"I am religious........but that was the best service I've ever been to!"
I'm coming to the conclusion more and more, that non-religious and semi-religious ceremonies like the ones I deliver, are nothing at all to do with the debate about religion! They're about providing a service which celebrates a one-off occasion in a way that captures the essence of personlisation in its truest form. That's what my ceremonies do........they're all about the person or the couple at the heart of all the emotion!
- Can you be religious and feel OK about choosing a personalised ceremony?
- Can you dip into personalised ceremonies at major points in life's journey and dip back into religion?
- Can those working in the religious and non-religious industries work side by side on this?
My short answer to any of these questions is yes!
I'm seeing and hearing more and more people, opting for these types of ceremonies - simply because they have the hallmark of being a wonderfully personalised and unique celebration. They're written completely around the person or the family. And the person buying the service has total copyright over what's said and what's not said - not the person leading the service!
For me, it's less about dividing the market between religion and non-religion........it's about giving people what they want! And that's crystal clear for me - people want:
- A professionally written and delivered ceremony
- Complete control over the content
- A unique ceremony that will never be repeated for anyone else!
- Someone who will make the 30-40 minute ceremony stand out like no other!
I just have a belief myself, that non-religious ceremonies are nothing to do with whether you're religious or not - they're about choice and celebration on some of the most important days of your life!
Interesting subject.
ReplyDeleteI think about this issue regularly; I’m a confirmed atheist with a family full of evangelical Christians. They pray for me from time to time, and I urge them in response to to get up off their knees and do something useful with that time.
And then my stepmother died last week and the family’s concerted reaction is full of “she’s in a better place now” and “she’s at home with Jesus”. When I contact any of them I am met with a cold silence. I feel excluded and unwelcome. It is an unpleasant feeling, and I do not think I deserve it.
But I acknowledge that Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and the rest of today’s outspoken, even militant atheists, have helped to bring this upon us. The thing I dislike most about religion is the way it divides people who need to be together, even at the moments when we need most to be together.
You are correct. Births, marriages and deaths are things we all have in common in this material life of ours. I think we should observe, celebrate, and grieve in these moments all together and forget for the moment the superficial divisions between us. We have the rest of our lives to argue.
Hello Jim.......and my thoughts are with you at the loss of your stepmother so recently.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your observations. For many, there is a very strong divide between whether you're religious or not. For me, as you say, it's more about making a choice about how you celebrate life's major milestones.......and I can work on either side of the goalpost for people. But however people choose to celebrate......it should be about making the most of that one-off occasion!
Hope to cross paths again with you in some shape or form!
Many thanks and keep well
Carole