Sunday - written after the fact
Apr. 21st, 2002 12:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaalaFollowing another sleepless night Saturday, I ate my final instant oatmeal packed, finished my grapefruit juice, and actually managed to make it to church on Sunday morning for the first (and last) time this school year. I know it's pathetic I can't make it to something at 11am. I've have been intending to go all year, too, especially since I've been feeling dissatisfied with the chapel services; they're too...evangelical.
I was nearly there on time, too. I was about three minutes late, and could hear the minister talking. So I went up into the balcony so that I wouldn't disturb anybody, only to discover that there were no hymn books and no people up there which made me quite the opposite of unobtrusive. So I eventually joined the congregation downstairs (during the children's "discussion" time), where I was guardedly but warmly welcomed. I attracted unwanted attention, of course, but it was largely positive; a man came up and gave me a bulletin, and the man sitting nearest to me in the pew showed me the hymn book when it came time to sing again. (Already being a United Church member, I knew about these things already, but it was a nice gesture. It was like coming home to be at a United Church service again.)
I didn't notice Imogen anywhere in the sanctuary. She teaches Sunday School, so I figured, hey, she must be downstairs. It took me completely by surprise when I looked up during the Anthem to see her singing front and centre in the choir. Then as soon as it ended, she dashed downstairs; I wondered amusedly how often each Sunday she does that. (It turns out it's only once a week.)
I had come to prove to myself that I could make it to church at least once; but also to see her, I admit. I met Zach at the guest book afterwards; Imogen came up to both of us, and congratulated us on making it there that early. She invited us to the reception and refreshments downstairs. Zach commented to me that he felt out of place, and I concurred. We've both been in recitals in that building, but not at services.
Zach basically clung to Imogen. I stood on my own for a few minutes, and naturally (being under 30 and "new") attracted a couple of people who asked if I was new to the area, new to the church, if I was going to stay, etc. A friend from General Council (August 2000, in Toronto) said hello, that she was glad to finally see me there, and so on. Feeling a tad over-welcomed, I drifted over in Imogen's direction to converse with her, Zach, and two women with them. Zach wanted to thank the Reverend (whom we also know from several recitals/concerts), so I tagged along. He might have recognized me. I said I hoped to come to church at least occasionally next year; and I really did mean it, although it will be a struggle.
Both Zach and I wanted to spend some time with Imogen, naturally, before we had to leave for the end of the year. (Although Zach's coming back for convocation, so he really needn't be so desperate as me.) I'm sure she realized this, and was appropriately indulgent.
We went to lunch at Tim's together almost immediately afterwards. The two of them excluded me from most of their conversation, although with all good reason as they were referring to a show they had just directed in Amherst. (I'd hoped to see it, but Jason gave me the wrong show date.) But we all had a far-too-hearty laugh at a joke developed from Tim Horton's "Rrrrroll up the rim to win!" sweepstakes. Zach couldn't get the rim of his cup to roll up properly, and he ended up gnawing ferociously at it (and it looks so easy on the commercials!). Imogen started making fun of his "gnawing on the rim to win!", which when he pointed out that he'd probably lose anyway progressed to "gnaw on the rim to lose!". Someone said that we needed a special sound to complete the catchphrase (as with the trilled "Rrrrrroll"), so I suggested "chew up the rim to lose!" with a Scottish accent, taken up and chanted by Imogen, and all three of us were in painful hysterics.
After lunch, I went home to rest. Terri (final housemate, aside from the monitor) left just as I was preparing for the nap, so I hugged her goodbye with my hair askew and wearing no glasses; I wonder if she noticed. Dan (monitor): "And then there were two."
Dinner and the evening was spent at Zach's house, a place I'd never been before. His housemates were fairly pleasant to Imogen and me, but excessively loud and argumentative with each other. (Zach himself, usually a quiet-ish person, seemed out of place.) Zach made dinner while Imogen read Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), which I had lent to her several months before but she had never had the chance to read until that morning. She chopped vegetables once and I, being basically useless, read over her shoulder most of the time.
Imogen and I moved to Zach's bedroom to peruse another item lent much earlier but neglected until that day--my Frantics CD. Zach brought dinner in a joined us in listening. Then followed an mp3-listening/playing-fest, some selected/downloaded by me, some by Zach, and a few by Imogen. We must have listened and sang along for several hours; great fun.
Then we watched Jim Henson's Labyrinth; I was the only one who hadn't seen any of it. When I realized that Labyrinth was not among Jim's most stellar efforts (IMHO)--well, at least not the musical numbers--it was too late to get something else at the video, and Zach wanted to see the rest of the movie. So we watched the whole thing. Imogen slept for most of the movie, and when she woke up had the most amusing bedhead I think I've ever seen.
Then it was on to a theological discussion. I think it got started when Zach referred to that morning as "meeting Imogen" rather than "going to church". My curiosity piqued, I asked if he was a regular church attendee. When that was met with a squirm, I inquired after his objections to religion. Anyway, we got into, if not a debate exactly, a discussion of religion. He's an agnostic, but obviously very interested in Wicca. Imogen and I are both Christians, chosen independently (but she more than I, as I was raised a Christian--though quite a pluralistic one).
Then it was more mp3s, because though we all needed to get home/sleep we were enjoying each other's company. Mostly we listened to Forbidden Broadway stuff (to which I had introduced them earlier), and overblown "inspirational" musical theatre numbers because Zach really likes that sort of thing and Imogen and I really detest them. Some were played with the express purpose of being mocked by both of them, but she mocked pretty well all of them, including the ones he liked. (Zach and Imogen have a, uh, love-mock friendship.) Imogen has this incredible ability to make up new words to songs as she's singing along (think Adrian in Stephen Fry's The Liar, but funnier), which she did. Much excessive, delightful, drunken (with sleeplessness and nothing more, really) fun was had for at least an hour before we resigned ourselves to the necessity of sleep.
I was nearly there on time, too. I was about three minutes late, and could hear the minister talking. So I went up into the balcony so that I wouldn't disturb anybody, only to discover that there were no hymn books and no people up there which made me quite the opposite of unobtrusive. So I eventually joined the congregation downstairs (during the children's "discussion" time), where I was guardedly but warmly welcomed. I attracted unwanted attention, of course, but it was largely positive; a man came up and gave me a bulletin, and the man sitting nearest to me in the pew showed me the hymn book when it came time to sing again. (Already being a United Church member, I knew about these things already, but it was a nice gesture. It was like coming home to be at a United Church service again.)
I didn't notice Imogen anywhere in the sanctuary. She teaches Sunday School, so I figured, hey, she must be downstairs. It took me completely by surprise when I looked up during the Anthem to see her singing front and centre in the choir. Then as soon as it ended, she dashed downstairs; I wondered amusedly how often each Sunday she does that. (It turns out it's only once a week.)
I had come to prove to myself that I could make it to church at least once; but also to see her, I admit. I met Zach at the guest book afterwards; Imogen came up to both of us, and congratulated us on making it there that early. She invited us to the reception and refreshments downstairs. Zach commented to me that he felt out of place, and I concurred. We've both been in recitals in that building, but not at services.
Zach basically clung to Imogen. I stood on my own for a few minutes, and naturally (being under 30 and "new") attracted a couple of people who asked if I was new to the area, new to the church, if I was going to stay, etc. A friend from General Council (August 2000, in Toronto) said hello, that she was glad to finally see me there, and so on. Feeling a tad over-welcomed, I drifted over in Imogen's direction to converse with her, Zach, and two women with them. Zach wanted to thank the Reverend (whom we also know from several recitals/concerts), so I tagged along. He might have recognized me. I said I hoped to come to church at least occasionally next year; and I really did mean it, although it will be a struggle.
Both Zach and I wanted to spend some time with Imogen, naturally, before we had to leave for the end of the year. (Although Zach's coming back for convocation, so he really needn't be so desperate as me.) I'm sure she realized this, and was appropriately indulgent.
We went to lunch at Tim's together almost immediately afterwards. The two of them excluded me from most of their conversation, although with all good reason as they were referring to a show they had just directed in Amherst. (I'd hoped to see it, but Jason gave me the wrong show date.) But we all had a far-too-hearty laugh at a joke developed from Tim Horton's "Rrrrroll up the rim to win!" sweepstakes. Zach couldn't get the rim of his cup to roll up properly, and he ended up gnawing ferociously at it (and it looks so easy on the commercials!). Imogen started making fun of his "gnawing on the rim to win!", which when he pointed out that he'd probably lose anyway progressed to "gnaw on the rim to lose!". Someone said that we needed a special sound to complete the catchphrase (as with the trilled "Rrrrrroll"), so I suggested "chew up the rim to lose!" with a Scottish accent, taken up and chanted by Imogen, and all three of us were in painful hysterics.
After lunch, I went home to rest. Terri (final housemate, aside from the monitor) left just as I was preparing for the nap, so I hugged her goodbye with my hair askew and wearing no glasses; I wonder if she noticed. Dan (monitor): "And then there were two."
Dinner and the evening was spent at Zach's house, a place I'd never been before. His housemates were fairly pleasant to Imogen and me, but excessively loud and argumentative with each other. (Zach himself, usually a quiet-ish person, seemed out of place.) Zach made dinner while Imogen read Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), which I had lent to her several months before but she had never had the chance to read until that morning. She chopped vegetables once and I, being basically useless, read over her shoulder most of the time.
Imogen and I moved to Zach's bedroom to peruse another item lent much earlier but neglected until that day--my Frantics CD. Zach brought dinner in a joined us in listening. Then followed an mp3-listening/playing-fest, some selected/downloaded by me, some by Zach, and a few by Imogen. We must have listened and sang along for several hours; great fun.
Then we watched Jim Henson's Labyrinth; I was the only one who hadn't seen any of it. When I realized that Labyrinth was not among Jim's most stellar efforts (IMHO)--well, at least not the musical numbers--it was too late to get something else at the video, and Zach wanted to see the rest of the movie. So we watched the whole thing. Imogen slept for most of the movie, and when she woke up had the most amusing bedhead I think I've ever seen.
Then it was on to a theological discussion. I think it got started when Zach referred to that morning as "meeting Imogen" rather than "going to church". My curiosity piqued, I asked if he was a regular church attendee. When that was met with a squirm, I inquired after his objections to religion. Anyway, we got into, if not a debate exactly, a discussion of religion. He's an agnostic, but obviously very interested in Wicca. Imogen and I are both Christians, chosen independently (but she more than I, as I was raised a Christian--though quite a pluralistic one).
Then it was more mp3s, because though we all needed to get home/sleep we were enjoying each other's company. Mostly we listened to Forbidden Broadway stuff (to which I had introduced them earlier), and overblown "inspirational" musical theatre numbers because Zach really likes that sort of thing and Imogen and I really detest them. Some were played with the express purpose of being mocked by both of them, but she mocked pretty well all of them, including the ones he liked. (Zach and Imogen have a, uh, love-mock friendship.) Imogen has this incredible ability to make up new words to songs as she's singing along (think Adrian in Stephen Fry's The Liar, but funnier), which she did. Much excessive, delightful, drunken (with sleeplessness and nothing more, really) fun was had for at least an hour before we resigned ourselves to the necessity of sleep.
