Oh, thank God, it's the Mormons!

Mass was sleepy this morning. Hymns were Slane (Be thou my vision) for the processional, McKee (Let saints on earth in concert sing) for the offertory, and Leoni (God is my great desire) for the recessional. Mass setting was mostly Proulx. I did the 9:00, so there was no choir.

Nearly fifty years ago, many in the country were asking whether or not John Kennedy could be trusted to be president of the United States because he was a Roman Catholic, and he might be subject to taking orders from the pope. As I was sitting in St. Stephen's—a place where the Kennedy family often worshipped—I started thinking about that and the parallels of the current dilemma we have in the Republican Party with the upcoming 2008 presidential election.

What triggered this line of thinking is the fact that Friday night, we went to see the new movie September Dawn, the true story of how the Mormons in Utah slaughtered a group of 120 Arkansas pioneers on their way to California in 1857, and the "conspiracy theory" that orders for the massacre came from the highest levels of the Mormon Church, even from then-president Brigham Young himself.

Now, September Dawn purely as a movie wasn't really the best-made movie I've ever seen. Aside from some fine performances from Jon Voight as Bishop Samuelson and Terence Stamp as Brigham Young, the rest of the cast (mostly because of the script and direction) bounced between stilted and high school drama club. The movie was based on the few available details of the factual massacre, and the script writers took a great deal of artistic license to create a very predictable love story that dominated most of the movie, I guess to balance out the hard facts of church history, conspiring with the Indians, and killing men, women, and children. The editing is choppy, camera angles monotonous, and it was several minutes into the film and its jumping around from date to date that I finally figured out what was going on.

The one thing the movie did drive home, though, was the strong, controlling, dominating influence of religious fundamentalist fanasticism and what such zealots can do "in the name of God." Now, the Mormons certainly have no monopoly on fanaticism and murdering in the name of God. After all, the Catholics have been doing that for millennia (remember the Crusades? the Inquisition?), and the Protestants have continued it themselves for centuries (reformation wars, witch hunts, etc.). We're also seeing a lot of it these days with modern Muslims.

Fifty years ago, though, I would venture to say that most Catholics would be quick to question an order from the pope or some archbishop to go murder innocent people, and today in 2007, Catholics not only would question but would "tell them where to go." The papal control thing was never really a serious concern in 1960 with John Kennedy.

The Mormons, though, are completely another matter. Now, as a non-Mormon, I may not have all the details just right, but I think I understand the gist of things. I might also say that I have a number of friends and acquaintances who are Mormons, and I respect the family-centered commitment and uprightness of their church and membership, so I have no ax to grind against them. The Mormons have a president they believe is God's prophet on earth, and a high council of a dozen or so "apostles" they believe are also in direct communication with God. The Mormon Church is extremely hierarchical, with small, local groups being ruled by lay bishops who have pretty much absolute authority over the members of their wards. I know Mormons who have quit their jobs and moved to different towns to fulfill the orders of their bishop or higher church authorities, and others who have taken on volunteer positions or tasks even when they didn't really have time for them. Discipline and obedience are very highly prized standards in the Mormon Church. Certainly, they aren't the zealots they were in the mid-19th century and they don't go around killing their errant members anymore, but the rules and pressure for obedience are still there. And, thus, we have the source for the Republican's current dilemma: Mitt Romney.

If Governor Romney were to become President of the United States, if the highest councils of the Mormon Church were to tell him to do a particular thing, what would he do? Now, of course, Mr. Romney is going to say that he will fulfill his oath of office to the Constitution and to the People, and that will override anything the Mormon Church might want. Yet, what will really happen? I believe that even today, Mormons are acculturated to do what the church leadership tells them to do. If push comes to shove, my gut feeling is that Mr. Romney is going to do what his church tells him to do.

What is particularly interesting about the September Dawn movie is Governor Romney's ancestor's role in the massacre. His Mormon polygamist great-great-grandfather "stole" an Arkansas woman to make her one of his wives, but the woman's husband didn't take kindly to that, and killed the Romney progenitor. It is believed that revenge and "blood atonement" for his death was one of the primary motivators for the Utah massacre of the Arkansans. I hear that Governor Romney does not plan to see September Dawn.

There are many who are claiming that this movie was made solely for the purpose of embarrassing the Mormons and hindering Governor Romney's presidential campaign. I give that argument short shrift. The massacre is historical fact. Look at the date of the massacre, too: September 11, 1857. This is the sesquicentennial (a/k/a 150th anniversary) of the massacre. I hardly think that the Governor's detractors began planning this 150 years ago.

September Dawn isn't going to win any Academy Awards. It is a useful vehicle, though, to educate us about a sad chapter of American history and to remind us of the rules and traditions of a major religious organization in America. I don't believe the movie's purpose is to foment anti-Mormon sentiment or embarrass Romney any more than a movie about the 1507 historical incident when 30 "witches" were burned by the Spanish Inquisition would be anything more than a 500th anniversary observance of the event, and certainly not a movie attempting to drum up anti-Catholicism or embarrass the presidential campaign of Rudy Guiliani.

So, I take the movie on its face value. Release is pretty limited (it's only at one theater in all of Washington, D.C.!), so if its showing near you, consider seeing it, especially if you are unfamiliar with the Mormon Church. And, if you can't catch it this month, at least try to rent the DVD.

(By the way, the title of the post is a quote from the movie, when the Arkansans have been under siege and the Mormons show up to "help" them shortly before murdering all of them.)

Liturgy meme (stolen from Friarjohn)

Liturgical Movements of Personal Devotion
and other amusing things
(yeah, it's a church thing)



BOWING - Simple Bow
[x] At the name of Jesus
[x] Toward the processional/recessional cross
[ ] Toward the Gospel book during the processional
[ ] When saying, "And also with you"
[ ] Toward the priest during the pro/recessional
[x] Toward the bishop during the pro/recessional
[x] At the Gloria Patri
[ ] Why the heck should I bow?

BOWING - Profound Bow or Genuflection
[x] When entering/leaving a pew (if Sacrament is reserved)
[x] When approaching or leaving the altar
[x] During the Nicene Creed at the Incarnatus: From "he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man" through "he suffered death and was buried."
[x] At the Sanctus: "Holy, holy, holy..."
[ ] At the words of institution
[ ] After the words of institution
[ ] Again, why the heck should I bow or genuflect, huh?

SIGN OF THE CROSS+
[x ] Up, down, left, right (RC)
[x] Up, down, left, right, heart (Anglican)
[ ] Up, down, right, left, heart (Orthodox)
[x] At every mention of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (or similar form)
[x] At the end of the Gloria: "You alone are the most high - Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the +Glory of God the Father."
[x] When using Holy Water, entering and leaving the church
[x] At the opening of the liturgy
[ ] At the Gospel Proclamation - Regular way
[x] At the Gospel Proclamation - Forehead, Heart, Mouth
[x] At the final clause of the Nicene Creed: "we look for the +resurrection of the dead..."
[x] During prayers for the departed (if "Rest eternal grant to them..." or similar is used)
[x] At the absolution after confession
[x] At the Sanctus: "Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord."
[ ] During the Words of Institution
[x] At the Elevations after the Words of Institution
[x] When the celebrant says, "sanctify us also..."
[x] Before receiving Holy Communion
[x] After receiving Holy Communion
[x] At the blessing/dismissal
[ ] At the Lord's Prayer: "and deliver us from evil."
[ ] When passing by a church whilst on the street (sometimes)
[x] At the beginning of the Magnificat, Benedictus, or Nunc Dimittis
[ ] I don't do the sign of the cross because my sign is listed in the horoscope.

KNEELING
[x] Before the service begins
[x] During the Penitential Order during Lent
[x] At the confession of sin
[x] During the prayers of the people
[x] During the Eucharistic prayer
[x] While receiving Holy Communion
[x] The post-Communion prayer and blessing
[ ] I don't kneel, my knees hurt.

THE SIGN OF PEACE
[ ] The Peace - Important (but please don't use this time for an extended get-to-know-you conversation!)
[ ] The Peace - Enjoyable
[x] The Peace - Awkward and irritating
[ ] Um, yeah, excuse me, but I don't know you.
[ ] Get away from me you pervert!

THE SERMON
[x] Roll eyes during a dumb sermon
[ ] Smile politely during a dumb sermon
[x] Do a crossword puzzle during a too-long sermon
[ ] Applaud, hoot, or holler at a good point during a sermon
[ ] Give an "Amen" during a sermon
[ ] Take down notes during a good sermon
[ ] Fall asleep during the sermon

ADMINISTRATION AND RECEPTION OF THE EUCHARIST
[ ] Intinction (if I've got an obvious mouth/throat infection)
[x] Sipping or wetting lips from chalice
[ ] Handing over host to be intincted by chalice bearer or acolyte
[ ] "Ewwww, nasties!"

THE PRIEST
[ ] Ignore the priest after the service
[x] Shake the priest's hand after the service
[ ] Hug the priest after the service
[ ] Give the priest a kiss on the cheek after the service
[ ] *speaks in a sulty voice* "Hey pops, wanna listen to my confession? I'm all alone at home this evening."

MUSIC
[x] Traditional music
[ ] Contemporary music
[ ] Have the cantor and choir shut up NOW.

THE BIBLE
[ ] King James Version
[ ] Bishop's Bible
[ ] Coverdale Bible
[x] Revised Standard Version
[x] New Revised Standard Version
[ ] New International Version
[ ] Message Bible
[ ] Comic books and mags are my Bible

COFFEE HOUR
[ ] Coffee hour = heaven (though the coffee itself is often dire)
[ ] Coffee hour = hell
[ ] Coffee hour = necessary evil
[ ] Coffee hour = near occasion of sin
[x] Coffee hour only when there's sherry/alcohol
[ ] I'd rather cozy up at Bucky's with the rector or vicar

THE BISHOP
[x] Kissing episcopal rings
[ ] Just shaking bishop's hand

CHURCH ATTIRE
[ ] Casual at church
[ ] Semi-formal at church
[x] Formal at church
[ ] G-string and body fur

FIRE AND SMOKE
[x] Prefer incense
[ ] Incense = can't breathe
[ ] Incense = major headache
[x] Light candles
[ ] I don't trust myself; I'll burn the church down.

DIGNUM ET JUSTUM EST
[x] "It is right to give Him thanks and praise."
[ ] "It is right to give our thanks and praise."
[ ] "It is right to give God thanks and praise."
[ ] "It is right to offer thanks and praise."
[x] Ah, screw it. "It is meet and right so to do."

THE PATER NOSTER
[X] "Our Father, who art in heaven."
[ ] "Our Father in heaven."
[ ] "Our Abba in heaven."
[ ] "Our Mother in heaven."
[ ] "Yo pops, with yer bling-bling."

WORSHIP SPACE
[ ] Solitary worship
[ ] Small parish
[ ] Medium parish
[x] Large parish
[x] Cathedral
[ ] Mission/chaplaincy
[ ] Megachurch
[ ] Anywhere "as long as the word is rightly preached, and the sacraments faithfully administered"
[ ] Can't be arsed to go to church

SACRAMENTALS
[x] Use the Dominican rosary
[ ] Use the Anglican rosary
[ ] Use an Orthodox prayer rope
[ ] Use a Franciscan Crown, the seven-decade Dominican rosary
[ ] Use Sacrifice Beads
[ ] Use Prayer stones
[ ] I use the rosaries/prayer beads for other means (i.e. strangulating people)
[ ] Venerate icons
[ ] Iconoclastic tendencies (or maybe I'm just not a visual or touch-y person)

OTHER - JUST FOR FUN
[x] Saying the filioque clause during the Nicene Creed
[ ] Whispering "My Lord and My God" at the elevation of the consecrated elements
[ ] Extending your arms when saying, "And also with you"
[ ] Strike breast during Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our sins..."
[x] Strike breast at any petition for forgiveness and pardon
[ ] Strike breast when saying "Lord, I am not worthy to receive You..."
[ ] Slap yourself in dismay when the priest says something stupid
[ ] Trip someone in the procession and pretend you didn't do it.

THE SACRAMENTS
[x] Transubstantiational Eucharist
[ ] Consubstantiational Eucharist
[ ] Holy Mystery Eucharist
[ ] Symbolic/Remembrance Eucharist
[ ] Cookies 'n juice time!
[ ] "Ooooh, refreshments!"

NUMBER OF SACRAMENTS
[ ] 2 Sacraments
[x] 7 Sacraments
[ ] 8 Sacraments
[ ] 2 Sacraments and 5 Sacramental Rites
[ ] Coffee hour
[ ] I don't call them sacraments; I call them ordinances!
[ ] The number is undefined

WHAT IS AN EPISCOPALIAN/ANGLICAN?
[ ] Catholic
[ ] Protestant
[x] Both
[ ] Neither

THEOLOGY
[x] High Church/Anglo-Catholic/Anglo-Orthodox
[ ] Broad Church
[ ] Low Church
[ ] Charismatic
[ ] Evangelical
[ ] Restorationist, as to restoring the pre-Reformation Catholic traditions of Anglicanism
[x] Affirming/Accepting
[ ] Welcoming, but seeking to preach the truth with love
[ ] Progressive
[x] Conservative
[ ] Post-modern
[ ] Liberal
[ ] Moderate
[x] Traditional, theologically speaking

CALVINISM VS. ARMINIANISM
[ ] Calvinist
[ ] Arminian
[x] Neither position
[ ] I don't care.

THE TRINITY
[ ] Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifer
[x] Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
[ ] Source, Saviour, and Procession
[ ] Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver
[ ] Buddha, Dharma, Sangha

THE BLESSED VIRGIN
[x] The Blessed Virgin was immaculately conceived
[x] The Blessed Virgin was assumed into heaven
[ ] The Blessed Virgin "fell asleep"
[ ] The Blessed Virgin was prepared during her life with special grace to be pure and holy for the birth to Jesus
[ ] The Blessed Virgin is ever-virgin
[x] Good ole Mary and Joe had a bucket of kiddies
[ ] The Blessed Virgin is present in the Eucharist because by the power of the Holy Spirit her Son took our flesh from the Blessed Mother, and because his Body and Blood is present in the Bread and Cup, she is present in a special but not real way
[ ] The Blessed Virgin is co-redemptrix with her Son
[ ] The Blessed Virgin fell asleep, was buried, and three days later was resurrected and taken bodily to heaven, a foretaste of what will be for all who are in Christ.

Brooke Astor

I've just been listening to the most interesting internet broadcast, the funeral of Brooke Astor from St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York. I don't know how many of you know Mrs. Astor, but over the past few decades, she has given away over $200 million to various charitable causes and set the "proper" standard for philanthropy. She has supported the understructures of charities and emphasized organizations that help the poor and disadvantaged help themselves in a world where most charitable donors have wanted to build flashy new buildings bearing their names, but then offered no financial support to operate those buildings. Mrs. Astor did what was necessary to help charities pay the bills and be successful in their missions, and up until just a few years ago, she actively visited those charities to monitor their success and offer her advice and support.

Well, today Mrs. Astor, aged 105, is being laid to rest. She's had quite the grand funeral at St. Thomas—the NYC church with the famous boys' choir and the occasional rumble of the subway trains below—and, no doubt, the place was standing room only. His Honor the Mayor of New York spoke. The United States Marine Corps provided her with her pallbearers (Mrs. Astor's father was once the Commandant of the Marine Corps).

I found it interesting that her service was from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, rather than being a Rite 1 (or, heaven forbid, Rite 2) service from the 1979 BCP. It was strictly the burial office with no requiem Mass. The hymns were all so familiar, being solid Anglican hymns (very solid, especially since the organist registered the foundation stops very heavily) like St. Anne (O God our help from ages past), Toplady (Rock of Ages), Hyfrydol (Love divine, all loves excelling), and Rest (Dear Lord and Father of mankind). A bagpiper piped the coffin out of the church after the service to New Britain (Amazing Grace).

The Men of the Choir (the boys aren't back in school yet) did the Funeral Sentences, used a Walford Davies Anglican chant setting for the psalm, and sang Thomas Tallis' Salvador mundi salva nos as the anthem. I really must get to St. Thomas sometime to hear the choir in person, since I've not heard Sir John Scott, the "new" conductor, and the last time I was at St. Thomas, Gerre Hancock was still there.

I missed the prelude, though I understand it was all Bach. The postlude, which I'm hearing right now, is the Widor "Toccata" (from Symphonie V), which is being played at at interesting fast yet virtuosic pace. It's fabulous hearing it played on that big, thunderous organ at St. Thomas.

Anyway, requiescat in pace, Mrs. Astor. You provided us with a wonderful example of social deportment and philanthropic behavior, and you bridged the gap from the days of the wealthy robber barons, across the Great Depression, and into the 20th century. Thank you.

The BVM

Yesterday was the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, depending upon the catholicity of ones feelings about the role of Mary in the Church. Laurent, Ryan, and I went to St. Paul's K Street for their evening Procession and Solemn Mass.

After the introit chant, the choir and clergy processed around the church, first to the hymn Salve Regina Coelitum (Hail, Holy Queen enthroned above—remember the tune from Sister Act?), and then after a collect at the Lady Altar, to Parry's Rustington (Sing we of the blessed Mother). Other hymns for the evening were Willan (Hail Mary, full of grace) as the sequence, Mater Amabilis (Ave, Maria! O Maiden, O Mother) after communion, and then Daily, daily (Ye who own the faith of Jesus) as the recessional. My friend John, the new organist, was singing alto in choir, and at the organ was the organist from the Washington National Cathedral (who was quite fond of the tuba mirabilis in the narthex antiphonal division).

They did Mozart's Spatzen-Messe, KV 220 for the Mass setting. I liked the setting, although I do believe the Benedictus was longer than the Gloria! The choir sang Robert Parson's "Ave Maria" setting for the offertory anthem, and the Agnus Dei from the Mass setting served as the communion motet. Anglican chant for the psalm was by Edgar F. Day.

Fr. Milton Williams from St. Timothy's, and a former seminarian at K Street, served as guest preacher. He was entertaining, and one can tell that he used to be Southern Baptist.

There was, alas, no reception or wine and cheese after the Mass. I was surprised.

Here's a bad video of the offertory anthem, for those who like English Reformation music. Sorry the audio is garbled....something is happening on the upload to YouTube....we're working on the problem.

Singing in Latin

"Many of these chants became all but forgotten by two generations of Catholics who were swept up in well-meaning but sometimes overzealous efforts in past decades to require constant innovation in liturgy."

Yep. That's what it says in the parish newsletter. I went to the evening Mass at St. Stephen's tonight because they are starting to do the Mass setting in Latin using the traditional Gregorian chants (or at least the updated chants as they appear in the Worship III hymnal). They're adding another section every Sunday....tonight they did the Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. They plan to add the Kyrie and......the Credo!

Everything was a capella tonight, including the hymns. The morning cantoress was there tonight, so with her strong singing, she actually got people to sing heartily for the processional (Forest Green "Your hands, O Lord in days of old" (tune reminded me of Christmas)) and recessional (Thaxted "O God beyond all praising") hymns. The offertory (Sharpthorne "What does the Lord require") was another matter. Two or three people sang that I could hear, but the whispery noises they were making I would hardly call tuneful. And the communion marching music ("God, Your glory we have seen in Your Christ") was so not sung by the congregation that you could hear crickets.

The psalm antiphon was a setting by Leo Nestor and for the memorial acclamation and great amen they used the Proulx A Community Mass setting.

Msgr. Filardi celebrated and preached. He had a guest concelebrant with him today who's a priest from the West Bank of Israel. There was a second collection tonight, and no announcement of its purpose, so I'm going to guess it was going to the visiting priest's ministries.

It will be interesting to see how the Sunday evening Mass proceeds. I think they're planning to put together some kind of chant choir to support the Mass, and that could be interesting.

Gilding the sky

Ever since my first visit well over two years ago, I've reported that it seems as though the majority of the congregation at St. Paul's K Street is either geriatric or gay (or both); this morning, I confirmed that suspicion. In the opening hymn (When morning gilds the sky), there was a phrase that goes, "When evening shadows fall, this rings my curfew call, may Jesus Christ be praised!" Well, I heard from singing parishioners in multiple locations not "this rings my curfew call," but "this rings my curtain call."

Theater fags.

Anyway, I made a special point to go to K Street this morning, because this was John's first official Sunday as the new organist and assistant music director, and we're so happy to have him there! He played stunningly this morning, and the choir he directed sounded beautiful and well-balanced. The new interim music director has been selected—a Brit, surprise surprise LOL—but he won't get here until at least the end of the month (as soon as his visa clears the embassy in London), so John gets to do both jobs for the time being.

Today's organ prelude was "Adagio in E minor" by Frank Bridge. The postlude was "Flourish for an Occasion" by William Henry Harris. You can tell John did his masters at Indiana.

Hymns were the aforementioned Laudes Domini for the processional, Wachet auf (Praise the Lord through every nation) for the sequence, Herr Jesu Christ (O saving Victim) for post-communion, and Winchester New (Before the Lord's eternal throne) for the recessional.

The choir sang the a capella Palestrina Missa Brevis for the Mass setting. They also did "Christ whose glory fills the sky" (not the hymn tune) by T. Frederick H. Candlyn for the offertory anthem and "O nata Lux de lumine" by Thomas Tallis for the communion motet. They did an Anglican chant by James Turle for the psalm setting.