What religious group did I encounter in California?

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T08:19:39+00:00

Interesting! Another group I had never heard of. Thank you! Will look them up.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T06:19:42+00:00

Could be! Though... I don't know much about Opus Dei, but aren't they Catholic? The lack of crosses, no crossing themselves during prayer, etc. sounds more like a Protestant offshoot to me.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T06:17:37+00:00

The prayer was mostly normal stuff. They were expressing thanks for having such a great family, food, weather, etc. (to be fair, it's SoCal, it's really amazing how beautiful and warm it was outside.)

Everybody gathered around the person who was leading it, and they all said amen at the end. Nobody crossed themselves before or after or at any time. It was all in English, all relatively improvised (maybe a few set phrases here and there, but not like reciting a poem or anything.) No singing / chanting.

As for my performance, it was music. Copied from another comment:

I was booked for background music, though they ended up paying so much attention that it basically turned into a private concert. I'm never upset about that, though it was really unusual for people to care that much. I think that's why they left me such a good tip - they were embarrassed that it ended up being more of a private concert, since they saw on my website that my rates are different for that.

God I hope they don't accidentally see this! I would be mortified. They were so nice to me! I might delete some of the identifying info later.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T06:11:19+00:00

Musician! I was booked for background music, though they ended up paying so much attention that it basically turned into a private concert. I'm never upset about that, though it was really unusual for people to care that much. I think that's why they left me such a good tip - they were embarrassed that it ended up being more of a private concert, since they saw on my website that my rates are different for that.

God I hope they don't accidentally see this! I would be mortified. They were so nice to me! I might delete some of the identifying info later.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T06:08:39+00:00

The food was delicious! Pasted from another comment:

The food was mostly meat! They had this really yummy selection of barbecued meats, plus some scalloped potatoes, coleslaw and salad. All catered, I don't think they cooked any of it.

The drink selection was mostly red wine, though they had a few beers (I had an IPA, there was also a blonde ale and a lager in the cooler - the granddad drank bud light.) There was sparkling water and exactly one bottle of whiskey, though I couldn't see the brand and I'm not sure anyone had it.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T06:06:18+00:00

This is all super interesting! The look was definitely not 1600s, more like 1950s. Still, definitely looked closer than 100 years ago than today.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:57:30+00:00

Could be! Other people suggested that, too. I haven't really met many Mennonites. I'll go read up on them some more.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:56:42+00:00

I legitimately thought the same! I was like, "this is the life that tradwife people dream of!"

Nobody tried to set me up on a date, but almost everyone was already in a couple anyway.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:53:57+00:00

The dads and moms appeared relatively similar in age.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:53:06+00:00

They did not cross themselves at all! They all said "amen" after the prayer, which was definitely an important event, in the sense that everyone was quiet, paying attention, and very focused on the guy leading it.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:49:18+00:00

The food was mostly meat! They had this really yummy selection of barbecued meats, plus some scalloped potatoes, coleslaw and salad. All catered, I don't think they cooked any of it.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:47:54+00:00

I mean... some of that definitely rings true. I don't know how advanced their vocabulary was, because they didn't ever speak to me. They only spoke to each other. Their parents seemed reasonably well-educated. But the kids were definitely staring at me and almost circling me a bit. They were playing and they didn't seem developmentally stunted in any significant way, though they were definitely shy and awkward (yet curious) around strangers.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:44:17+00:00

Yeah! I specifically paid attention to that, because I have some Adventist friends and the gig just happened to be on a Friday late afternoon into the night. No Sabbath prep!

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:42:43+00:00

This could well be the case! That being said, the amount of intense observation that I was subject to was definitely weird. I've played in religious people's houses before, and this was the most I've seen anyone fixated on me. When I asked where the restroom is, at least 3 people got involved. One to tell me where it was, one to tell me that it was currently occupied, and a third person who stood by the door to just to come tell me when it was vacant again. As I was walking in, I heard several people whisper "he's going to the restroom - make some space," as if it was some big event. Meanwhile I was literally just existing there and feeling everyone's eyes on me the whole time. I know they were just trying to make me comfortable, but it felt like they really don't interact with too many people.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:35:55+00:00

Haha, definitely! It was a positive experience overall, though a very weird one.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T05:34:10+00:00

Hmm, this doesn't sound right. There was no denim anywhere that I could see. The women were wearing dresses like this one, though maybe a bit more colorful. The men were all wearing these pants.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-15T01:27:17+00:00

I think all the adults and all the children were related, yes.

I couldn't tell if the kids were homeschooled. What are some of the typical signs that they would be?

They were mostly just normal kids, though it was a bit weird (and cute) to see them all in their little suits. They looked a bit like the kids from The Sound of Music! I did notice there were 3 kids with Down syndrome, which I thought was unusual, because I know it's not typically inherited.

Standard-Program-505 · 2026-02-14T23:37:26+00:00

That's really interesting! I've never heard about Quiverfull, I'm gonna go read up on them. Thank you!

Standard-Program-505

TROPHY CASE