Sunday Best

Am reading a book called Sunday Best by Peter Lineham.

How the church shaped New Zealand and how New Zealand shaped the church.

Its really interesting. I havent read much church history especially about my own country. There were missions stations all around the country and some pockets are more christian than others. Its interesting to go into old churches and see how people worshipped a hundred or so years ago and their traditions, and what the different demonations did or practiced and what they do today.

Only last century the sabbath was held sacred and there was a law forbidding people to work on even shops were closed on the weekend!
 
It's about the only place where groups of people gather and there is no drama or arguments or hastle.
When I was younger, they were a place to escape and kind of like a sanctuary.
Sit under a shade tree and enjoy the scenery and peace and quiet and even get to help some one plant flowers.

Blessings
Last year I visited the beaches of Normandy in France. I went to every beach from WWII - D-Day. It was incredible.. but even better... I visited every cemetery associated with WWII in that area. I went to the British Cemetery first, then the German Cemetery, the US Cemetery was incredible. They play taps right at 5:00 pm each day and lower the flags and fold them. There were thousands of people from all over the world there that day and when that bugle sounded you could have heard a pin drop. every single person stopped and lowered their hats and saluted the flag. it truly brought tears to my eyes. it was beautiful.
 
Finished reading. Its interesting how different the catholic church is from the non catholics I nean totally different but also because of the culture...it was Irish, or French while anglicans were english, and then. Scots were presbyterians. Also anglicans called all other churches that werent them 'dissenters' or 'nonconformist'.

The book also mentioned baptists, salvation army, methodists, weslyans, congregationalists, pentecostals and some other sects in nz. Some of these joined together and became a 'union parish' but then broke apart again. Also it seems like anglican church had a certain snob value, as they called themselves 'high church' and everyone else was 'low church' ?! Another thing the book mentioned was vestments. The bishops and clergy wore special robes to distinguish themselves from everyone else, who were 'laity' .

There was not much mention of Bibles in schools which I found a bit disappointing or non denominational churches and charitable organisations that were faith based in nz like city missions, world vision, tearfund, gideons, mercy hospice and other hospitals and orphanages or christian camp sites and bible colleges. These came about because christians from many different churches worked together.

I suppose the author was more academic and looking into specific church histories rather than outside of that but another chapter could have been added to an already fat book. There were big debates about what you could not do on sunday for example churches looked down on sunday sports and dancing. Also some people just went to church cos thats just what everyone did to be respectable and sociable.
 
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