Here in the UK, in my village, we have a lovely old Anglican church. Christmas concerts, apart from the usual midnight mass, offer a brass band concert with a lovely finale.

As the concert is closing with the last ooompah of Christmas Carols, beautifully rendered by an amazing brass band, we hear in the distance the increasing sound of bagpipes, then suddenly the whole church is filled with the pipes playing Amazing Grace.

The Scots Guards Association Pipe Band play through the aisles and gather at the front of the church, still piping and drumming.

The hairs on the back of my neck bristling with the 'spirit', it is an amazing experience.

In the Spring they hold a Craft Fayre - with Morris dancing, falconry display, woodcraft and stained-glass crafting workshops, gardening workshops and the whole fayre is a lovely day out. The ladies of the Women's Institute provide tea and home made cakes/biscuits for a nominal charge in the main church and there is tombola and craft/home made jam stalls.

There is also a kiddies' corner, where children have their faces painted and watch the vicar try (with some hilarity) to make rabbits and animals under instruction from the clown that has been hired for the day. There is so much laughter and joy that the atmosphere is quite infectious.

I never, even in the days of the roadshows, witnessed such a happy atmosphere in a mormon church.

Briggy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2012 01:53AM by brigantia.

The description of your UK church sounds lovely. Yes, here in the US many churches that are mainstream do similar things. We even had a jump house for the kids one Sun. - around the end of summer I believe. We also do a craft fair eith homemade items....and the kids do many choir concerts. Our contempory band-guitars, trumpets, etc. is excellent and it does bring many to church who would not necessarily come for a traditional service.I only saw a portion of the Whitney funeral but what I saw did celebrate her love of music. Nice rememberances were spoken. The service was respectful what I saw.

And some churches actually have beer or wine at their functions. Imagine that.

What a beautiful way to celebrate Christmas.

I just heard that our community holds parties!! It's part of the Localizing movement.

It used to be communities prided themselves as distinct social groups. We used to live in Alpine before the wealthy came in. Every year there was Alpine Days and all kinds of fun that I am sure has been banned, like the Fireman using the Firehose to spray down the kids who participated in the (muddy) rope pulling contest.

Any Alpine residents? Can you tell me if that survived the one percentification?

thanks

Ana

I love Orthodox Christian services and may convert. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGl_6oH_EMU&feature=g-all-u&context=G2f0ede0FAAAAAAAAAAA

and they control whole swathes of the population the same way mormonism controls parts of Utah.

There is a huge divide between the riches of the churches and the poor followers. Were it not for that I'd be of the same mind as you his_dudeness.

This Orthodox Archimandrite, and his lovely voice, is enough to stir anyone's soul in my opinion. His concert in Rome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nUZnE1tp7Y&feature=related

Briggy

More good than bad in a lot of churches. I watched Whitney Houston's funeral and was really impressed by the Black Baptist music and ceremony. Lots of real soul and spirit there, plus genuine community feeling beyond the celebrity glitz. I live not far from Newark, and Mendham where Whitney lived for many years so it was good to see her life celebrated as a true Jersey girl.

Briggy, that Anglican service sounds wonderful. The best Midnight Mass I ever attended was at an Anglican church, and I am Catholic. I have heard that Eastern Orthodox services are beautiful as well. Sometimes generousity and beauty are their own reward, regardless of theology.

Morg services sound constipated and phony to me, who has never attended one.