bananabrain
awkward squadnik
i was talking to a vicar friend of mine who was analysing why people go to her church and it seemed to me that there are a number of different reasons:
1. you like the closeness of it all, the feeling of belonging to a small, warm, family - it also helps if everyone else is going to hell and you are the only saved ones. *cough* mee *cough*
2. you like the connection with family or ethnicity or "heritage" or an opportunity to be with people from the same background. often goes with happy-clappy stuff or, in england, rather awkward dancing. or, as in my synagogue, homicidal ululation and sweet-throwing.
3. you like the feeling of belonging to a grand tradition, who like the power, majesty, glory, architecture, language, music and poetics of it all; your "smells & bells" lot - or some of the more refined sephardim.
4. you like the intellectual challenge of working out what is going on; or people who actually enjoy the sermon, i've heard that happens.
5. you're using the service as a spiritual exercise or workout or whatever. mystics, monastics and the sort of people that use the word "egregore".
6. you're going socially to see friends or family and have a good chat over the kiddush or whatever it is people do at church, tea and biscuits i dare say, you party animals you. often cannot be restrained until the service is over.
7. going to be seen, either to show off that damfool hat, sneer at other people's damfool hats, or so you can get your kid into the right school. mentioning no names, united synagogue.
8. you're going because it'll get you out of staying in the house with the kids, mentioning no names, mrs bb.
9. you're going not because you're especially interested, but because you're giving their kids a chance to "opt in".
10. you're going out of solidarity; with someone dead, so that grandma doesn't realise you're an atheist, for a celebration of some sort, with a group that's being supported. the sort of people that without fail make sure they turn up for remembrance sunday or yizkor at ashkenazi shuls on yom kippur.
11. you fancy someone else who goes. perhaps they'll shag you if you have something spiritual in common.
12. you're on a spiritual quest and are trying to work something out.
13. the awkward squad; people who are there so they can be offended by something in the sermon or by the other members of the congregation, or by the fact that it's too slow/fast/noisy/formal. will take the opportunity to vigorously complain afterwards. mentioning no names, oh no.
have i forgotten anything? how do you plead?
b'shalom
bananabrain
1. you like the closeness of it all, the feeling of belonging to a small, warm, family - it also helps if everyone else is going to hell and you are the only saved ones. *cough* mee *cough*
2. you like the connection with family or ethnicity or "heritage" or an opportunity to be with people from the same background. often goes with happy-clappy stuff or, in england, rather awkward dancing. or, as in my synagogue, homicidal ululation and sweet-throwing.
3. you like the feeling of belonging to a grand tradition, who like the power, majesty, glory, architecture, language, music and poetics of it all; your "smells & bells" lot - or some of the more refined sephardim.
4. you like the intellectual challenge of working out what is going on; or people who actually enjoy the sermon, i've heard that happens.
5. you're using the service as a spiritual exercise or workout or whatever. mystics, monastics and the sort of people that use the word "egregore".
6. you're going socially to see friends or family and have a good chat over the kiddush or whatever it is people do at church, tea and biscuits i dare say, you party animals you. often cannot be restrained until the service is over.
7. going to be seen, either to show off that damfool hat, sneer at other people's damfool hats, or so you can get your kid into the right school. mentioning no names, united synagogue.
8. you're going because it'll get you out of staying in the house with the kids, mentioning no names, mrs bb.
9. you're going not because you're especially interested, but because you're giving their kids a chance to "opt in".
10. you're going out of solidarity; with someone dead, so that grandma doesn't realise you're an atheist, for a celebration of some sort, with a group that's being supported. the sort of people that without fail make sure they turn up for remembrance sunday or yizkor at ashkenazi shuls on yom kippur.
11. you fancy someone else who goes. perhaps they'll shag you if you have something spiritual in common.
12. you're on a spiritual quest and are trying to work something out.
13. the awkward squad; people who are there so they can be offended by something in the sermon or by the other members of the congregation, or by the fact that it's too slow/fast/noisy/formal. will take the opportunity to vigorously complain afterwards. mentioning no names, oh no.
have i forgotten anything? how do you plead?
b'shalom
bananabrain
