Good Friday Contemporary Service & Dancing in Sanctuary

[dfp42]

My church has decided to have a Good Friday evening contemporary service presented by out deacon this year. Not knowing what to expect besides the normal reverence one would expect at any service being done within a Church I was kinda thrown back and shocked to see a play being done by the youth group with dancing and cartwheels being done within the sanctuary. I knew something was going on when I seen all the banjo’s and guitars setup. To make the situation even more bizarre the girls where dressed in what looked to be their nightgowns with more exposed then one would like to see. There was a scene representing Mary’s sorrow and the young women was doing splits, gymnastics and seductive dancing in front of the alter. I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They offered scenes of the gospel that were supposed to bring us all into a deeper meaning of Christ’s suffering but I couldn’t help wonder why this was done in this way or if this sort of thing is allowed? After the event, the service turned into a more normal tone with a homily, adoration of the cross and distribution of the Eucharist. I understand this was all done outside the context of mass, but has anyone ever seen anything like this inside the Church? There’s something about doing ballerina dancing with contemporary music that seems a little odd. Any thoughts?

 

[roadsend]

Unflappingbelieveable. On Good Friday of all days. Run, don’t walk away from that parish.

 

[jreilly]

No, I can’t say I’ve ever experienced something such as what you described. I would have had to leave.

 

[englishredrose]

woke you up though didn’t it…

 

[Anna_Claire]

It may not have been prayerful for you but maybe others interpreted differently and found that it made Good Friday more meaningful to them. As long as it didn’t replace the actual Triduum liturgy I say…why not?

 

[grandfather]

The Vatican has forbid liturgical dance in the west in response to the circus atmosphere you describe. Rome’s instruction is ignored by the renegade element within the Church that refuses to obey Church authority.

Sadly, there are many sacreligious activities under the guise of religious services that take place in Catholic churches in our dark time. Thankfully, they are not as common as they once were in the recent past.

For your own soul’s sake you should find another place to worship. If the pastor would allow this to take place he his very heterodox at best and there will be other problems in the way the faith is presented.

If other parishoners are willing to put up with this, or even like it, it is not your problem. Unless you are in a remote rural location there will be more orthodox parishes where you will not have to suffer through the theatrical adolescent stage shows.

 

[dfp42]

I wish I could say I was over exaggerating what I seen but I’m not. I live in an area where there are many orthodox churches nearby so I’m not directly stuck here. I just honestly don’t like the whole dancing in church idea. It was completely different from the afternoon liturgy but at the same time incorporated all the other aspects into the service dancing etc. Our priest sat in the front pew and was watching this unfold by our deacon. I’m thinking perhaps he didn’t know the details of the play? I’m sad because I do love this parish but it’s been through 3 different priests in the last 3 years since I reverted back to the faith. But on all days I think a play like this shouldn’t of taken place. They announced for the people in the pews not to clap or applaud and to remain silent because of the triduum but the clapping remained. I really just wanted to go to the church to pray and I ended up seeing a play put on. I consider the sanctuary a sacred place to step foot in. I felt honored when I was up there for my marriage. To see dancing going on takes the cake for me sadly.

 

[anp1215]

Unflappingbelieveable. On Good Friday of all days. Run, don’t walk away from that parish.

No, stay and try to change it.

It may not have been prayerful for you but maybe others interpreted differently and found that it made Good Friday more meaningful to them. As long as it didn’t replace the actual Triduum liturgy I say…why not?

Because Rome forbids it and we are Roman Catholics.

 

[dfp42]

So since the dancing took place outside of mass is it technically still ok in church during the service? It was considered a contemporary service…but had more of a play aspect to it.

 

[MarkThompson]

The Vatican has forbid liturgical dance in the west in response to the circus atmosphere you describe.

Because Rome forbids it and we are Roman Catholics.

I’m pretty sure the Vatican has never issued any sort of prohibition on dance outside of Mass. The situation the OP describes sounds quite awful – forbidden by any sense of good taste, surely – but I really don’t think either of you is going to be able to find a document from Rome that says, “No interpretive dance in a church.”

 

[Eric_Olsen]

The problem is it took place in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is supposed to be sacred and not a stage to put on shows. Why can’t people see this? did VII supposedly change this too?

So since the dancing took place outside of mass is it technically still ok in church during the service? It was considered a contemporary service…but had more of a play aspect to it.

 

[japhy]

It may not have been prayerful for you but maybe others interpreted differently and found that it made Good Friday more meaningful to them. As long as it didn’t replace the actual Triduum liturgy I say…why not?

This seems to have been a Good Friday Triduum liturgy: the OP said this was presenting scenes from the Gospel (perhaps instead of the traditional reading of the Gospel, or in addition to it?) and this was followed by a homily, adoration of the Cross, and distribution of Holy Communion.

Maybe this was a second Good Friday liturgy?

 

[dfp42]

This seems to have been a Good Friday Triduum liturgy: the OP said this was presenting scenes from the Gospel (perhaps instead of the traditional reading of the Gospel, or in addition to it?) and this was followed by a homily, adoration of the Cross, and distribution of Holy Communion.

Maybe this was a second Good Friday liturgy?

The play and acting was in addition to various readings. It was the second good friday service at 7pm and had a completely different twist compared to the 1:30pm event…seemed like a secularized version of it.

 

[PatriceA]

The play and acting was in addition to various readings. It was the second good friday service at 7pm and had a completely different twist compared to the 1:30pm event…seemed like a secularized version of it.

Yuck. How very inappropriate, given the date and place. Even if it wasn’t everybody’s taste, at least hold the “service” outside of the actual Sanctuary and perhaps earlier in Lent.

 

[RosalieM]

I am sorry you had to experience this. Last year I found so many transgressions in a parish, I had to change to a more orthodox parish. It weakens faith to tolerate stuff like this and if there’s a lot going on that’s wrong, I found you “can’t fight city hall.” If it was just this one instance, perhaps you can do something about it. But if you’re the only one who objects, hang on to your faith and run to another parish.
I too am a revert. I’ve been back 6 years as of June this year. You’ll probably not find a perfect parish; but you can try for one that doesn’t weaken the faith of the parishioners with shennanigans like this.
Yesterday was my first Good Friday without a school play in the sanctuary, and I was so grateful for that.
I know for a fact that on this Easter Sunday I won’t have to listen to the same 3rd grader’s joke the same priest has told every Easter Sunday for years. Allelujah!
Happy Easter and may God bless you and the Holy Spirit guide you.

 

[EcceAgnusDei]

The “sensus Catholicus” (Catholic sense, Catholic understanding) is the sure guide here. Good Friday is the day of profound mourning because of the brutality inflicted upon Our Lord due to our sins. It is a time of fasting and prayer and penance. It is the culmination of Lent. It is not a time for dancing and music. The altars are stripped bare and the tabernacle stands open. In the EF, it is forbidden for the bells to ring or for the organ to be played until Easter Vigil. The scene you described, besides being absolutely tasteless and scandalous, goes against the sensus Catholicus.

Churches are not auditoriums and the sanctuary is not a stage. The sanctuary is the holy of holies, the house of God, the gate of heaven. It is Calvary, where the sacrifice of Our Lord is bloodlessly recreated at every Mass. Liturgical dance of any kind simply does not fit into the sensus Catholicus, and especially on Good Friday.

• PAX

 

[dfp42]

It felt very strange to say the least. I almost wanted to pull out my iphone and start recording the event to do a double take on it but I didn’t due to respect. Needless to say, this type of secularization has been an ongoing theme at this parish since I’ve been back to the faith. I don’t know what I can really do if anything to change things. I know I shouldn’t let this bother me but it just does. I really want Christ to have true meaning again in my community and not a secularized approach. For some reason or another I feel that I keep bumping into these things around me when I’m trying to come closer into the Catholic faith.

 

[PatriceA]

It felt very strange to say the least. I almost wanted to pull out my iphone and start recording the event to do a double take on it but I didn’t due to respect. Needless to say, this type of secularization has been an ongoing theme at this parish since I’ve been back to the faith. I don’t know what I can really do if anything to change things. I know I shouldn’t let this bother me but it just does. I really want Christ to have true meaning again in my community and not a secularized approach. For some reason or another I feel that I keep bumping into these things around me when I’m trying to come closer into the Catholic faith.

Maybe its time to find a different parish?

 

[EcceAgnusDei]

I know I shouldn’t let this bother me but it just does.

It SHOULD bother you. When our liturgies and our faith is distorted, we should be bothered. St. Nicholas was bothered enough by the heresies taught by Arius that he punched him in the face during an ecumenical council!

Now, just to be clear, I’m not saying that you should have started fisticuffs with someone during the dancing…

• PAX

 

[dfp42]

It SHOULD bother you. When our liturgies and our faith is distorted, we should be bothered. St. Nicholas was bothered enough by the heresies taught by Arius that he punched him in the face during an ecumenical council!

Now, just to be clear, I’m not saying that you should have started fisticuffs with someone during the dancing…

• PAX

Oh I know, completely agree with you. I have honestly been going to a very devout chapel which offers 24/7 adoration and confessions everyday but I still feel a little torn having to let go of this parish in way. Perhaps I shouldn’t feel too guilty about it, but there is something about a reverent mass at atmosphere that actually makes it feel like I went to mass etc. I used to go to this parish for daily mass and got married there 2 years ago with a very devout priest which has since then been transferred. Now when I come to mass occasionally here there’s a sense of guilt I feel because some of the people which I don’t even know always ask me where I’ve been or ask me to join in on the bible studies, become a knight etc. I love the parish I just think it affects me spiritually at the moment in a negative aspect at times.