Categories: uncategorized
Date: 28 September 2008 12:50:07
Ok, I wasn't going to go to church hopping, I wasn't going to turn it into a consumer thing.......but I guess it's turning that way.
When Third Party revealed that one of her friends went to the local Methodist church and she didn't feel she was settling into the church we've been going to for the last couple of weeks aswell as I had thought I felt a wave of relief come over me. It kind of gave me the excuse I needed to atleast consider looking at alternative congregations to become part of. Now don't get me wrong, church with silly o'clock services is v.g. but with the extent of their segmentation, which I understand, was causing me confuddlement and homesickness in terms of trying to work out who I was anymore as it didn't seem to have anything that allowed me to just be "Tractor Girl" the person, rather than "Tractor Girl" the parent, "Tractor Girl" the women, "Tractor Girl" the post-grad - all in seperate segments.
So anyway that's all a long winded way of saying we found our way into a local Methodist this morning, which meets at a time we are more familiar with. It was a bit of a strange experience, but was far more welcoming. Having said that it was a very wierd congregation.... there was almost a complete gap of people aged between 25 - 55(ish). There were a good gaggle of teenagers and loads of people who looked eligable for free bus travel but almost nobody inbetween, with the exception of the clergy. When I quietly enquired if this was the usual situation, afterwards, I was informed that unfortunately yes, but atleast they had the younger end...which was more than alot of local congregations. There was also an air of it being well prepared, but equally having the possibility of going wrong that I appreciated and there was real interaction with people going on in the service. So anyway the upshot is I feel alot less homesick this morning than I have on any other Sunday I've been here, but I am leaving the decision up to Third Party. If she decides she wants to go to the silly o'clock service church great, if not..... well.
Now, before anybody asks yes I have prayed about it all and God seems quite silent on the matter, apart from providing Third Party with contacts at a range of churches. So anyway, we'll see what the future holds... but me thinks I could be back at the Methodist church again at some point.
In other news there is now a rather good statue of St. Cuthberts funeral possession outside the library I am e-mailing from, which looks rather good. I briefly saw Princess Anne having her picture taken by it as I sloped back in on Friday afternoon, for the Royal watchers amongst you.