Sarah Goes to Church blog (fly on the wall)

[clarinetpower]

sarahgoestochurch.blogspot.com/

Sharing this, it's done by a relative of a friend. She's decided to take a year and try to attend and observe at a different church each week. She lives in St. Louis.

An easy way to be a fly on the wall in many different churches, it is a pretty fun blog to read. Note: she is decidedly NOT a fundie. She is doing this more as a sociological experiment (and then she goes home and drinks wine.) :wink-penguin: (winking penguin because penguins are wonderful)

[lizziesmom]

Thanks for the link. I teared up reading her blog.

[Savoring Samsara]

That's a really interesting blog.

Her take on Unitarian Universalist hymn singing also made me laugh, mostly because it has been observed by UUs ourselves and in fact reminded me of this joke, which unfortunately is more true that I would like to admit:

Q: Why are Unitarians so bad at singing hymns?

A: Because they are always looking ahead to make sure they agree with the lyrics.

(Seriously, the only thing I miss from being Christian is people in the pews knowing how to harmonize.)

[MamaJunebug]

sarahgoestochurch.blogspot.com/

Sharing this, it's done by a relative of a friend. She's decided to take a year and try to attend and observe at a different church each week. She lives in St. Louis.

An easy way to be a fly on the wall in many different churches, it is a pretty fun blog to read. Note: she is decidedly NOT a fundie. She is doing this more as a sociological experiment (and then she goes home and drinks wine.) :wink-penguin: (winking penguin because penguins are wonderful)

To almost-quote Lady Catherine deBourgh from the Colin Firth Pride & Prejudice: clarinetpower, you have given me a treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can see this is going to be my waiting-in-line reading for some time.

I'm also interested that she found so much at Ethical Society .... but that her final comment was so similar to my own reaction.

Wonderful find, thank you again!!!

[clarinetpower]

:D I'm glad you all enjoy it! I subscribed. Love reading her take on things, and it is very much something I wish I'd thought of, back when I didn't have kids. Fascinating. I just wish she lived in Tempe! ;)

[keen23]

:D I'm glad you all enjoy it! I subscribed. Love reading her take on things, and it is very much something I wish I'd thought of, back when I didn't have kids. Fascinating. I just wish she lived in Tempe! ;)

But it seems Sarah is getting positive things out of her church going experiments. Sending someone to Pastor Anderson seems like it would be punishment. I can't imagine that she'd get anything positive out of that.

[lilah]

I don't know about this post sarahgoestochurch.blogspot.com/2013/01/did-you-know-they-had-cars-back-in.html

Every other church/temple she talks about their donomination but then this one is just 'the Black Church?"! Like there aren't many different kinds of churches that black folk attend? And her comments about hats was so condescending.

[ThatSnark]

That's a really interesting blog.

Her take on Unitarian Universalist hymn singing also made me laugh, mostly because it has been observed by UUs ourselves and in fact reminded me of this joke, which unfortunately is more true that I would like to admit:

Q: Why are Unitarians so bad at singing hymns?

A: Because they are always looking ahead to make sure they agree with the lyrics.

(Seriously, the only thing I miss from being Christian is people in the pews knowing how to harmonize.)

I love this blog!

I'm a rare bird: I'm UU and sing in our church's choir. 8-) On the weeks when the choir sings, the congregation sounds pretty great. When we're not in the house, it's pretty pathetic. Sad but true stereotype!

[lilwriter85]

Interesting blog. I did get chills when I saw that she went to International House of Prayer aka the other IHOP. Several months back, there was a thread here on FJ about a murder involving people who were involved with an IHOP prayer group. There are cult rumors attached to IHOP and Sarah acknowledged that in her posting, but I don't think she researched the rumors further.

sarahgoestochurch.blogspot.com/2013/04/i-spent-easter-at-ihop.html

I hit up my Facebook friends for good church suggestions and then completely ignored them when I stumbled upon the website for an unusual church called the International House of Prayer which featured a prayer room that was open 24/7. I'm a sucker for something different. Sometimes when it's quiet at work I google "weirdest religions/churches in the United States" and am always amazed by the various religious gatherings that exist across our fine country. I'd never heard of IHOP before, so my interest was peaked. I asked my KC ladies what they knew about it - "it's got a reputation for being cult like", "a girl was raped there" "it's ginormous" "they own half that area of town".

I don't know if the women Sarah was talking to were referring to Bethany Deaton. But according to different online sources, the IHOP founder and his church do own a lot of real estate.

[lilwriter85]

But it seems Sarah is getting positive things out of her church going experiments. Sending someone to Pastor Anderson seems like it would be punishment. I can't imagine that she'd get anything positive out of that.

I agree attending FWBC would be punishment. Maybe Sarah could do a review of one of the PP's sermons.

[clarinetpower]

I don't know about this post sarahgoestochurch.blogspot.com/2013/01/did-you-know-they-had-cars-back-in.html

Every other church/temple she talks about their donomination but then this one is just 'the Black Church?"! Like there aren't many different kinds of churches that black folk attend? And her comments about hats was so condescending.

She described it that way because others did when asking her where she was going, including parishioners at that church. She did mention the denomination or title of the church several times, and said she passed quite a few of that particular denom on her way. She mentioned racism as well, and seemed quite aware to me. I don't think she was trying to pigeonhole, but if you use every word you can to avoid saying the one thing that everyone else is saying, you kind of look ridiculous, too.

And I love ladies in colorful church hats. I don't blame her. I wish we all wore hats more often. I love fashionable hats in general! (But unfortunately, I have an enormous melon and very few fit me, or I'd try to kick off the trend. Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton with the trains last fall had me drooooooooling.)

I've gone to lots of churches full of people of European descent, and only have seen one hat in 39 years. I have gone to a church full of people of African descent for one Sunday, and saw quite a few hats, and I loved it. Is it condescending to love what people wear when you are not a part of their culture? I don't think so.

[MamaJunebug]

She described it that way because others did when asking her where she was going, including parishioners at that church. She did mention the denomination or title of the church several times, and said she passed quite a few of that particular denom on her way. She mentioned racism as well, and seemed quite aware to me. I don't think she was trying to pigeonhole, but if you use every word you can to avoid saying the one thing that everyone else is saying, you kind of look ridiculous, too.

And I love ladies in colorful church hats. I don't blame her. I wish we all wore hats more often. I love fashionable hats in general! (But unfortunately, I have an enormous melon and very few fit me, or I'd try to kick off the trend. Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton with the trains last fall had me drooooooooling.)

I've gone to lots of churches full of people of European descent, and only have seen one hat in 39 years. I have gone to a church full of people of African descent, and saw quite a few hats, and I loved it. Is it condescending to love what people wear when you are not a part of their culture? I don't think so.

Have not read that entry, DO have a melon head - good to know there's another brainy person on here, clarinetpower!!!! - and have taken to wearing hats whenever I find one that I can attach, somehow! They finish off an outfit, albeit they are a little much for this culture at the supermarket. But when I see Aunt Bea on The Andy Griffith Show put on her white gloves and her little coat and a hat to go downtown for groceries, I feel all happy. clarinet, not to topic-jack, but look for the ones that can just sit atop your head. Sidecombs sewn into the band help keep them from falling off. Hatpins, I've never understood how to use.

Speaking of hats and prejudice: I will never forget my doofusness one fine Saturday morning, chatting on the sidewalk with a friend who was raking up leaves. A lady walked by and greeted us both, and I blurted out, "Oo, hats are back!" because she was wearing a gorgeous number that matched her suit. She glared at me and my friend looked away, barely succeeding in not laughing/scoffing at me. Why? The lady was leaving services at a very conservative synagogue a few doors down. Oopsie. In her world, hats never went away!!!! :oops:

[Jenny]

Just read this blog. Thanks for the link.

I think Sarah's project is very interesting. Also gutsy. Church hopping isn't easy, even when your familiar with the denomination.

Has anyone read "My Jesus Year" by Benyamin Cohen? An Orthodox Jew, Benyamin spends a year visiting Christian church services to understand the enthusiasm of Christians, hoping to apply that excitement to his own faith.

[Gertie]

Thanks for posting this--it looks really interesting. I'm kind of temped to do the same thing, except I will never be able to convince my husband that it would be a good use of Sundays... (usually our "long bike ride" or "interesting day trip" day).

[purpleeee]

Thanks for the link. She's pretty direct about how she responded to each church; I like that.

On the other hand, openness has a risky side... I really, really times eleventy hope she doesn't pursue Scientology farther. I wouldn't have given them my phone number. :shock:

[frumper-rump]

I enjoyed the blog. I've been interested in doing something like this, but am too shy to do it alone and dont have anyone that would do it with me. :(