Why are Methodists in such a hurry to leave???

[KagomeShuko]

Why, after services or events are Methodists in such a hurry to leave the place? Why do they not want to stay and talk? They clean up if needed and bolt out.

Lutherans are the people who, when they say they are leaving, that was five minutes ago and they will probably also stay at least another 20 minutes unless they REALLY have to be somewhere.

I'm also a theatre person, so get there early and stay there late is normal for me.

 

[Tra Phull]

Methodists need to beat the BAPTISTS to the cafeterias.

 

[Tra Phull]

I am in a town with zillions of Baptists - where Baylor University is.

I have actually heard discussions on 'early and late' services where the issues of getting to cafeterias before the rush was an item.

 

[KagomeShuko]

I am in a town with zillions of Baptists - where Baylor University is.

I have actually heard discussions on 'early and late' services where the issues of getting to cafeterias before the rush was an item.

There are lot of Catholics and Baptists in my city, but restaurants are open at least into the evening . . .

 

[KagomeShuko]

They also tend to only have a meal a half hour before services. Lutherans would have a small meal AN HOUR before services . . . because they have to visit!

 

[Tra Phull]

Colossians 2:16

 

[KagomeShuko]

Colossians 2:16

I'm not judging. I'm just wondering why . . . it's not a thing of they are wrong or right.

 

[Tra Phull]

Granted, you are not judging, Kago.

I would say there is a PHENOMENON in Waco, Texas (and other cities I have lived) in which people attend a service on Sunday which terminates approximately at noon - and many have a desire to go eat at a cafeteria or restaurant immediately subsequent to the service.

Yes, the cafeterias and restaurants are open way into the evening, but some folks want to eat NOW, whether they be Methodists, Lutherans, Catholic or what have you.

Therefore, there is what is known as a Sunday noon rush to get to eating establishments.

 

[KagomeShuko]

Granted, you are not judging, Kago.

I would say there is a PHENOMENON in Waco, Texas (and other cities I have lived) in which people attend a service on Sunday which terminates approximately at noon - and many have a desire to go eat at a cafeteria or restaurant immediately subsequent to the service.

Yes, the cafeterias and restaurants are open way into the evening, but some folks want to eat NOW, whether they be Methodists, Lutherans, Catholic or what have you.

Therefore, there is what is known as a Sunday noon rush to get to eating establishments.

I don't think most of the Methodist at the UMC I attend in my town are going out to eat. THINK. I could be wrong, but it seems most of them don't. I just don't understand the rushing out part.

One of the last times I got out to my home church, we had to organize people to get together to go to Subway, so we were all around the building.

Of course, I also don't know how the UMC works with communion clean up. There's usually somebody that either always volunteers for that or there's a weekly "altar care" person or team (or it might rotate by month) at an ELCA church and it takes time to finish that.

People with kids also give them time to stay and eat the bread from communion.

 

[Tra Phull]

It was a while before I saw real bread at communion. We had these little hard wafer things
One time my sister grabbed a WHOLE HANDFUL of them, my grandmother made her put them back.

We had grape juice, not wine. I rushed to the kitchen and poured all the unused little plastic cups into a big glass and had a whole glass of grape juice.

Does that count as "Communion Cleanup"?

 

[KagomeShuko]

It was a while before I saw real bread at communion. We had these little hard wafer things
One time my sister grabbed a WHOLE HANDFUL of them, my grandmother made her put them back.

We had grape juice, not wine. I rushed to the kitchen and poured all the unused little plastic cups into a big glass and had a whole glass of grape juice.

Does that count as "Communion Cleanup"?

Somewhat. In the ELCA, at least, there's somebody who will wash all those tiny cups if they are used. They wash the serving dishes. The bread will most likely be eaten by the children (or sometimes adults) in the congregation. If not, the pastor will crumble it on the ground outside - Lutheran thought is that everything is God's creation, so why not let it have the bread?

The wine and/or grape juice will be saved and poured back into a bottle.

 

[Tra Phull]

Last communion at a Methodist church I went to - there were a lot of choices.

Little plastic cups of grape juice, as well as a big common cup.

The hard little crackers, as well as a common loaf.
You could pinch off a piece of bread, put grape juice on It and eat

 

[Methodized]

The UMC church I pastor isn't that way. We have 3 services with coffee and food available before, after and in between each. A lot of people hang around and visit. While some younger people with kids who have some weekend event dash out that isn't the norm here. (Note - I'm in the Midwest where friendliness is an expectation.)

 

[Dave-W]

It was a while before I saw real bread at communion. We had these little hard wafer things

Those thin hard wafers were used at the CoN I attended as a child.
At least they were unleavened. We have used broken up Matzah at every place since then.

 

[KagomeShuko]

The UMC church I pastor isn't that way. We have 3 services with coffee and food available before, after and in between each. A lot of people hang around and visit. While some younger people with kids who have some weekend event dash out that isn't the norm here. (Note - I'm in the Midwest where friendliness is an expectation.)

I live in Southwest Louisiana, so friendliness is definitely expected. People are friendly, but they are VERY QUICK to leave. There are some that will stay for a bit, but it's still more of a rush out the door . . . which isn't how I was raised in the Lutheran church at all.

Even the people who are on their boards don't tend to stay unless there is a meeting. While, when I did all kinds of being on councils and committees at the ELCA church, we often just stayed. If there wasn't food, somebody might have offered to have people give the money so they could go get food and bring it back . . .

There was always a lot of visiting, though . . .

 

[bekkilyn]

I haven't really experienced a huge rush to get out in my churches, but I'm in the U.S. south and we're pretty laid back down here.

 

[KagomeShuko]

I haven't really experienced a huge rush to get out in my churches, but I'm in the U.S. south and we're pretty laid back down here.

I live in Louisiana and the Methodists are usually in a rush to leave. They even leave for one or two hours just to end up coming back to a function where food is served. That's confusing to me.

 

[bekkilyn]

I live in Louisiana and the Methodists are usually in a rush to leave. They even leave for one or two hours just to end up coming back to a function where food is served. That's confusing to me.

I thought maybe they were hungry and rushing out for lunch, but if they are coming *back* to eat, then I don't know!

 

[Rawtheran]

Those thin hard wafers were used at the CoN I attended as a child.
At least they were unleavened. We have used broken up Matzah at every place since then.

Can confirm Dave that the COTN still uses the wafers lol

 

[JCFantasy23]

With my own church, I'm one of those people who is usually pretty ready to leave when the services end, and I'm not alone - everyone starts leaving, greeting the pastor for brief discussion at the door in order. Some people go out to breakfast or lunch together. When we do food events, people who are staying for that head over to the luncheon area in the separate building.

As to why, I suppose it's just a feel for things. Our church has changed their services up a bit and the sermon has been lengthened, a bit too long for my tastes, so I'm usually a bit drained when it's over and ready to go. That may be the case for everyone else as well. We also do a later service which can make people feel like there isn't as much of the day yet, not sure. Our main church service starts at 10:45.