Bishop Carl Reid gives the children's lesson
A couple of weeks ago, I discovered at our Wednesday evening "Evensaid" and Mass that one of the founding members of our parish had died. We were all shocked as none of us had known — maybe even not Daphne herself — how seriously ill she was until it was too late. We had not seen her around for a few weeks, but it is summer, and lots of people go away. I didn't think much of it.
She was a pleasant, quiet woman and I regretted immediately that I hadn't made more of an effort to get to know her. My fondest memory of her is how radiant her face was when, during our Ascension dinner, a group of us began to sing Jesu, the very thought of thee in parts as the line began to form for the food. She seemed to love that song and the singing and I hope the verses are all coming true for her now. But sweeter far thy face to see, and in thy presence rest.
At the same time as we were reeling from this sad news, I looked around at the two young men who had joined us for mass that evening.
One of the young men is a cradle Anglican who converted to the Roman Catholic Church six years ago, but can't wait for the Ordinariate to form because he loves the way we do the liturgy and he misses the Anglican choral tradition he grew up in.
The other young man describes himself as a liberal Anglican who has been doubting his opinions ever since the Apostolic Constitution was announced and he began to read Pope Benedict XVI. He, too, is musical, and senses something special about our small but vibrant church community.
As we left the church, I said, "Maybe I'm dreaming in Technicolor, but do I see the seed of our future men's choir?" Of course, our Michael Trolly is an excellent musician and singer, as is Bishop Carl.
We stuck around for a while after the service, the three of us sitting on the front step.
And what a conversation we had. These are very thoughtful, interesting men.
We talked about Bishop Carl, and in a Seinfeldian sense, affectionately called him the "Liturgy Nazi." [I told Bishop Carl later and he laughed, as he was familiar with the Soup Nazi on the Seinfeld program. He liked that better than my calling him the Nureyev of the ballet of genuflection. He said, "They're going to think I wear tights under my cassock!]
Our conversation on the steps became a serious discussion about orthodox faith and practice. And how the discipline with which Bishop Carl does the liturgy, and how makes sure the priests also do it the same way, with the same reverence and honor to God, coupled with the fact that they mean the prayers they say, the Scriptures they read or chant and the homilies they deliver in line with Church teaching, has a profound effect on the congregation.
We talked about how the proper practice and orthodox teaching inoculates you from false teaching and makes you aware of heresy and scandal right away. I compared it to how people say the best way for people to spot counterfeit bills to to handle real money all the time.
Fast forward to last night. One of the young men was back. I joined him and our Michael Trolly afterwards. We were discussing the coming Ordinariates and the differing hermeneutics out there concerning how they will come into being.
I told them the image I had of them was like the train in the song "People get ready" because I saw the various Anglican groups as parts of a train, like the train in the song "picking up passengers from coast to coast."
I said some Anglican groups would have one car, some, like the Anglican Use parishes in the states, might have a string of seven, some might even have a locomotive or two, plus a dining car. We don't know when this train is going to end, which group will have the caboose.
They were both too young to know the song.
So I have posted three versions here, since they are African American Gospel music that might not really be in keeping with an Angl0-Catholic blog.
Related posts:
I am definitely old enough to know the song. Thanks for posting the three versions from YouTube– they're great. Keeping on the train theme, please see what would be my favorite recessional but for high church liturgical straightjackets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7MiG2fe8lE
Father!
(I'm sure Fr. LR is going to be on our case.
We could keep the dancing, just, er, well, leave out some of the more suggestive movements.
My hobby when I reached college and in my early working life was dance and I used to study under a former Alvin Ailey soloist named Consuelo Atlas.
I was never more than an intermediate dancer, as I started too late in life, but oh how I loved it. I used to dream that I could do these beautiful split leaps I could never execute in real life. Once I dreamed Consuelo was giving us flying lessons, by teaching us how to breathe and if we could coordinate the breath and the movement just so, we would begin to leave the earth. How I soared and flew around the gymnasium in that dream.
My husband is African and the one time I visited his home country, the neighborhood women came around to the little sandy enclosed yard in his crowded hometown and we sang hymns. They were thrilled that I knew a hymn in Twi—not that I knew what I was singing, but I sang it. And they could not sing hymns without dancing or breaking into harmony. And I was so touched when I attended a packed service in English to hear some of the same praise songs I knew from my then Baptist church being sung. "He came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross my debt to pay, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord I lift your name on high!"
While I love my dignified, reserved, kneeling Anglican Catholic worship, I also love worshipping in an African church, where you dance, sway, and clap as a form of worship.
And Bishop Robert Mercer had this happening in his parishes in Zimbabwe when he was Bishop of Matubeleland.
I'm sure Archbishop Hepworth has encountered this in Anglican parishes in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa.
We used to have a group of Sudanese Christians who shared our building with us for a time. We had a close affinity with them because Father Peter Jardine, who is active with Voice of the Martyrs, had done some mission trips to Christian villages in Sudan and Bishop Mercer had gone on at least one with him.
Once we had a processional into our little cathedral with Bishop Mercer accompanied by Sudanese drummers. It was awesome.
I believe that if your Christian faith is true, then these other things get baptized.
But if your faith is not true, these things become syncretistic, or pagan or worse.
Deborah
This video gives me great joy, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0
I don't think Bishop Carl would allow this. Besides our aisle is too short and too narrow.
Deborah
I am always heartened by the news of people being drawn to the church. Sometimes it is easy to fall into the temptation to get down. When I hear the stories of God working in others lives it jolts me back to reality. God is all powerful.
It is for good reason that the world wants to "shut up" Benedict XVI. The title of a recent article by Sandro Magister "When the Tribunal of the World Condemns the Church for Heresy" well describes the current culture wars.
God bless the Church on the eve of Benedict XVI's historic visit to the U.K. May other young men and women be drawn to the writings of the Church. May we provide an appropriate living witness for those who seek the truth.
I love the image of Bishop Carl teaching catechism to the children, so fatherly and so informal. I'm sure Cardinal Ouellet would see here an image of the ideal Bishop. He, Archbishop Hepworth, and few others.
Bishop Carl has a great rapport with children. They love him.
Deborah
Fr. Bill: Perhaps that can be the recessional for the installation of the first Ordinary. It would sure get the attention of some TEC dioceses who come quite close to it. Being Puerto Rican, can we include some Salsa steps, too? lol
J.M.J.
Cardinal Arinze seems to be giving some definite thoughts about liturgical dance!
I love listening to him – he is not bashful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rJFdmmqj_s
The Cardinal Arinze video is great! Thanks for the link.
I agree with him.
Deborah
The only incidence of dance in church in Europe that I have ever come across was the pavane for processions during the late Middle Ages. But then, again, that dance is very dignified and formal and was used in the royal and noble courts as well.
I was joking about the Soul Train line dance. I do admit I had some of those plaid, cuffed bellbottom pants and loud polyester shirts, but my dance moves were never that good.
I do not think that dance is called for in any Anglo-Catholic mass in any ethnic setting I can think of in North America. I am absolutely certain that I am not called to dance in church unless we're is trying to call down a "Toronto blessing" on the house.
Cheers.
I never said I didn't know the song.
One particularly appropriate line is, "You don't need no baggage, just get on board."
Michael