Dd found herself in an awkward situation last night, and didn't know how to manage it gracefully.
We're members of a different faith to Christianity, not religious, but engaged with our faith. We attend other faiths' services, such as weddings and funerals, to join our friends in their celebrations. We join in with singing where we can, standing and sitting, Sign of Peace etc. We would never, however, join in certain prayers or take the Sacrament. Both because these things are contrary to our religion and because they are sacred to the hosting religion - not something to 'tick off the bucket list'.
So, last night.
Dd sings in her school choir, which was singing Midnight Mass at a church. Suddenly she realises that the whole choir is taking Communion. Because they are in choir stalls, she has no choice but to move with her row, otherwise she holds up the entire proceedings.
Unwilling to make any kind of disturbance during the ritual, she just followed along and copied the others.
I suggested to dd that, if she finds herself in a similar situation again, she can just smile and say "No, thank you", or move along with her row, but stand politely to one side while the others participate, before rejoining her row to return to the seats.
Dd has questions which I cannot answer:
Does a non-Christian taking the Sacrament cause offence?
Would standing back cause a disruption? Her circumstances were different to being in the congregation and not going up.
Should she, as a non-believer, have been singing that service at all?
(Happy Christmas to all.)