What if God was one of us

The MOST bizarre afternoon...today I went to a confirmation ceremony at a church in Sweden. Martina's sister's sister's son was being confirmed (I think), Simon. The weather was beautiful, and I walked to the church. It was built somewhere around the 12th century. The inside of the church is huge and ornate, very old Europe. The ceremony started out normally, with all of the preteens and teenagers being confirmed walking up the aisle dressed in white gowns. They were mostly all girls, to go with the all-female church staff. A hymn or two was sung in Swedish. The reverend said something I didn't understand. And then the weirdness began. All of the kids stood up at the front and began a series of songs, skits, and talks about symbols and stuff (all in Swedish). So I sat and listened, assuming I wouldn't understand any of it. And then, all the kids starting singing Joan Osbourne's "One of Us" in English. That's right, complete with the lines about the pope in Rome and a holy rolling stone. And more weird (or maybe not) were the 3 women trying to hide behind the kids and sing into microphones because the kids weren't really into the singing all that much, and I suppose it would look bad if no sound came out when the music started. Then they did some kind of skit where, at one point, one of the girls put on a black cape and played chess with another girl in white...I think it may have been the devil represented or something, but the devil was Swedish and so not very understandable and much less scary. A Swedish song followed and then a talk (in Swedish) about symbols in the church (including a skull with angel wings, which I still can't figure out...). And then, another English song. Get ready...my Mom's personal favorite, "Tears in Heaven" by Clapton. And all of this inside this super old, super ornate, super quiet, super Swedish cathedral. Then, more talking, the Nicene crede and Lord's prayer in Swedish, although nobody ever bowed their heads, and then we filed out of the church. Seriously, one of the must surreal experiences I've ever had.