Notes from diocesan convention
Along with the other clergy I am vested in cassock, surplice, and stole. It's the first opportunity I've had to wear my gorgeous new red stole, and I'm quite pleased with it. Three clerics -- the Bishop, the Dean, and the Curate -- comment on it, and I remember the words of Don Armentrout, how he said, "A pretty priest is a happy priest."
*****
Lots of people cry at weddings. I cry at ordinations. "I am willing and ready to do so; and I solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God . . ." The Declaration of Conformity gets me every time. It hasn't been long since I gave those assurances and made those promises. God grant me the strength to keep them.
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There were two Communion hymns: "O thou who camest from above" (Hereford) and "I am the bread of life." It will come as no surprise to any of you that I'm a Charles and Samuel Sebastian Wesley guy, not a Suzanne Toolan guy, but I'm obviously outnumbered. Way outnumbered. The singing on "I am the bread of life" was incredibly enthusiastic, with hands being raised at every chorus. I loathe that song -- deep down, I hate it with greater fervor than I hate some of the major heresies -- though, as I said to the organist afterward, his playing really did take the sting out of it.
"If only they had sung Hereford like that," he replied.
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The Curate led Morning Prayer, resplendent in cassock, surplice, hood, and tippet. Call me Low Church if you must, but I do love choir dress.
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I do wish more people realized that one doesn't respond to "Here ends the Reading" with "Thanks be to God."
Labels: Church music, Liturgical snark
posted by The Postulant @ 6:00 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Armentrout is right to say that a pretty priest is a happy priest. Doing petty point, my mother made a stole for me that features all of the liturgical colors and a plethora of Christian symbols. Of course, my one-of-a-kind 'stole of many colors' is gorgeous. And since it was made by my mom, well, it doesn't get much better than that. Except for the fact that its beauty also tends to inspire envy in my clergy colleagues. So I not only get to look pretty at diocesan convention, I also get to test the virtue of other clergy in the diocese. Great fun!
On those rare occasions when the lector completes the reading by saying, "Here ends the reading," I, too, have noticed that people don't seem to know that they should remain silent rather than blurt out, "Thanks be to God." Then again, if the reading were to come from a book of Melody Beattie's daily devotions, I would be in favor of giving thanks to God that the reading has finally come to an end.
I get teary-eyed at ordinations, too. (Not so much at weddings, though.) The Oath of Conformity is, indeed, a powerful moment. As is the laying on of hands. I continue to be especially moved in the service for the ordination of a priest when all the presbyters join the bishop in the laying on of hands.
I couldn't stand "I am the bread of life" for awhile, either - but then some of my friends seem to like it, so I can't really object any longer.
Anyway, it's sort of interesting to watch Episcopalians going all Pentecostal (well, as much as Episcopalians can do that, anyway). And then somebody I like very much told me that it was just about "basking in the love of God" - and I can get with that.
(Sometimes I think these people don't realize that exulting in a terrific Howells Te Deum, or the Bach Magnificat is also just as much about "basking in the love of God."
Oh, well. I think at this point that it's just a simple language barrier, and that we will in fact come to understand one another at some point. Anyway, I can't anymore loathe a song that some of my friends - very, very "liberal" friends, at that! - like a lot. And then, I know at least one Spong disciple who also loathes the song - and the enemy of my enemy is my friend, in that case.)
Couldn't agree more about choir dress, though! God, how I adore formal Anglican Offices and everything about them....
;-)
I too want to hurl at "I am the bread of life". We hardly ever sing it at my parish, but my parish uses the books of Marcus Borg for confirmation classes, so maybe it's a case of doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
I also cry at ordinations. And let's have a picture the New Red Stole, please!
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