A belated Friday Five
Okay, so I'm behind schedule. Waaay overdue. But better late than never, yes? Anyway, here's my shot at the latest RevGal "Friday Five" meme:
1) What is your earliest memory of church?
When I was small, children did not attend "big church" until we were in grade school, and then only once a month until we were maybe 12 or so. The rest of the time, we went upstairs to our own little chapel (complete with altar and small organ) for worship. I do not remember the name of the woman who led chapel then, but I can still see her clearly: middle aged, with 1960's "Helmet Hair," dressed in a progression of slightly frumpy suits that simply screamed Utterly Respectable Matron.
But she was kind, and didn't make us talk when we didn't want to, and spoke gently, eschewing the artifical heartiness so many folks feel the need to put on around little people.
And she sang. She had a decent voice, and loved music, and and took us along for the ride. Of course our repertoire contained childhood staples: "Jesus Loves Me," and "The B-I-B-L-E," without exposure to which mainline Protestant children were not considered properly educated. But we also sang "Real" hymns. She taught us (by rote-- many of us weren't reading yet) the first verses of "Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus," and "The Saints of God" and several others that conventional wisdom would have said weren't appropriate for children's worship.
I loved it.
2) How old were you when you first took Communion?
I was just past my 10th birthday. In those days, one did not take communion in the Episcopal Church until one had been confirmed; so they confirmed us very early. The only things I remember about that day were that my mother made me a new dress, and that I was terrified of the bishop-- a stern old man, indeed.
3) What is your favorite Bible verse/passage?
That's hard to narrow down-- depends on where I am in my life. In the old Testament, I love the poetry of the Song of Songs, and the story of Ruth. Aaron's defensiveness in Exodus over the idol ("There I was, minding my own business, melting the gold, and out popped this calf! Who knew?") makes me laugh every time.
In the New Testament, I'm partial to Luke 7:36-50, the story of the sinful woman-- the whole image of Jesus seeing us as we truly are, and loving us. James' instructions to "count it all joy, when you meet various trials..." has helped me take a deep breath and keep moving, more than once. Colossians 1:25-29, where Paul is talking about his call to service, has been integral to my own journey.
Those will do to start with.
4) What verse/passage nicks you uncomfortably?
Again, there are several. The gospel of Matthew has several challenging spots. James is also good at bluntly nailing my practical Christianity to a hard wall.
5) What's your favorite hymn or praise song?
You're not making this easy, are you? Hymns: "Amazing Grace," "Come thou fount of every blessing," "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation," and "Lord of all hopefulness" come immediately to mind. Praise songs: "Create in me a clean heart," and "The Waymaker" are a couple of old favorites, and "In Your Presence" has been stuck in my head all morning.
1) What is your earliest memory of church?
When I was small, children did not attend "big church" until we were in grade school, and then only once a month until we were maybe 12 or so. The rest of the time, we went upstairs to our own little chapel (complete with altar and small organ) for worship. I do not remember the name of the woman who led chapel then, but I can still see her clearly: middle aged, with 1960's "Helmet Hair," dressed in a progression of slightly frumpy suits that simply screamed Utterly Respectable Matron.
But she was kind, and didn't make us talk when we didn't want to, and spoke gently, eschewing the artifical heartiness so many folks feel the need to put on around little people.
And she sang. She had a decent voice, and loved music, and and took us along for the ride. Of course our repertoire contained childhood staples: "Jesus Loves Me," and "The B-I-B-L-E," without exposure to which mainline Protestant children were not considered properly educated. But we also sang "Real" hymns. She taught us (by rote-- many of us weren't reading yet) the first verses of "Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus," and "The Saints of God" and several others that conventional wisdom would have said weren't appropriate for children's worship.
I loved it.
2) How old were you when you first took Communion?
I was just past my 10th birthday. In those days, one did not take communion in the Episcopal Church until one had been confirmed; so they confirmed us very early. The only things I remember about that day were that my mother made me a new dress, and that I was terrified of the bishop-- a stern old man, indeed.
3) What is your favorite Bible verse/passage?
That's hard to narrow down-- depends on where I am in my life. In the old Testament, I love the poetry of the Song of Songs, and the story of Ruth. Aaron's defensiveness in Exodus over the idol ("There I was, minding my own business, melting the gold, and out popped this calf! Who knew?") makes me laugh every time.
In the New Testament, I'm partial to Luke 7:36-50, the story of the sinful woman-- the whole image of Jesus seeing us as we truly are, and loving us. James' instructions to "count it all joy, when you meet various trials..." has helped me take a deep breath and keep moving, more than once. Colossians 1:25-29, where Paul is talking about his call to service, has been integral to my own journey.
Those will do to start with.
4) What verse/passage nicks you uncomfortably?
Again, there are several. The gospel of Matthew has several challenging spots. James is also good at bluntly nailing my practical Christianity to a hard wall.
5) What's your favorite hymn or praise song?
You're not making this easy, are you? Hymns: "Amazing Grace," "Come thou fount of every blessing," "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation," and "Lord of all hopefulness" come immediately to mind. Praise songs: "Create in me a clean heart," and "The Waymaker" are a couple of old favorites, and "In Your Presence" has been stuck in my head all morning.
posted by Jane Ellen+ at
8:23 PM
2 Comments:
Come Thou Fount is one of my favorites, too, as is Amazing Grace. And we sang Praise to the Lord, the Almighty yesterday!
Thanks for playing, Jane Ellen!
Speaking of hymns....
Last night I was at a family gathering (a rarely-seen cousin was in town), and we were viewing a DVD of photos and music commemorating my aunt's life. (She died recently.)
One of the segments had a number of her favorite hymns, and I found myself humming along (with the bass line, not the melody) until I got this look (you know the kind) from my wife.
I guess I know more hymns than I thought.
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