Christmas Church report

Pretty much as ghastly as I thought, but sometimes our preconceptions turn out to be self-fulfilling.
A couple of redeeming features -
I said I'd settle for just one person being Christ-like, and I was not disappointed - the lady on the door who welcomed me and kissed me and really meant it.
The other redeeming feature was the carol sheet that included the line "Chris is born in Bethlehem" - oh the joy of letting one's mind wander on such thoughts!

Christmas Cathedral

My family and I went to the Christmas service at Chichester cathedral last night. We had applied for tickets (free) a while ago, but still only qualified for a seat on the side where you couldn't see anything. The music and the choir were very good, and I suppose the readings were done well. Many of the carols were old english and unfamiliar to me, but i enjoyed listening to them as they were different. I would have preferred to be able to see some of what was going on.
The really disappointing thing for me was that I found the whole thing completely unmoving.

Christmas Church

I haven't been to a 'proper' church service for a long time now. My children have decided that we're going to church on Christmas day. A friend commented last night that I'll be able to see it from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't go to church, and I certainly will.
So what do I find scary? (I actually do!)

• Parking and people watching me walking to the building.
• Crossing the 'threshold'.
  
• People saying they haven't seen me for a long time with the implication that I should have inhabited their space.
• Not being able to find a seat for us to be together.
• Being expected to 'do' things.
• Communal singing.
• Being ignored.
• Not being able to comment.

Pretty pathetic really, but having spent so long in an environment where people don't understand why others don't come to their church, it probably serves me right and is good for my soul.