Comments on: Christ the King – 52 Churches

By: David Churbuck

David Churbuck — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:49:46 +0000

Church applause apparently dates back to the 4th century, but has made a bit of a return in recent years. My theory is Hollywood loves a good wedding scene and I dare you to find a contemporary chick flick without a wedding scene that culminates in hand clapping.

I found this measured editorial against the practice:
http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=74

“The faces of the Cherub Choir members shine as they finish their song. Before I know it, I am applauding with everyone else. What am I doing? I glance around to see if anyone is watching. (We liturgy professors take ourselves very seriously.) What are we to make of this increasingly popular practice of applauding in worship?”

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:50:35 +0000

Yes, it just feels wrong but that could be because I’m over 50 and only half Catholic (my father’s family are Congregationalists).

I had thought the purpose of liturgical music was to worship God- the object being prayer in another form as opposed to performance. Perhaps I need to be enlightened.

By: David Churbuck

David Churbuck — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:46:18 +0000

There was applause for the choir! I am very interested in the phenomenon of church applause — I have seen some churches expressly ask for no applause in their programs, yet there is quite a bit in some other places. Good idea. I shall blog on the topic soon.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:08:41 +0000

Okay, I have to ask: was there applause after the children’s choir sang?

Having attended this parish during summer vacation for several years, it always struck me as unusual that this particular congregation would applaud at inappropriate times. The frequent applause for the children’s choir or for a soloist makes things feel less liturgical and more like the Barnstable County Talent Show. Self-esteem nation at work I guess.

By: David Churbuck

David Churbuck — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:37:55 +0000

yeah yeah, I know where the spectacles and testicles are (I hope I do at least) but ,… where’s the wallet and where’s the watch? Did you know people got killed for doing it with two fingers and not three? Or was it the other way around? Greeks go right to left on wallet and watch. Catholics go left to right. People care about these things.

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:58:37 +0000

just remeber – spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch

By: HOGDICK

HOGDICK — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:52:22 +0000

Your stepbro’ is a Catholic & invites you to attend Mass @ St Joseph’s in Seattle next time you’re here. I understand that the leftover hosts are stored briefly in the sacristy & served to the faithful in hospitals, hospices, housebound & even prisons that are part of each church’s ministry. There is an elaborate process to all the ritual,that has evolved over the centuries. I remember going to the ‘tent ‘as kid…

By: David Churbuck

David Churbuck — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:07:23 +0000

Craig, right, no wine and indeed, there was discussion in San Francisco on Xmas eve of not “intincting” one’s bread into the wine. I also observed no wine in Constantinople during the Patriarch’s observance of the Feast.

Thanks for clearing up the mystery of the left over hosts. I saw one or two genuflection (which I used to confuse with the Sign of the Cross). Amazingly rich vocabulary — eucharist, tabernacle, intinct. I learn something new every week.

By: Craig Merrigan

Craig Merrigan — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:01:29 +0000

Extra wine/Blood is consumed by the priest or Eucharistic ministers (the laypeople who help to distribute the Eucharist) and extra Communion hosts/Body are either consumed or stored in the tabernacle. The genuflection you mentioned remembering from childhood was done when entering the pew to honor the presence of Christ in the hosts in the tabernacle, which would generally have been at the back of the alter at that time. Churches have now largely moved the tabernacle to a separate small chapel, so genuflecting is fading, although many do it out of inherited habit. This is a good example of one of the challenges of the Catholic church: helping parishioners understand the rich meaning and heritage of the many motions and verbalizations of the Mass. The vast majority are unaware, and therefore miss much substance, mistake symbols for substance, and cannot answer questions. BTW, wine was perhaps not distributed at the Mass you attended, due to H1N1 concerns. The same thing has suspended the traditional “Kiss” (handshake) of Peace in our diocese.