :) (and you'd better be coming to Greenbelt!)

Shame this isn't my office... better go!

Does incense ever set off fire alarms? We don't tend to use incense in Scotland so I don't know.

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Far too much to do and too little time. It is hard within the business to remember this should be a time of waiting and expectation, rather than running around like a headless chicken buying presents, wrapping presents, going to school activities etc etc etc.

Off to decorate the tree now.

Much though I love all things multisensory, I can't breathe around incense (or smoke machines!) so I'm glad we don't do that here...

Our nativity included 'can you hear what I hear?' And that scrillex(?) Christmas bells song. And toddlers dressed as sheep. What more could anyone ask for?

happy clappy or traditional?
choir or singing group?
organ or keyboards/bands?
hymn books or screens?
and the important one: do you like Graham Kendrick?

Errr.. Traditional, choir, organ but with the odd bit of guitar/flute, hymn books and err hmm GK... Not overly keen!!

We are into school carol service week, my favourite week of the year. The pukers, the fainters, the one who finds the frayed edge of carpet and unravels it a bit further.....& the scores of sweet little faces singing. Watched my own middle child holding onto his trouser pockets through one song, because he was worried he might raise his hands (chip off the old block there).

Does incense ever set off fire alarms?

Oh yes, all the time. We have to turn the alarm off during the services when we have incense, but sometimes the verger someone forgets...

LOL and Aww @ your DS, autumn!

Happy with a bit of fake smoke especially in a modern worship concert setting

Hi fives the new happy clappers! smiles politely at the rest
Pokes tongue out at nickel

I really want to go to GB with all this talk! I have very fond memories of being there as a teen when I had energy to be up all night dancing in the mud. Awww....

The new GB site is absolutely beautiful, madhair.

Have just discovered that due to pre-Christmas busy-ness the communion service I was planning on going to tomorrow morning is cancelled, which I am irrationally and unreasonably upset by. Should I
A) not give a monkeys and pray at home instead (including for the over worked vicar)
B) go into the city to find another service
C) train to be a priest so that in x years time I can cover it for her?

C, it's your new calling, God cancelled that service JUST to send you a message... Lol

Depends what purpose the service holds for you Edd. Will A meet it?

Option C is quite a long term solution...

Well you know I have hermit tendencies so (a) is no problem for me but I suspect (b) would be best for you. (C) doesn't sound like a quick fix!

Bless - no more delightful loos ie wooden planks over pits?

Edd - option D is find something online - a carol service with a podcast sermon? Songs of praise? like the c option but it.may take a wee while...

Have I even ever 'outed' myself as an antihappyclapper? I dreamt that I told our paster that the sermon he preached on Advent Sunday was the best he ever preached (it was) because it only lasted 10 minutes and when he preached for 20 minutes he only said every thing twice. He looked so surprised that someone had even noticed. He had asked me to say what I wanted from a service and I had said a responsory psalm, decent hymns, no choruses and certainly not Light of the World. MHD no incense you'll be happy to know..
Edith could I suggest D? Google a church near you and pick the one that attracts you most? A and C are really the same thing and B? What if you are just too late if you go on the off chance?

Edd don't ask me...

MHD how wonderful it would be to somehow all meet up at Greenbelt. Even if it can't happen the picture of us all dancing in the mud is such a lovely one. Maybe better than actual muddy dancing would be.

Oma I love a responsory psalm! Psalms are too rarely used in worship I think.

Also ten-minute sermons - tick. If I can't say it in 10 mins then I obviously haven't worked out what I need to say.