Totally nude church service

[Rabid_Clam]

Just wondering if how many have ever attended a totally nude church service. Seems the clergy have all kinds of special textiles but in such a nude service are they or would they be totally nude also ?

[Rabid_Clam]

Just wondering if how many have ever attended a totally nude church service. Seems the clergy have all kinds of special textiles but in such a nude service are they or would they be totally nude also ?

[Captain Curmudgeon]

Check out Drawing Down the Moon by now NPR correspondant, Margo Adler for some church services with total nudity (depending on how you might define church.

[carolina_nude]

Attended a nude church service at White Tail Park, VA this past Sunday. It was great and the pastor was nude also.

[usuallylurk]

quote:

Originally posted by Rabid_Clam:
Just wondering if how many have ever attended a totally nude church service. Seems the clergy have all kinds of special textiles but in such a nude service are they or would they be totally nude also ?

I am a member of Cedar Waters Village in Nottingham NH, and there is a chapel on the grounds and in-season there are services every Sunday morning.

Attendees can come to services clothed, and come to them nude if they wish. New Hampshire has cool mornings but generally the service is rotated with two lay preachers -- one usually does the service nude on his turn, the other wears a long t-shirt on her turn, and there's also an ordained minister who usually does his turn in the nude.

Of course, as I said, it can be cold in New Hampshire at times so the attire of the attendees varies.

While the media made a big deal out of a chapel at a nudist park back in 1997, and played it as a "man bites dog" story, we didn't see it as all that odd.

Cedar Waters homepage =

http://www.nhnude.com

Wall Street Journal - Jennifer Lee article on August 11, 1997.... can be found on a discussion board with a Yahoo search...it has disappeared from the web after nine years.

You can't cut and paste in this dialog box, otherwise I don't think the AP would mind a repost.

In 2001, we had a wedding at Cedar Waters -- a member couple were there, and it was on the beach, and all the participants and most attendees were nude. It was NOT the civil ceremony -- that had been held for the couple's textile family a few days before -- this was the religious/blessing ceremony with an ordained minister.

I think it was in '03, or '04, there was a wedding at Eastover Resort during the Eastern Gathering. The minister wore her robes. The couple was nude. (non-nudists, please spare us the cornball "best man" jokes)

Some 20+ yeara ago, I attended a similar wedding at the old Birch Acres. And I have attended other religious ceremonies - including baptisms and Sunday services at various nudist locales.

Typically, clergy either approach the altar nude or clothed. Not partially robed.

Cedar Waters somehow drew the attention of Ms. Lee, who, if I recall correctly, was traveling through New Hampshire on vacation. She noticed CWV's prominent sign, which is right out on route 125 and has its URL on it. She checked it out, saw the chapel connection and asked to come back. That in turn attracted the Boston Herald, the CBS-TV affiliate from Boston, "We" magazine from Australia, "Stern" from Germany, "Hard Copy".... etc. and finally at the end of the 1997 season the chapel was declared "media free".

Those in nudism do NOT see a contradiction between non-sexual nudity and worship. Also, remember that most of the major Christian denominations have never had their leadership make statements against nudism. And finally, I have to say that those Sunday services and the fellowship helped me and mrs lurk get through some rough times....

[codylechien]

quote:

Originally posted by Rabid_Clam:
Just wondering if how many have ever attended a totally nude church service. Seems the clergy have all kinds of special textiles but in such a nude service are they or would they be totally nude also ?

Last year I attended a Christian Naturist conference at WHite Tail Park and yes we had a service with communion in which everyone was nude. (WTP is not a clothing optional facility) A pastor friend from England attended and has preached several nude services back home. So, it does happen.

[ken0254]

Wow,

You had a service with communion. I wish they did that more often at WTP. What a great experience!!!

ken

[Rabid_Clam]

Excellent replies to the topic! Thaks !

[David77]

I have thought of suggesting to our minister that he wear no clothing under his robe and no shoes, so that he would not need to wipe the perspiration from his brow.

I feel sure that since he is quite liberal, that he would not be against the practice of nudism, (like the rest of the members I know have no opposition) but I suppose that he would consider my suggestion to be unrealistic decorum and a little "far out".

[Rabid_Clam]

Well David, only if your pastor is in a textile environment and he plans on standing on his head. He could always put up a full length photo of him and do the thing over a mic while he is nude in another room. Then he wouldn't even need a sweat band!

Nudism is contraversial so in some forums is better not played with or even discussed. Yet may are open to it but afraid to participate. Strange set of rules we set for ourselves but is how it is.

[David77]

Clam,
Very funny! If he was nude under his robe and stood on his head, his robe would fall over his face and he could not talk into the (lowered) microphone, but the view from the pews would be,-- shall we say, spectacular!

[Rabid_Clam]

Yes !!! The view would be great but also a great side effect is that his hands would be free to maintain balance or anything else where the robes would be self tamping of the sweat on his brow! The guy has it made !!!

[usuallylurk]

quote:

Originally posted by ken0254:
Wow,

You had a service with communion. I wish they did that more often at WTP. What a great experience!!!

ken

Communion is part of many services at Cedar Waters.

[tinner666]

quote:

Originally posted by ken0254:
Wow,

You had a service with communion. I wish they did that more often at WTP. What a great experience!!!

ken

They have several of them each year at WTR.
(WTP ceased to exist)

[Mosquito_Bait]

We haven't attended any nude church services but we did once attend a nude wedding. A group in the Washington, DC area called "Bare Buns" used to rent a recreation center once a month during the winter months. A wedding was conducted at the start of one of their recreation center events.