Churches

Throughout my life, my association with the Church has been very casual. I daresay I must have been christened in one, but I don’t remember anything at all about that. As an adult, it seems difficult to avoid churches altogether; lucky, in deed, is the man who has never been required to attend a christening, wedding or funeral. In my experience, the goings-on in churches can only be described as dreary.

Given what I have said so far, one might reasonably conclude that I don’t very much like churches, but nothing could be further from the truth. I love churches. Not all of them, of course, some are ugly and uninviting, but most are interesting. I very rarely pass a church without giving it a similar degree of attention as many men give to a shapely young female walking along the pavement. Although I like to think my reaction to the view is less unwholesome.

I like older churches that stand in graveyards the best. Particularly if the graveyard is slightly neglected, and the gravestones are all leaning in various directions, at various angles. I can’t say I usually give much thought to what might be beneath the stones, just as I don’t give much to what might be happening inside the church; it’s all about aesthetics, really. I just like the way it all looks.

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Comments (53)

That a cut and paste image or did you actually leave your computer to go into a churchyard

laugh
Cut and paste. sigh
That was an enjoyable write with the right picture to the end.
Fay. wine
You've never been to a christening, a wedding or a funeral, AI, how have you managed that? wow

Churches always seem to be more interesting on the outside.
No Herbie, I've never been invited to any of those.

Maybe it's due to the fact that I've been living abroad?
Just as well! wink

Daniela wave hug
Hey Harb! cheers

I like churches, inside and out. It's the brainwashing that I detest.
grin

I worked at a church/grave yard when I was 13 or 14...cutting the grass and burying bodies.
Well I'll invite you to my funeral, Daniela. smile
I always thought you had the look of a grave digger about you, BD. cheers
The older they are, the better, snowlynx.
Amen to that Harb.
For me, church upholds truth ...
though disfigured, in more ways than one.



bowing

The church makes me constipated
Don't roll your eyes at me love..Stay out of my lane
haha ha ... am i meant to be afraid?

if you think you feel an earthquake, fret not ....

it's just me shaking in me boots rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing rolling on the floor laughing
And they say the Church brings people together. smile

Hi, Merc. wave

Hello, Itchy. wave

Come on, you two, no fighting in church. scold
I don't want to go to your funeral Herbie!

Do you wish to be buried or cremated?

conversing teddybear
I don't really want to go, either, Daniela.

I don't like the thought of being buried, but as long as they double check that I'm dead, I don't really mind.
Churches are a waste of a building IMO, they could house some homeless people... the old churches look dangerous and need bulldozing to ground, not just churches but all places of so called worship need to be put to good use or bulldoze it to ground...
I agree with you entirely Butch thumbs up

What a waste of space...and money!

If people feel the need to worship some god or deity, they can do it from their own home.
I like how other countries such as India use their churches, temples, stoopas...on a daily basis as places to socialise, set up markets, musicians perform adhoc opening up the spaces to the entire community. filling them full of life and colour without the dogma.
I'm afraid my knowledge goes no further than English parish churches, Jigsore. sigh
In these days the churches in my town all offer
craft courses
keep fit for older folks
badminton for oldies,
talks and authors come
festivals

All this is much more than anyone else offers. and the invite atheists too that's me we are all made welcome
so some old churches serve a good purpose.

Also the graves off history down the ages, you can tell when there has been a plague whole families together ect.
I'm hoping that neither Daniela nor Butch know how to operate a bulldozer. uh oh
So you're a fan of churches, EX? thumbs up
Hi, loulou. wave
Yes I am harbal for its them I see helping communities, plus as I said plenty of history in church yards

I will never be a convert into a God worshiper but do see the good in people in a church and what they try to do thumbs up
I love old churches and graveyards, Har.
I've often spend hours wandering around old graveyards reading the fascinating epitaphs.
I like churches and temples. There is a eerie sense of calmness and nothingness in them. I can forget everything in an empty church or a temple.

But when I attend church for a mass, I am not calm.
grin
It's nice to know I'm not the only one who hangs around in graveyards, Molly. tip hat
Churches are much better when you stay on the outside, Usha. wine
Knew this girl once who had this fascination of "doing it" it a Grave yard. She'd bring the subject up once in awhile, kinda hinting I believe. I never got that far with her though. I have mixed thoughts of that scenario. laugh
I'm guessing the girl's motives had nothing to do with church architecture, Loh. smile
Har

I saw a man drive a vehicle that looked like the picture on his grave...wow

True story...
I can't quite work out what you mean, loulou, can you rephrase it?

wine
I was at a graveyard and was looking at a particular grave stone...it had a picture of the deceased...I looked up from the grave and saw the deceased man driving a car on the road...wow
My mother was, shall we say very fond of beer and other fermented and distilled liquids. She was very religious, that is to say she always made me go to church on Sundays. She also enrolled me in "Religious Instruction" which meant I had to leave school an hour early on Thursdays and walk 3 blocks to a church and attend a class about the bible, learn prayers etc in prep for receiving "Confirmation". I was told I would become a "Soldier of God" My excitement was short lived however when I was told this didn't involve carrying a gun.:(
One Sunday when I was 13 my mother gave me about 45 cents to put in the collection basket and sent me off to church. Nothing unusual about that except on this day when I got to the church I remember standing at the front of the church looking at the 2 huge solid wooden doors which had to be at least 8 feet tall and about 3" thick with polished brass hinges and doorknobs. For some reason I thought "I wonder what these doors cost?" How many times would one have to deposit 45 cents into the basket to pay for just one of these doors? I thought about what I could do with the coins my mother gave me. Finally I turned to me left and walked to the corner, made a right and headed to the movies. That was the last time I ever even came close to going into a church (Barring attending a few weddings).
I think my mother felt that by sending me and my brother to church it would somehow earn her an invite into Heaven in spite of the fact that she hardly ever set foot in church.
@HarbalEsquire. I hope you don't mind me making a small comment on your blog as I have only recently joined this site. Anyway, just to say, I was happy to read that some people still appreciate the architecture and stonework in those gorgeous old churches and graveyards. All mostly relegated to the annals of the history of Christianity and it's, practically extinct, caretakers.
Oh, I see what you mean now, loulou.

Perhaps the man in the grave was an imposter. hmmm
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