Types of Congregations
People can congregate in all sorts of places, from churches to outdoor classrooms to hotel foyers, and for all sorts of reasons, sometimes sad, sometimes in celebration. Here are a few reasons why people congregate and what they get up to in their group.
Times of Death
It used to be considered that there are three main events in someone's life - birth, marriage and death - and that these were the times when one would interact with the church more than simply turning up, paying taxes and worshipping, by having a christening, a marriage ceremony and a funeral.
Over the course of a lifetime we tend to accumulate quite a few friends and also plenty of family. Modern life being the way it is they can now be scattered across the country, and even the world, and consequently we don't see them all together very often. Funerals are one of these occasions, with one of the sad things being that the person who has died doesn't get to see all their closest friend and relatives.
After the ceremony, the congregation will often go back to someone's house, or to a restaurant or café, for a wake. It's one of the most sombre parties you will attend, although they have been known to get out of hand after a few drinks and turn into full on party mode. This just shows how diverse we can be in dealing with our grief.
Times of Discussion
Since the League of Nations was set up we have always had a world body that in theory polices discussion between states and at the moment it is the UN that is such a body. At UN meetings there are representatives of countries from all over the world there to put forward their people's viewpoints and opinions.
Of course, this can be extended to a more local level, with Parliament theoretically acting in the same way and even more granularly, with local councils representing fewer people on matters that are more immediate to them.
Times of Celebration
Whether it's your local football team parading a trophy through the town centre or a twenty-first birthday party, times of celebration can be the most raucous. Everyone can relax and troubles are put to one side as you focus on the good company you are with and celebrate the occasion with them.
These parties can be spontaneous or they can be planned, but the idea is that everyone enjoys themselves and this usually is the case except when too much is imbibed and there can be trouble.
About the Author
Fabric Architecture Limited has been specialising in the design, engineering, manufacture and installation of tensile fabric structures since 1982. For more on outdoor shade sail visit http://www.fabricarchitecture.com/shade-structures
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