Every Sunday morning, MrsDoF trundles off to the local Mennonite church, where many of our good friends worship. But it’s a day of rest, and socializing even with people I like, wears me out, and I seem to have slipped off the religion wagon. So I prefer to spend Sunday morning working on an old bicycle.
After reading that post, MrsDoF sent me a link to Joe’s Big Blog, where he posts about his own way of ‘worshipping’ in My Sunday Mornings.
Suffice to say, he isn’t a fan of liturgy 
I’ll confess, unabashedly, to a love of liturgy, stemming from a love of language and old things.
I’ll say that, as an Episcopalian, I don’t run into a lot of what Joe does. I don’t care for—and don’t run into—“we’re but slimy sinners, and need to toss greenbacks into the collection plate to make God love us” kind of sentiment. And the folks at my church are genuinely friendly and not just smiling for the sake of it being Sunday.
And it’s a family thing, and we head out for a nice brunch afterwards, as much a part of our communion as the bread and wine (if more reading of books is involved).
To my mind, corporate worship is a good thing to the extent it serves as a reminder to actually consider the ineffable bits on at least a weekly basis, and to the extent that it actually involves a community that practices what it preaches. Others’ mileage may vary, and I have absotively no problem with that.
Dof- your wife had to send you a link? Is there no geographical propinquity in your relationship
?
***Dave- I too love language and old things, and I’ve felt the power of the liturgy too (I’ve sung more masses than I can swing a cat at). Even though I’m an atheist, I find that religion, in the sense of communal recognition of common values, can be a powerful builder of society. Atheists would do well to reflect that their mores and values are also irrational (in the sense of not being grounded on irrefutably logical principles), and could take a leaf from the book of goodhearted believers.
***Dave, I get entirely what you’re saying. Christianity isn’t all televangelists and sin! Sin! SIN! In fact, not even primarily.
Zilch, MrsDoF and I have a relationship with not only geographical but also hypertext propinquity
She sends me comics and links at work.
It’s certainly not *all* about that. There are branches of it that focus more (a lot more, too much more, or even “primarily”) on that, but that’s not my cuppa and I’d not be attending a church that did.
I think it’s proper and helpful to consider one’s shortcomings on a regular basis and resolve to try and do better. I also think there should be—must be—a lot more to religion and faith than just that. To use a (ack) sports metaphor, if being on the team *only* meant being berated for one’s mistakes and forced to run laps, it would be neither fun nor useful.
Sense of community is one reason why I like Unitarian churches. Everyone is genuinely nice and forthcoming. They aren’t looking to convert you or preach about how you’re a sinner and need repentance. They simply want to give those whom believe in god a place to come to free from the BS.
My family had a similar ritual to that of Dave’s and it was much more enjoyable than when we went to the Catholic church.
The last church I attended regularly was the University Lutheran Church in Berkeley. The pastor Gus Schultz gave inspiring sermons with nary a mention of hellfire or sin, and we had our son Adam baptized there.
I suspect the feeling of a place of worship depends at least as much, if not more, on the people there- the clergy and the parishioners- as it does on the particular doctrines of the church.
My church is a televsion program.
I schedule my life around it and no-one who knows me well would dare call between 9 and 10:30 on Sunday mornings.
I haven’t missed attending in over 25 years (expect when on travel, and even then, someone usually tapes for me).
Art, Architecture, excellent commentators with points of view I would not have thought of, profiles of fascinating people, unusual places or animals or plants explored in depth,education, photography, science and music of all styles. Humorist Bill Geist never fails to draw out true belly laughs. He is a man I would love to have as a friend. The show always ends quietly, showcasing a beautiful natural habitat with animals being themselves. The closing is a prayer in itself.
It starts with a brilliant trumpet solo by Winton Marsalas, perfect in execution. There is good natured Charles Osgood (I started with beloved Charles Kuralt, who died on the 4th of July)who delighted in the best of people and daily life. He hung on the words of a banjo maker, tracked a pensioner who picked up enough coke bottles over 30 years to put in a swimming pool in the park for the town kids because she knew they needed it.
CBS Sunday Morning. That is my church and will continue to be until the quality falters. I hope that is never the case.
It is my “peace” of heaven and sends me happily into the next week. I think that is what church is supposed to do anyway: usher in calm, provide something to think about, inspire the individual to be a better person, know your fellow man bbeyond the superficial and savor what is good on this planet.
I don’t care for organized churches and have not attended in many years. But, I am confident you will understand when I say I am in church every hour of every day. It’s the only place I want to be.
I too, value my Sundays at home, but lately I have an occasion or two to join my daughter and her twins at the Metropolitan Church in West Hollywood. What a joyful group and Rev. Pat is absolutely wonderful. If I lived near that community, I would find myself wandering over on Sunday mornings and volunteering in some of their wonderful outreach programs during the week.
Going to church or not is a personal choice and right now outside of the times with my daughter, I prefer a quiet time at home on Sundays.
Thanks for leading me to a new blog site. I always enjoy your writing.
Ever since I read this, I’ve had an earworm of the song SUNDAY from the soundtrack of Flower Drum Song
Through the wonders of the Interweb, I found the lyrics.
Maybe now that I have copied it here, I can get a peaceful sleep.
Sunday
Now that we’re going to be married,
I keep imagining things,
Things that can happen to people,
When they are wearing gold rings:
Being together each morning,
Sharing our coffee and toast.
That’s only one of the pictures.
Here’s what I picture most.
Sunday, sweet Sunday,
With nothing to do,
Lazy and lovely,
My one day with you.
Hazy and happy,
We’ll drift through the day,
Dreaming the hours away.
While all the funny papers lie or fly around the place
I will try my kisses on your funny face.
Dozing, then waking,
On Sunday you’ll see…
On…ly… me!
Sunday, sweet Sunday,
On Sunday you’ll see…
On…ly… me!