How was church today?

Welcome to Wondercafe2!

A community where we discuss, share, and have some fun together. Join today and become a part of it!

Register Log in
KayTheCurler said:
I have noticed that many congregations have few active workers. In this case I consider four hours of whipping cream is an unreasonable request. However, I have also observed lots of huffiness when a willing worker becomes reluctant. When I was attending a church I got such weird mixed messages around this topic. I heard the 'busy bees' complaining about being too busy. When I offered to do things to help I was consistently turned down - because they could handle it!

I doubt there is an easy answer - but I think individuals should ensure that they take fairly good care of themselves. Sometimes this means being almost brutally honest!
Click to expand...

You have noticed a great bunch of inactive complainers that demand a lot more than resources allow ... thus deflationary nonsense approaching nothing intelligent or wise as the great weaver beyond us! The wise God exceeds our position as a flawed existence ... reality as normal? It could be a satyr of demos ...
 
Who accelerated the extraction of resources ...? Quick emotions without slowing to think it over? Some emotional people have difficulty differentiating thought and intelligence as alien data ... this attribute may be encountered on the starship ...
 
paradox3 said:
Could be a very fruitful discussion.

I have walked with four different congregations in this area since returning to church 27 years ago.

Where I am attending now, there is a couple who has done the same, with the addition of one Presbyterian congregation. :)

We have two previous congregations in common although we did not attend them in the same years. A funny thing.
Click to expand...
New thread in Religion if you care to comment.
 
@BetteTheRed -- hugs. You have been through a lot in the last bit. Need to have someone sit with you, not sit where you should be sitting. Hope that things feel good again for you.

@Carolla - it sucks to be in the space of swimming against the current. Hope you find a place where it feels good.

****
i've been sitting with folks in a different way during sermon time, and well, it is interesting and i am learning, and that is good.
thinking that i will do it more. it is good to learn and try to express and lead in a healthy way.
I also need to ensure that i have time to also be in the congregation and listen to sermon some times.
 
@Carolla I wonder if it is something that should be addressed from the pulpit? To remind folks how to be hospitable, to be open to change (and visible change-did you guys bring your communion table or something to be visible during worship) about feeling sad for the folks that left their building, for openess to new roles while everybody finds one etc.
 
Tabitha said:
@Carolla I wonder if it is something that should be addressed from the pulpit? To remind folks how to be hospitable, to be open to change (and visible change-did you guys bring your communion table or something to be visible during worship) about feeling sad for the folks that left their building, for openess to new roles while everybody finds one etc.
Click to expand...

Power of assertiveness and aggression is always the best in reality ... and the alternate is only essence ... like ghosts and phantoms of wisdom ... flashes by ...
 
Tabitha said:
@Carolla I wonder if it is something that should be addressed from the pulpit? To remind folks how to be hospitable, to be open to change (and visible change-did you guys bring your communion table or something to be visible during worship) about feeling sad for the folks that left their building, for openess to new roles while everybody finds one etc.
Click to expand...
Clergy are weaving in frequent mentions. In some ways I think the situation partly occurs due to the rapidity of the decision making. My prior church had been heading in this direction for a much longer time than the church with which we amalgamated - so I think there is catching up to do, conceptually.

I did attend the Council meeting this week (I am their regional rep) & raised my concerns, shared my experiences. There are three people on Council from my prior church; 11 from the other church were present, plus two clergy. They listened well and took the matter seriously. We have much discernment to do together on many, many issues & policies and I will be meeting with the clergy this coming week to map our how that might occur. Regarding the imbalance on Council - I heard the comment that effort was made to recruit, but was not fruitful in equal measures.
 
I wonder if integration of different groups goes more easily if it is not an actual amalgamation.

The church I have been attending for the last few years has three distinct groups. There is the original membership, the "refugees" from West Hill and a third group which has arrived more recently from a nearby congregation which closed its doors. And of course there are newcomers who don't fit any of these categories.

It seems to me that we are well integrated but everyone came with an understanding they were joining an existing congregation. Not trying to create a new entity.

Truly, I don't know what the answer is. It is a positive thing that folks are actually talking about the process taking place at your new church @Carolla. I hope it looks up soon for you and your cohort.
 
Our congregation is similar - the original folk, plus 'refugees' from two local congregations - one in town that closed completely, one just out of town that still exists, but it was an amalgamation itself of about four rural congregations, and there's about 10 families left ministered to by a 1/4 time minister who is something of a local 'disgrace', then people who arrive via other routes.
 
I think nostalgia for the 'good old days' may play part in that, too. One of the churches I serve built a new, smaller building about 15 years ago, after their century old building (much larger and grandiose) was condemned. The new building has the stained windows and Rose window and lamp shades for ceiling lights from the old building. There are also at least a dozen pics of the old building on the walls of the new one. There is a quilt, displayed at the front of the sanctuary, featuring the old buildings, and a few of the (long closed) rural church buildings whose people came to this church on the 50s-60s. In fact the new building itself seems more of a memorial shrine to the old building than anything else.

This has little to do with amalgamations, I know; but I sense there may be common bonds of nostalgia for the way things used to be before THIS (whatever 'this' may be) happened.
 
Redbaron said:
I think nostalgia for the 'good old days' may play part in that, too. One of the churches I serve built a new, smaller building about 15 years ago, after their century old building (much larger and grandiose) was condemned. The new building has the stained windows and Rose window and lamp shades for ceiling lights from the old building. There are also at least a dozen pics of the old building on the walls of the new one. There is a quilt, displayed at the front of the sanctuary, featuring the old buildings, and a few of the (long closed) rural church buildings whose people came to this church on the 50s-60s. In fact the new building itself seems more of a memorial shrine to the old building than anything else.

This has little to do with amalgamations, I know; but I sense there may be common bonds of nostalgia for the way things used to be before THIS (whatever 'this' may be) happened.
Click to expand...
True - museum rather than forward moving mission. Did you find that extended to music, worship form etc as well?
 
Carolla said:
True - museum rather than forward moving mission. Did you find that extended to music, worship form etc as well?
Click to expand...
Yes, it does seem to have extended to other areas too. The same minister who was here when they built (about the time VU came out) found an 'alternative' hymnal to VU... which they still use. There is, for some reason a real antipathy toward the UCCan... still haven't discerned exactly why.
 
I admit to having another bad morning. Alarm woke me in plenty of time, shut it off and rolled over and woke again too late to make it to church. Some days it feels like I'm trying to move underwater.
 
BetteTheRed said:
I admit to having another bad morning. Alarm woke me in plenty of time, shut it off and rolled over and woke again too late to make it to church. Some days it feels like I'm trying to move underwater.
Click to expand...
@BetteTheRed - sometimes a break really is needed - glad you got more sleep today. I think you will 'surface' when the time is right.
 
Redbaron said:
Yes, it does seem to have extended to other areas too. The same minister who was here when they built (about the time VU came out) found an 'alternative' hymnal to VU... which they still use. There is, for some reason a real antipathy toward the UCCan... still haven't discerned exactly why.
Click to expand...
Interesting - the UCCan antipathy. I'm presently gently (I hope!) exploring a few things - one is the music at our early service - a 'contemporary' service. The music director for that service - who is a very gifted musician - comes from a Baptist background. There is a great band including vocalists & the lyrics are projected. I'm finding some of the lyrics at bit at odds with my own sense of UCCan theology - more fundamentalist, kingdom & salvation focused. I'm thinking there is music from More Voices (which we don't have - yet ;-) ) that this worship group would enjoy, and even some from Voices United (which we do have) - which they seem to avoid using - on principle? I don't know really. As I said - I hope to gently explore.
 
May the gentle exploration go well.
As far as the UCCan antipathy goes, these 2 congregations were members of National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations, and Community of Concern. They've never quite gotten over that, I think.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top