Why do you attend?

It doesn't matter to me, what others think. I just wonder why some are so keen to prove God doesn't exist.
I don't believe only Christians go to heaven Bluebelle.
There are people who have never heard of God. It wouldn't be fair. Tbh I never think much about the afterlife. I follow the teachings of Jesus of how we should love each other. I pray to God. I believe there is more than just this life. I don't believe there's a big place in the sky full of believers I'm just happy to try to live the way Christ taught us and leave the rest to God.

My church I visited this morning was a field surrounded by woodland, fresh with dew, birdsong and peace.

The Easter Service I attended this morning was in our little village church, which I attend regularly.

20 of us, including the vicar.

Traditional hymns, a meaningful sermon, holy communion, lovely spring flower arrangements, a real feeling of fellowship.

I used to attend with my late mother. It’s the church my grandmother went to as a young bride.

I clean the brass there on a rota basis, and DH and I cut the churchyard grass, also on a rota. I look at the gravestones of those previous members of the congregation. and I like the feeling of continuity, of all the different lives before me.

Those of us who believe have hope that there is something there, eventually.

It gives me comfort.

“Eastre” Pagon goddess of spring gifted the Christian religion Easter.

Treebee

I’m a Quaker attender. I go to Meeting as I have time and space to be still and listen along with others. It gives me a sense of peace and solutions to problems sometimes occur to me.

Me too.

How I miss a week when I have to miss it. The sense of a quiet compassionate spirit abroad amongst us is like no other space.

Sounds lovely Wyllow3.

Those of us who believe have hope that there is something there, eventually.
And if not, maybe we will have lived a better life following its teachings.

I'm aware nadateturbe that its a very good group atm: Quakers have conflicts at times like any other group, tho we do have processes to resolve this (meetings in the spirit of worship for parties to speak their truth with support from experienced outside the meeting people involved).

I am a longterm member of a 12-step fellowship which led me back in/out to Christianity. My church is independent so is at ease with you having your own personal view.

My faith is certainly not mainstream. It goes back to the desert fathers/mothers and mystics before the reformation messed it all up and it became about external rules. In other words man created God into man image.

The perennial tradition and Christian life is about the inner life. I am very much a Friend of St Francis and Fr Richard Rohr.

Without Fr Richard I would not be a member of any church. His teachings take us back to the inner life not the main stream faith as for me it's immature Christianity.

I believe all roads lead to the one. I love more about my church than I don't like so I stay. My church is the one stop community where I live for everything including the foodbank and CAP with much more.

I learnt to sack my childhood faith and to find a loving God. Not the one I was bought up with.

You can find Fr Richard Rohr on YouTube. Here is a link to the firet one.of his I ever heard. I cried joyful tears. I drgy you not to be touched by it

youtu.be/SilgjFpdtwM

I go because I enjoy the singing, especially at Christmas. I have made so many like minded friends, it’s a lovely place to meet nice people.

SquirrelSue

I moved to a new area 5 years ago. I first attended the big parish church but the people were middle class and stuffy. One of the parishioners asked me where I live, having told her I live in a flat, she responded by saying "oh dear, I live in a Victorian house". I never returned. I then went to a smaller church for Sunday morning service. I was smartly dressed. I sat in a pew on my own. No one walked up to me to say, hello, welcome, good morning. No one smiled. I felt totally isolated. So I gave up and haven't gone to church since.

I was really saddened to read this. I belong to a very small C of E church where I was welcomed from the start. The ‘church family’ is truly represented there. People offer lifts, food is collected for the local food bank, there are many social events, usually involving ‘being and share’ dishes and no sign of any snobbery or one upmanship. Visitors are welcomed to the services and the Ukrainians living in the area have, for many years, borrowed the church building for their own services. Some of them came to the Easter celebrations yesterday and shared their traditional Easter bread at after-service coffee.

All this is to me how church should be.

Keffie 12 Thankyou for your signpost to Fr Richard, I looked him up on you tube and discovered great wisdom in his interpretations, his fluidity of thought beyond duality.

Joseanne such a beautiful life enhancing word - revelling, keep on revelling I say, how people choose to interpret it is of no significance

I have faith in God, was brought up a a RC .
But I have no faith in religion or the double standards of the church. So I can’t bring myself to go to church services. So not really sure what that means.

Stormystar

Joseanne such a beautiful life enhancing word - revelling, keep on revelling I say, how people choose to interpret it is of no significance

"Revelling" is great.

"Revelling in your ordeals"

However you cut it, that is strange.

Maybe in your world Volver3 but not in mine.

No, really. Revelling in ordeals is very odd.

Yes as a mindset of facing life’s challenges in order to evolve and develop more resilience more compassion more understanding more loving kindness

Thanks Stormystar for seeing my choice of word in its right context. Im not weird, honest!
If we don't have challenges/ordeals, then we can't evolve into a mature Christian, nor do we have any understanding of what others go through. I wouldn't want that.
A sort of no pain, no gain.

To revel: to take intense pleasure or satisfaction.

Ordeal: a very unpleasant and prolonged experience.

Tell someone you appreciate being able to develop through facing your challenges, they'll most probably say, "good for you."

Tell someone that you take pleasure from a very unpleasant experience, don't be surprised if they think you're weird.

I think you have made your point Volver.

No need to labour it.

OK Miss.

I live next door to a Church and I sometimes go and sit for 10 minutes in the churchyard as it is so peaceful.

I do not attend Church but I do see maybe a dozen people going in on a Sunday and that’s from a village with a population of over 1,000 people. Christenings and funerals are better attended.

Marydoll

I think you have made your point Volver.

No need to labour it.

I did use my best exasperrated teacher's voice.😉

Oh, it came through my PC Screen. 😉