tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post5872253387316074408..comments2014-12-23T04:35:52.073-08:00Comments on Regan: Sunday AssemblyR-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-80057506141858293982013-12-19T06:01:32.640-08:002013-12-19T06:01:32.640-08:00Thanks for the Comment Dave. I guess if you consid...Thanks for the Comment Dave. I guess if you consider how wide-ranging religious congregations have had to become to meet the different tastes of people - there's no reason to suppose non religious one's would agree either. I'll wish you Good Luck from my secular hermitage!R-Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-1726949345879562432013-12-13T10:14:26.324-08:002013-12-13T10:14:26.324-08:00Hi Regan. Thanks for your comments.
With Sander...Hi Regan. Thanks for your comments. <br /><br />With Sanderson Jones leading the inaugural Nottingham event, the service was always going to be a little bit bonkers – over the top and thoroughly tongue in cheek. I doubt that any of the rest of us will attempt to mimic Sanderson’s performance for future services. I for one am notorious for not even being able to catch a ball properly, let alone leading a clapping game!<br /><br />I’m looking forward to seeing how the Sunday Assembly concept develops over the coming year. The important thing for me is to strike the right balance between serious, life affirming content and more light hearted elements. We gave it our best shot last Thursday and certainly have plenty of room to learn and to grow, but it is also true that the Sunday Assembly idea isn’t going to be for everyone.<br /><br />Of course, a sermon and songs does not a church make. A ‘church community’ stands or falls according to how well it helps its members celebrate the passage and experience of life – with all its joys and sorrows – and how well it’s worldview stands up when the stuff hits the fan. In other words, the community experience has to remain relevant to the people it tries to reach out to. It is too early to say how well the SA will address these needs, but it will have to evolve beyond the mere holding of services if it is going to take root. <br />Alain De Botton’s book ‘Religion for Atheists’ gives an interesting view of what such developments could look like.<br /> <br />I’m guessing that at the moment the SA’s ready-made audience are people who enjoy a ‘Vineyard’ style church experience but don’t want to swallow the Jesus pills in order to do so. As the concept matures over the coming months I would like to see the boundaries expanding so we can engage more people, perhaps with radically different needs and expectations from a ‘church’. We need to take on feedback, be attentive to opportunities and engage in creative dialogue with both supporters and critics in order to do this. <br /><br />In the long term, a ‘broad church’ approach will be more successful in creating and sustaining a meaningful community than will restricting ourselves to one particular style of service. This isn’t to say that light hearted, fun services don’t have their place. There are plenty of people who take great enjoyment in this kind of lark and I count myself among them.<br /><br />The great thing about the Sunday Assembly concept is that there is room for this organic growth to take place. After all, Humanism is not a closed book philosophy; and there is no shortage of people looking for the type of life affirming fellowship that the Sunday Assembly has the potential to provide. If we can fill the gap for even a handful of people and families then I will consider our time well spent. Here’s to the journey!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03753600266673847615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-3972722987813924832013-12-09T05:45:26.320-08:002013-12-09T05:45:26.320-08:00If you're interested in learning more about th...If you're interested in learning more about the issues that face people like Gush's family please look at the Apostasy Project. http://apostasy.org.uk/R-Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com