Sunday 6 July 2008

Bums on seats

You know, I do recommend churchgoing if you're getting a bit het-up. Of course, it may be the stress of churchgoing that hets you up in the first place, but it calms you down too, especially if you stop and listen and think about it a bit.

The flowers from last week were falling about a bit, which meant a fair bit of picking up after I'd carted them down the aisle and into the kitchen (this may be a v. old church, but we have Mod Cons) and I had brought along some foliage - random leaves, feverfew (can't remember the Latin) and alchemilla mollis (can't remember the English) and a bunch of sunflowers and a bunch of chrysanthemums and decided to refresh the best of last week's and make two arrangements into one. Not, in this case, aided by two bored toddlers, it went pretty well and looked good when reinstated on the reredos behind the altar.

At the same time, I was getting things ready for coffee; filling the urn and a kettle, switching on the hot water, putting coffee into cafetières, getting out mugs, sugar and milk, putting out biscuits, tables and chairs etc and the usual unlocking of extra doors in case of fire, and - oh you know, stuff. The usual.

The Fellow* suggested that we sit near the front to encourage the minister, rather than at the back to keep an eye on the congregation. Most of the hymns were much too high for me, which did not put me off but probably hurt his ears rather. I explained, afterwards, that an organist would rather hear someone singing badly than have no response at all.

Anyway, splendid sermon, with the excellent suggestion, tongue in cheek as it was, that we might get Results if we offered Hard Cash to children to come to Sunday School. Seriously, I'm all for it. Get 'em in first and they'll feel the benefits in due course. I'm not up for indoctrinating little children and I'm quite uncomfortable with the hardline religious stuff as preached to people who don't know enough to argue and question, but it keeps me going when nothing else would and exposure in childhood has done its bit all through life.

*My fellow churchwarden, who is a darling.

Update I've reread this and realised I gave the wrong impression - I didn't actually go to Sunday School as a child, I went to church as our mother liked to keep an eye on me. I went there once though with a friend and found it a bit too friendly and clubby for me. I think that was my morose and solitary personality at fault there though.

12 comments:

Dave said...

Yes. ;-)

Z said...

The chappie on Thought for Today was all in favour of politeness, which I think is splendid.

Pat said...

I often sit in churches and usually take the opportunity to do my daily whatsit there. This is when the church is at rest.
I love my memories of Sunday School- the goodness and simplicity - most of the tenets of which I have tried to cling to.

Dave said...

I heard Thought for Today, on my way in to the Big City this morning.

Politeness is everything.

Thank you for reminding us.

Z said...

Our church is always open and most of the comments in the visitors' book remark on that.

It's not surprising that people who love churches and call themselves Christians choose not to be part of the Church; the C of E does itself no good at all in its in-fighting.

It's my pleasure, Dave.

Wink said...

Nice to catch up on your blog, kiddo, after my enforced period of sick leave!

Z said...

Glad to see you back in the world of work, Wink. Gives you more time to read blogs, doesn't it ;-) ?

Wink said...

Speak for yourself - I was a now and then member of the Sunday School at Preston when we lived at Weymouth. I remember being given little stickers to go into books and also had a Book of Common Prayer to celebrate the Coronation - of course you hadn't made an appearance then! Goodness knows what happened to it - probably lost in the move.

Z said...

Sorry darling, I was forgetting both how much older than me you are and that you did other things without me. I'll change it to 'I'.

I remember that BCP. It was ivory-coloured, wasn't it, in its own little box? It'll be somewhere.

Anonymous said...

Um. Sunday school. I used to go- on and off - as a child, depending on whether my best friend went.
As an adult I was persuaded to help out at the ecumenical village Sunday School held at the Methodist Church Hall. It wasn't too bad until the day the lady in charge asked me to talk about adultery "because I knew all about it" !!!

Z said...

Miaow!

luckyzmom said...

My brother and I were sent to Sunday school. My Mom and step-dad only went to church for weddings and funerals. I made sure not to do that with my children.