Today is Low Sunday, a concept I find difficult to understand.
Apparently the choir is not required (de-choired), so we may have the day off.
In previous years I have attended church as part of the congregation on this day, but this year have decided to have a day away from St. M's
Despite the assurance of all those who know about these esoteric things that I am not expected to be there, I feel guilty.
It has stopped raining and the sun is out. I can have as lazy or active a day as I choose, yet there is this cloud of guilt hanging over me and I feel unable to relax. (Like the days when I played truant from school).
It seems to me that guilt is built into the fabric of humankind in case we should decide we might like to enjoy ourselves.
In the 17th Century the Pilgrim Fathers were depicted as miserable, long-faced, psalm-singing, bible-quoting zealots whose belief in God was a sober and fearful thing. They didn't last long (not in this country anyway) but perhaps they left us with this legacy of guilt.
Original sin is a Roman Catholic concept but where did permanent guilt come from?
Please feel free to ignore my melancholic mumblings but if you have any thoughts on the subject I'd like to hear them.
Illness prevented me from going to church on Easter, so I made a special effort to attend yesterday. The Vicar was having a week off and one of the lay readers have the sermon. And it was about the different names this particular Sunday has been given: Low Sunday is now the old term and it is referred to as the second Sunday of Easter. But in the past it was also called Quasimodo!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are fully recovered now Broad, and thanks for the information. In future I shall call it Notre Dame Sunday.
DeleteRay, I'm very familiar with the feeling you describe and it's only recently that I can have a Sunday off without feeling pangs of guilt. You are not alone...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's not just me Perpetua, but that doesn't explain where the feeling comes from.
ReplyDeleteRay...what a revelation that you have played truant from school! It's not something I ever aspired to but I am very impressed!
ReplyDeleteAs for Low Sunday....I didn't go either!
I'm afraid i was not a very good child Jean. (come to think of it, not a very good adult either) and playing truant was only a small part of my spectacularly unsuccessful attempt to leave my mark on the education system.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you took Low Sunday off too.
Please, what on earth is hidden in this concept Low Sunday?? We probably have something similiar n the swedish church but not that I can think of right now. I do find sundays without church a bit akward, but yes, occassionally I spend a sunday to myself.
ReplyDeleteAnd I did play truant as well.... I believe that the good Lord gave
us the redemption needed through Jesus Christ, continuing to carry sins forgiven must be a sin in itself. Or so I gather. If we feel guilty staying away from church it can mean two things: we actually needed to be there but other needs took over...or...you are afraid that God actually is meassuring your piety by your visual appearances as a worshipper. Don't you worry,
Believe me piety is not high on my list of priorities.
ReplyDeleteBecause I am in the choir I attend every service throughout the year, so missing the two Sundays designated "Low Sunday" (Easter and Christmas) simply feels very odd.
Well, that is quite a relief to hear, it can really mess things up in our everyday life with God if we have to make a checklist before we make the call. I love the choir, and sundayservices are good for my wellbeing, but piety is really a missused word, it holds so many things that are not visible to us, that is why I don't worry so much about it.
ReplyDelete