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Post by kds on Mar 29, 2023 20:13:49 GMT
My side of the family stopped doing bigger Easter gatherings about 20 years ago. We used to go to my parents' parents houses, but I'm pretty sure we stopped doing that in the early 00s.
The fact that I'm struggling to really remember the vast majority of these gatherings just goes to show where Easter lies on my hierarchy of holidays.
On the Beach Boys tribute. I'm sure we'll just DVR it. I figure a good 40 minutes of the program will be commercials, so we can just fast forward those.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 29, 2023 20:21:13 GMT
There's nothing like the morning sun shining through the stained-glass windows at church on Easter Sunday and singing "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today". Unless you've got an organist who drags! I can remember a few years with that very hymn being quite plodding, which makes it just agony! It's supposed to be a happy morning (early wakeup notwithstanding). A too-slow tempo on the best known tune of the occasion isn't exactly helping! Our church organist is pretty good, but the last few years I've been noticing something more troubling - lack of attendance or people in the pews!
This is probably more suited for another topic/thread, but I am very saddened and disappointed at the dwindling attendance at Sunday mass, not just holy days but each week. There were years where you had to leave early for mass on Easter Sunday if you wanted the pew of your choice. Now, you can literally get there at the last minute and the church is half full (or half empty ). Same thing at Christmas. I've never seen our church as empty as it was this past Christmas day. Very sad. I am hearing from others that the attendance at church services is down with all denominations. The pandemic didn't help either.
And, talking about "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today", I can remember Easter Sundays at a packed church with a choir and the organ blaring and it was, well, it was very inspirational. Now?
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 29, 2023 23:16:58 GMT
This is probably more suited for another topic/thread, but I am very saddened and disappointed at the dwindling attendance at Sunday mass, not just holy days but each week. There were years where you had to leave early for mass on Easter Sunday if you wanted the pew of your choice. Now, you can literally get there at the last minute and the church is half full (or half empty ). Same thing at Christmas. I've never seen our church as empty as it was this past Christmas day. Very sad. I am hearing from others that the attendance at church services is down with all denominations. The pandemic didn't help either. As a non-churchgoing atheist, I'm maybe the last guy to listen to, but I actually do understand your disappointment and sadness. (After all, my family IS very religious, with my grandpa and late brother both pastors. I grew up very much in a church tradition.) I think there are a few causes. 1. Going way back, as Catholics rightly said right when my namesake split, if one is to truly depend on individual conscience for truth, then there is literally no end to the splits that will follow. The majority-Protestant America has seen an almost comical proliferation of Protestant denominations, splitting over any- and everything under the sun. This leads to more and more smaller and smaller groups of people getting together for worship. But... 2. American culture is also very increasingly individualistic and isolated. It isn't just churches, it's everything: people don't belong to anywhere near as many communal groups as they used to, whether trade unions, Masonic lodges, Elk's clubs, or whatever else. We barely know our neighbors, in many cases, much less assemble with groups of like-minded people. (See Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone.) We want to do what we want, when we want. The inevitable outcome of that is fewer group activities, because those involve some level of responsibility to others. 3. Religion itself is also just changing dramatically, to say the least, if not fading (though I think it's fading). Europe experienced similar changes decades before us, and it seems we're catching up. The various scientific and philosophical challenges to religion were inevitably going to make an impact here. (Personally I think assorted political causes and affiliations now stand in for old religions. I don't think that's a plus.) But if Protestants are splintering into more and more groups, Catholics have had their challenges: "lapsed Catholic" or even "recovering Catholic" are so overused as to be tropes by now, which is actually funny to me, considering that Catholicism is nowhere near as rigid or (pardon me, fundamentalists) absurd or morally corrupt as fundamentalist Protestantism. Anyway, it's obviously a fact: mainline Christian denominations are all shrinking, and sometimes dying. There is growth, but mostly in fundamentalist nondenominational Protestantism--which is the most likely to splinter going forward. I actually think communal, cultural activities like shared religion--as long as it's religion doing more good than harm--are positive for society, so I fall on both sides of this one. I have a lot of very good memories of growing up in a church, despite having no inclination to return to one.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 30, 2023 0:18:09 GMT
This is probably more suited for another topic/thread, but I am very saddened and disappointed at the dwindling attendance at Sunday mass, not just holy days but each week. There were years where you had to leave early for mass on Easter Sunday if you wanted the pew of your choice. Now, you can literally get there at the last minute and the church is half full (or half empty ). Same thing at Christmas. I've never seen our church as empty as it was this past Christmas day. Very sad. I am hearing from others that the attendance at church services is down with all denominations. The pandemic didn't help either. As a non-churchgoing atheist, I'm maybe the last guy to listen to, but I actually do understand your disappointment and sadness. (After all, my family IS very religious, with my grandpa and late brother both pastors. I grew up very much in a church tradition.) I think there are a few causes. 1. Going way back, as Catholics rightly said right when my namesake split, if one is to truly depend on individual conscience for truth, then there is literally no end to the splits that will follow. The majority-Protestant America has seen an almost comical proliferation of Protestant denominations, splitting over any- and everything under the sun. This leads to more and more smaller and smaller groups of people getting together for worship. But... 2. American culture is also very increasingly individualistic and isolated. It isn't just churches, it's everything: people don't belong to anywhere near as many communal groups as they used to, whether trade unions, Masonic lodges, Elk's clubs, or whatever else. We barely know our neighbors, in many cases, much less assemble with groups of like-minded people. (See Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone.) We want to do what we want, when we want. The inevitable outcome of that is fewer group activities, because those involve some level of responsibility to others. 3. Religion itself is also just changing dramatically, to say the least, if not fading (though I think it's fading). Europe experienced similar changes decades before us, and it seems we're catching up. The various scientific and philosophical challenges to religion were inevitably going to make an impact here. (Personally I think assorted political causes and affiliations now stand in for old religions. I don't think that's a plus.) But if Protestants are splintering into more and more groups, Catholics have had their challenges: "lapsed Catholic" or even "recovering Catholic" are so overused as to be tropes by now, which is actually funny to me, considering that Catholicism is nowhere near as rigid or (pardon me, fundamentalists) absurd or morally corrupt as fundamentalist Protestantism. Anyway, it's obviously a fact: mainline Christian denominations are all shrinking, and sometimes dying. There is growth, but mostly in fundamentalist nondenominational Protestantism--which is the most likely to splinter going forward. I actually think communal, cultural activities like shared religion--as long as it's religion doing more good than harm--are positive for society, so I fall on both sides of this one. I have a lot of very good memories of growing up in a church, despite having no inclination to return to one. Excellent points and I agree with them all.
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Post by kds on Apr 1, 2023 1:49:16 GMT
Jesus H. Christ on toast. I now have plans for both Saturday and Sunday on Easter Weekend.
Amazing that we were able to pull off Christmas in one day, but we can't seem to do it on Easter.
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Post by kds on Apr 6, 2023 18:48:12 GMT
So, my wife and I take turns sleeping in on the weekends. She'll take Saturday mornings. I'll take Sunday mornings.
This Sunday is Easter.
So, in additional to having to attend two Easters on two separate days, I don't get to sleep in because I'll be watching my son open his basket.
(Sigh)
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 9, 2023 11:16:29 GMT
Happy Easter, all.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 9, 2023 11:50:07 GMT
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Post by kds on Apr 10, 2023 0:37:15 GMT
I may have complained, and I'm glad Easter is over. But, my son was very happy. So, it was worth it.
Now, I'm doing something I typically no longer do on Sunday nights, having a drink.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 10, 2023 0:44:59 GMT
I got home maybe an hour and a half ago. The gathering was ... a family gathering. Bratty nephews (two of four, both teenagers, somehow behaving like 5-year-olds the whole time...and shockingly disrespectful to their parents and MY parents, their grandparents...which is the norm for them). But otherwise it was fine.
The best part from my perspective, my brother and I decided to at least temporarily fix my downed fence. Since it was basically in one piece, we were able to lift it back into the yard, remove some twisted and torn nails, and screw in a couple short pieces of 2x4 on each edge to hold it back where it belongs. It should hold until I get a contractor to do a decent job. (Or if I slum it, I guess I could leave it as it is ... but it looks a little trashy.)
I'm also having a drink. It feels earned. Plus, I avoided the candy, for the most part. That has to count for something.
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Post by kds on Apr 10, 2023 1:05:40 GMT
I did not avoid the candy. As I get older, I don't quite like sweets like I once did. I feel like if I'm going to take in calories, I'd rather go with savory. But, each Easter, I do feel somewhat obligated to have some Cadburys. I guess I do have some Easter nostalgia after all.
Speaking of, I didn't see the Cadbury Bunny ad this year. I think that spot had been running since 1986, so I hope I just missed it.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 10, 2023 1:32:19 GMT
I'm not much of a sweet tooth anymore, either, though I was as a kid. Now I'd much prefer savory foods. By far. But I admit, on those occasions like holidays when there are various sweets around? I am tempted, probably because I mostly don't have them.
Here is one thing I don't like about Easter, by the way: it is on a Sunday. The next day is Monday. Just another Monday. Work. So for me, Easter always means driving a couple hours to the family gathering, watching the clock and wanting to get back on the road, and driving a couple hours back, knowing work is coming up next. Thanksgiving, we take the next day off. Christmas is part of a bigger holiday season. Easter? Tomorrow you go back to work. You lose half a weekend. The end.
OK, that's me being grouchy.
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Post by kds on Apr 10, 2023 12:26:31 GMT
I feel the same way. Next year, I'm taking the day after Easter off.
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