Religion, With Brand New Whooshy Noises
Sunday, the 18th of July, 2004 - 4 to 3pm
Current Song ~ The 'He-Man & She-Ra: Secret of the Sword' theme (Italian Version).
Author's Note: Here we have something of a nostalgia entry, for the pure and simple reason that I started it and then got distracted for... ooh, a few months. Ooops.
However, since I still feel it a tale worth recounting, so here it is!
The writing of a fresh entry shall begin in as swiftish a manner as can possibly be managed...
This morning we were treated to one of the Church's rare and beautiful moments of sanity and efficiency; and it could easily be argued that after last week (which I didn't have space to comment on fully yesterday), we bloody well deserved such a morning.
It was a Family Service. By now, I suppose I ought to be prepared for basically any manifestation the C of E's slightly desperate 'we're family-orientated and modern, no really, we are!' message. However, I don't think anything could have prepared me for spotting the following heading in the service sheet:
'Prayer of confession and thanksgiving with actions'
There we have a fine example of two activities that should never, ever be combined, and the very idea did absolutely nothing for my composure. The 'actions' turned out to be limited to holding out ones hands with palms turned upward; less ridiculous than feared, but I cannot believe that that added much to anyone's prayer experience...
We were then treated to the further thrill of a Reading replete with group participation sound effects:
"...and after the wind [woooOOOOoooo] an earthquake [crash! crash!], but the LORD was not in the earthquake [crash! crash!]; and after the earthquake [crash! crash!] a fire [crackle! crackle!], but the LORD was not in the fire [crackle! crackle!]..."
On the one hand, I fear for the future of family services. On the other, I'm considering equipping myself with a pair of coconut halves so that I will be prepared for readings involving hoofed mammals.
If we're going to look ridiculous, we may as well go for a Python reference, after all...
Thankfully, the service theme - 'Glimpsing God's Glory' - gave us some decent hymns - Be still for the presence of the Lord, Praise to the Holiest and so forth are always good 'uns for your standard Sunday morning.
I do believe that just about covers it; so, there endeth the lesson entry for today.
But I shall return in the not-too-distant future, oh yes!
Lily
P.S. To my profound astonishment, my visitor stats haven't plummeted to nothing in my absence. Thank you, loyal readers! Thank you also, all ye who are quite devoted to searching for all manner of curious things on Google, and my apologies for very seldom providing them!
