Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 December 2005 21:25:27
I wonder when I'll return to our church. They closed for refurbishment about six weeks ago and I've not been there since the pews were removed and the floor levelled. 'Twill be strange, I think. I'm not totally happy about it, to be honest, and am trying not to be averse to it simply because of change. I think having chairs instead of pews is going to be a bonus. I think my main objection is that the Sunday School have been moved from a room right beside the main churchy part where they were part of everything and everyone felt part of what they do, up to the uncarpetted scout hall upstairs, up a spiral concrete staircase inaccessible to small children or elderly people (which constitutes the majority of our congregation). What message are we giving our children?
Anyway, the reason for not going this morning was because Dad felt well enough for church and I was going to take him to his. As it turned out, we didn't go there either, as he took a turn for the worse. So we seized the opportunity to go on a spying mission to another church nearby where, in four weeks' time, I am to be preaching unaccompanied for the very first time. It was good to suss the place and the routines out, and especially to get to know some of the congregation so I'll be assured of a few friendly faces. Not sure how I'll avoid getting distracted by the two little one-year-olds who play happily on the platform alongside the preacher's feet - I can imagine suddenly realising the hymn's over and I'm sitting on the floor playing peepo!
This afternoon I sallied forth with my friend M who wanted to take me and the boys out for a meal to make up for me missing the SoF Winchester Christmas dinner. I'd wanted desperately to go, but just felt too shattered to make the journey, too poor to cough up the ferry fare, and too thwarted by Dad's stay in Southampton being cut short. Out to one of our favourite cafes, one serving massive cakes. MMMMMMMMmm ... strawberry pavlova, followed by most of Smudgelet's banoffee pie. His eyes were bigger than his belly. Fortunately, my belly is bigger than my eyes !
This evening was a community carol service and both the boys were required to attend as scouts/cubs. Smudgelet was quite disgusted to be asked to read the part of an angel. Tiddles reassured him that Gabriel was actually male, to which Smudgelet replied "Wasn't HE a girl?" .. but as it turned out he was recast as a shepherd while Tiddles took over as the angel (remarkably well, considering he was reading it without any practice beforehand). Mind you, singing Away in a Manger, you'd have thought Smudgelet had never sung in public before and that the carol was completely new to him... but again Tiddles took up the strain rather well. Which is more than you could say for the congregation. I have never known a) such a poor turn out and b) such pathetic and miserable singing. You'd never have guessed they were singing about Christmas. I had to suppress an overwhelming desire to give them a good talking too - I guess it would have caused the Smudgelets no little embarrassment to have their mum stand up mid-carol and bellow "Come on, this just won't do. Put some welly into it!"