Church Life eh?

 

Hello everyone. I hope that you are well. According to Radio 4, some places in the UK could be as hot as Malaga today. Hmm. Maybe not in Plymouth or Malaga was having a bit of an off day. If you are in one of the areas of the UK that had heat cracking the flags then good for you. I am still rocking a chunky jumper myself. 

I'm typing this with one eye on Crufts which usually makes me shout at the telly when the Jack Russell doesn't win. (The Jack Russell never wins - racists.) 

This morning at church was Pick and Mix Day. (see poster above) For the uninitiated Pick and Mix happens a couple of times a year. After the first songs etc. the congregation splits into various groups around the building. You can choose which group you want to go into. Today there were some craft things for children to do, a preach if you wanted to listen to that, a chance to join a meditation and prayer group (complete with dingy-dongy sounds and whale noises), a drama group or a musical group using homemade musical instruments - welcome back the washing up liquid bottle with dried peas. Yay! It's all go. It's very well done and I can't stand it. I really don't have the personality to enjoy amateur drama. I had enough of that doing the "I am the Devil" sketch on the shopping precinct in Bolton when was young and luscious and I have no intention of returning to it. For the uninitiated, "I am the Devil" is a shouty drama sketch - possibly about temptation - I was never entirely sure. I remember that three of us had to wear capes that we would swirl dramatically. I used to get annoyed because my cape was always really creased. I never thought that a creased cape added to the realism. Anyway, I don't think I am alone in disliking Pick and Mix because I watched at least three people make a bolt for the front door the first chance they got. I understand that. Especially if you are new to church and in on your own, it can be very difficult to swan around from room to room. 

The thing is, I am perfectly entitled not to like something like this. I'm not going to be shamed about it. I've been in church when they have put on the weirdest stuff and, when it made people feel uncomfortable, they were made to feel that they were unspiritual or falling short in some way by not supporting the Christian collective. Well, I am too old and I have seen too much to be intimidated by that kind of nonsense. To be fair - there is not much of that at our place. BUT, just because I don't like it does it mean that they shouldn't do it - of course not - don't be ridiculous. Church should be trying lots of stuff  - some of it will hit the spot - some, not so much. I shouldn't have to join in if I don't want to but, equally, my job is to find something useful to do to help and, as Aged Parent used to say, straighten my face. (She would often add "or I'll straighten it for you"). I did hear this morning of someone of the elder statesman of the church kind of leaning who had threatened not to come because it had been suggested that the church temporarily change a meeting room because of heating problems. (Apparently, the Holy Spirit only turns up at the Main Hall. He refuses to slum it in anything smaller.) I wouldn't lead a church for a gold pig. 

And, as if to confirm that it's not all about me - apparently - someone arrived this morning and they were really excited because this was their favourite type of thing. So there you are.

Have you heard the worship song with the words

"It's all about you...It's not about me...."

I remember working at church and hearing a couple of youth scallys singing

"It's not about you...It's all about me" mainly to wind up a frazzled youth pastor but - half the time we are all a bit guilty of that. 

By the way - you may be thinking that "she is writing all this down to work through it herself because she's probably more guilty of this self-centeredness than anyone" and you would be correct in that assumption. Ha!

Before I go and watch the final Pottery Throw Down and have a good shout at the result I expect - just a quick recommendation for The Marlow Murder Club on UTV. I read a couple of the books and thought that they were ok but I thought that the TV was really good. If you can find U TV. Also, the new Bergerac is on there. We watched it all in one go on Friday night. Six episodes - that's six hours long! I mean I liked it but John Nettles used to clear it all up in one hour straight on a Sunday night - that's all I'm saying. Carry on everyone.