A Poll
1) Which is more important, good music or a good homily/sermon/teaching/whatever your tradition calls it?
2) For a big holiday, would you rather go someplace with mediocre music/homiletics (depending on preference) BUT which will be full of faithful coreligionists in a familial atmosphere, OR would you rather go to a church/synagogue that has excellent music BUT is something of a tourist attraction, so that you will be, say, sitting behind people who (for example) don't bother to even pretend, don't kneel, and talk through the canon of the mass?
3) Would you ever wear a Santa Claus Hat to Midnight Mass? What if you were the woman in the aforementioned couple? When they were sitting back, nuzzling during the Eucharistic prayer, I really wanted to lean forward across the single pew between us and pull it off by the little dangling pompom.
4) The important question: Haircut/No Haircut? (Ignore Platonic Boyfriend Kolya's insistence that his heart "will break in twain" if I cut my hair. He's a strong boy; he'll pull through.) If No Haircut, I need a new way to put it up because the claw-clips just aren't cutting it.
2) For a big holiday, would you rather go someplace with mediocre music/homiletics (depending on preference) BUT which will be full of faithful coreligionists in a familial atmosphere, OR would you rather go to a church/synagogue that has excellent music BUT is something of a tourist attraction, so that you will be, say, sitting behind people who (for example) don't bother to even pretend, don't kneel, and talk through the canon of the mass?
3) Would you ever wear a Santa Claus Hat to Midnight Mass? What if you were the woman in the aforementioned couple? When they were sitting back, nuzzling during the Eucharistic prayer, I really wanted to lean forward across the single pew between us and pull it off by the little dangling pompom.
4) The important question: Haircut/No Haircut? (Ignore Platonic Boyfriend Kolya's insistence that his heart "will break in twain" if I cut my hair. He's a strong boy; he'll pull through.) If No Haircut, I need a new way to put it up because the claw-clips just aren't cutting it.
8 Comments:
1) Music. I can never pay attention to homilies anyways.
2)It depends on how disruptive the people were and how worth it the liturgical bonus points were. As in, if the atmosphere of worship cultivated by good music/art/homily is cancelled out by distraction of nuzzling couples with Santa hats, no longer is it fulfilling its end (of directing your mind to worship). Vs. the other chuch, where the music/art/homily isn't conducive to worship, but at least the congregation's reverence is.
3) Absolutely. ...NOT!!!! and WTF?!
4) Haircut. Not chopped super super short, but I'd even say you could take off a good four or five inches... But this is me. I went from waist length to shoulder length, so I no longer have exessive fear of chopping large quantities. You could also deal with Just Enough Inches So That Your Hair Is Manageable.
By
Stephanie, at 4:38 PM
1. I appreciate both teaching and music. But I admit I don't like to be preached or sung at. Both preaching and liturgical music should bring you into prayer, not provide you with a lecture or a good concert.
2. I'd rather attend services where the congregation was actively involved. Viewing a religious service as an opportunity to sight see is a sign of poor upbringing.
3. That actually happened to someone I know. She was advanced in years, and shocked by the inappropriate dress and conduct of a couple in front of her. She stuck her head between them and said, I imagine in a stage whisper, "Though the Virgin Birth may be irrelevant to your circumstances, there are still those amongst us who would like to hear about it without the distraction of a sex show. Do you think you could hold off -- just till the sermon is over?"
I once sat next to what I suspected was the daughter of a congregant dressed like a hooker, but it turns out it was a hooker dressed like a hooker. For some reason that didn't bother me so much.
4. I think you should do with your hair what you wish. If you don't like it, it will grow out. And if a haircut can break your guy's hear, he's to delicate. You might want to throw him back and look for someone more sturdy. Life will throw much more dire decisions than a haircut.
By
Aidan, at 6:01 PM
In my tradition, one essentially chooses musical arrangements and does not have a choice of musical texts (not completely true, but for the most part). However, there certainly are issues of liturgical maximalism vs minimalism type things, it's hard to completely describe and it's certainly not as pronounced in the divine liturgy itself as in the other services, and certainly is nowhere near the amount of variety allowed in a Catholic mass. That said:
1. Unless the music is completely dreadful (ie, includes an organ, I don't mind technical mediocrity), a good homily, I suppose, since I don't really care so much either way. Good music is very nice and I usually forget homilies, but I can cope with bad music far easier than bad homilies.
2. Former, unless the music were very good.
3. No.
4. He's just being emo, you can go shoulder-length.
By
Mr. G. Z. T., at 8:41 PM
1. I'm with Aidan in that the prayer is the most important part, as well as scripture. I've been to wonderful services without music or homily, but all the services I've been to where there wasn't a solid two to three helpings of the Word were dissatisfying, even when they did (and they occasionally did) have an excellent homilist. But of the two, I'd say the homily's the better part.
2. I'd always rather go to a real congregation, regardless of occaision. Weddings, funerals, holy days, sundays, a real place with real people for me, even if they're people I don't know.
3. To, maybe, but not at. But I avoid Christmas vigil, it's always that dreadful Lessons and Carols hoopla.
4. Well, there's no shame in a woman cutting her hair. But I think you should regard the completion of Mr. K's heart highly, because it really does look fantastic long.
By
Nemo, at 12:11 AM
1. I'm not sure, but I know that bad music bothers (and bothered) me more than a bad homily.
2. Best is your own usual congregation, but that's not an option here. Normally, then, I'd go with the better liturgy and try not to sit near anyone distracting. Of course, changing seats probably wasn't an option at your crowded Christmas Mass.
3. Just be grateful the priest wasn't wearing one.
4. I'm with Nemo on this, 100%.
By
Patrick, at 10:03 AM
4. I'd say cut it shorter for the winter. It will dry faster and be less likely to freeze. If any man is that upset over 4 inches of hair, he's simply too silly to listen to.
By
Vanessa, at 7:41 PM
1. Since in my tradition, bad music is less common than bad homiletics, I'll desire the good homily.
2. The parishes I really want to be a part of somewhat double as anthropological field sites even for co-religionists. So I'll go for the tourists any day. One church I go to already involves people wandering into Sunday Eucharist looking for a tour.
3. Turning the other cheek also covers pre-emptive violence, no matter how justified it is or was in the Old Testament.
4. Page boy all the way!
By
Caelius, at 8:06 AM
No, Caelius, no, because then I would look like my mother.
By
Alice Teresa, at 11:29 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home