Reflection upon rehearsal for SLGC's appearance at Unity Church

[scarlettina]

So tonight's chorus rehearsal was all about Sunday's appearance. The chorus will be singing in Unity Church's Joyful Arts Ministry. We've been preparing one particular song to perform. What I didn't realize was that we were going to be performing, basically, as the choir for the entire service. Tonight we rehearsed with Unity's musical director and

Comments

[miss_swamp]

some of the stuff we were singing sounded to me like the worship music I've heard in TV commercials for evangelical music CDs

Yes! Fusing "it's all good" with memories of evangelism lessons at church camp. Tonight felt very strange, even though it was fun.

[scarlettina]

It's reassuring to know that I wasn't the only one who felt odd doing this. I'm sure there's more to my discomfort than what I've rambled on about here, but this seems to get at some of the root cause, which is a good thing.

Dig the new icon! ::grin::

[aprivatefox]

I've been trying to explain what has me happy-uncomfortable to mufi for the last hour. I think you've arrived at part of it; thank you.

[scarlettina]

You're most welcome, sir.

[pixxelpuss]

I'd be going through exactly the same stuff, were I part of the chorus. I left the church for many reasons, including some that weren't issues with dogma (and since it was the United Church of Canada, there actually weren't many dogma ones). If I find myself drawn to church (as sometimes I do), I may find my way to Unity.

But I can see being uncomfortable with church sounding music because of the associations despite loving the sound.

I can totally relate.

[kistha]

The last time I sang in a choir it was a volunteer one for the company Christmas party. I assumed that we'd sing 'holiday songs' without getting religious, and practice at work.

Turns out we were singing all religious works (eg: Mary Had a Baby Boy) and were practicing out of the Lutheran church. I was very uncomfortable, but enjoyed the singing.

I did wonder if I'd burst into flames though. *laughs*

It's hard sometimes to do that whole "I can respect and join in for my friends/obligations." I'm sure it will be just fine in the end.

Oh, and yes, Unity churches are very broad..but they still feel like churches.

Re: I can totally relate.

[scarlettina]

I was very uncomfortable, but enjoyed the singing. I did wonder if I'd burst into flames though. *laughs*

I totally understand this feeling. I always have that experience, walking into a church: "Oooh! How beautiful! Wait a minute . . . " Ask me sometime about my experience at the Church of the Annuunciation in Israel, and the mosaic of Jesus that I fell in love with.

Unity churches are very broad...but they still feel like churches.

Yup, that's it exactly.

[ghilledhu]

It's funny -- I think there may just be something about churches that, no matter how beautiful or liberal or non-prostheletizing, say on some level, "If you're not one of us, you don't belong here." It's been years since I've been anything close to an observant Jew, and yet I still can't go into a church without feeling vaguely like I'm doing something forbidden, like I'm not welcome there.

I think it may have something to do with an "us vs. them" attitude found...less with the actual, original teachings of Jesus himself, but with what organized Christianity has become over the millennia. That perception can be hard to shake, even when an individual church goes against it.

[pixxelpuss]

I dunno. I sort of think that any church that actually encourages people to convert (as opposed to accepting people who come to them) has an implicit us vs. them-ness. You know?

[ghilledhu]

...yeah, that's what I was saying. Wasn't it?

*is confused*

[db_writer]

"I am not receptive to being evangelized to and the idea of evangelizing to others has always struck me as a little presumptuous. I can respect what someone else believes without having to believe it myself. I am naturally suspicious of anyone who insists I must believe what they believe."

My experience has always been that if someone is telling you "believe what I believe or else" they are not evangelizing, they are giving you an ultimatum. I don't think God/Yaweh/El Shaddai deals with us in ultimatums. Rather, it would be His prefernce to deal with us in love. If only us Earth-bound church-going humans could really follow that example.