How to Handle Liturgical Dancers

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DominvsVobiscvm

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A very interesting read from the Bible. From I Kings 18:
So Elijah said to the people, “I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. Give us two young bulls. Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood, but start no fire. I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood, but shall start no fire. You shall call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers with fire is God.” All the people answered, “Agreed!” Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one young bull and prepare it first, for there are more of you. Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.” Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no sound, and no one answering. **And they hopped around the altar they had prepared. **
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The LORD’S fire came down [on Elijah’s altar] and consumed the holocaust, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench. Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, “The LORD is God! The LORD is God!” Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Let none of them escape!” They were seized, and Elijah had them brought down to the brook Kishon and there he slit their throats.
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There you have it!

I wonder if a Scriptural text qualifies as a Magisterial directive . . .

If only . . .

😉
 
The second example of liturgy in “the round”

The first was when Moses came down from the mountain, and the liturgy committed had fashioned a golden calf:whacky:
 
That’s a wonderful quote from Scripture, but what does it have to do with liturgical dancers? You’re not suggesting slitting their throats, are you?
 
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chicago:
Handle with Care.
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Better yet, Handle with Prayer. 😉
 
That’s a wonderful quote from Scripture, but what does it have to do with liturgical dancers? You’re not suggesting slitting their throats, are you?
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:yup:
 
I’m reminded of a story I heard as a Cantian postulant.

I believe this happened when Archbishop Francis Cardinal George was presiding at Mass at one of his parishes in Chicago. During the liturgy, a liturgical dancer performed a dance for him and the congregation. The Cardinal leaved over to the priest who was sitting near him, and said, “You’d better hope she doesn’t ask me for your head!”

:rotfl:
 
Michael Welter:
What happens? Well, I suppose people see that he is overjoyed at the Word of God. God loves it when we celebrate His Word. :yup:
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I think they were clapping at his “performance”. The Gospel has not even been read yet.
 
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Iohannes:
I think they were clapping at his “performance”. The Gospel has not even been read yet.
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Who are you to judge their motives for clapping? I have clapped many times in Church, but never for someone’s performance. It may sometimes appear that way, as I may clap following a song, but I clap for God because He is SO AWESOME. :bowdown:
 
There ARE proper places for liturgical dance. . .

No, really.

There ARE cultures in which dance is sacred.

The majority of U.S. and European cultures view dance as SECULAR.

So, the average person in Terre Haute, IN, should probably NOT be attempting “liturgical dance”, because that average person is probably from a culture where dance itself is secular or profane (meaning “not sacred”).

For people whose idea of dance is John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, or Brittney Spears, or even of Uncle Sven and Aunt Brunhilde doing the polka, liturgical dance is not just incongruous, but verging on obscene.

Like asking God, “Hey, want to get down and boogie?”

And this is NOT meant to disparge other cultures, or to be some sort of bigot or bore. Diversity is nice, but it means diverse. . .it doesn’t mean, hammer it home everywhere because otherwise you’re a closet bigot. Otherwise, you’re going to ask people, no matter what their culture/tradition/life is, to embrace some sort of hodgepodge “inclusivity” that winds up being a whole lot of NOTHING.

Can you imagine anything worse than a Mass which mixes randomly elements of everything from pop psychology to dance to inclusive language to puppet shows to “inspired gestures” to a combo of guitars/organs/amps/flutes/digeridoos to “do it yourself” consecrations, done in first English, then Vietnamese, then German, then Croatian, then Hebrew, then pig Latin, then “tongues”??

If this actually sounds good to you, you’re probably a “modern” liturgist.
 
Michael Welter:
Who are you to judge their motives for clapping? I have clapped many times in Church, but never for someone’s performance. It may sometimes appear that way, as I may clap following a song, but I clap for God because He is SO AWESOME. :bowdown:
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Clapping is innapropriate for church setting.
 
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Iohannes:
Clapping is innapropriate for church setting.
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Is this your opinion, or do you have some documentation to back up this claim?
 
Well, when WOULD clapping be appropriate?

Think about it. Is there a part of the Mass where clapping is appropriate?

At the beginning?
During the liturgy of the word?
During the consecration?
During communion?
At the end?

WHY would it be appropriate?
Because somebody is overwhelmed with the feeling “God is awesome?” And that has to be expressed with CLAPPING?

Wait. Suppose somebody has just gotten married in church. Clapping would not be totally INAPPROPRIATE there, but seriously, it COULD wait. There is really no overwhelming NEED to clap. Encouragement? You know, the majority of these people in church are going to the reception, or will at least shake hands with the happy couple AFTER church–can’t an encouraging YAY or clap WAIT TILL THEN? Likewise, with a couple married 50 years, or a priest retiring. Yep, we’re all delighted to honor them, but it need NOT be by clapping IN MASS. Why not have the priest, when reciting announcements, ask, “Let’s all meet outside, or in the parish hall, after church to acknowledge. . . .whatever”. And THERE, let the clapping be long and hearty.

So, really, there is absolutely NO event that NEEDS to be acknowledged with CLAPPING (or cheering, or high fives, or moonwalking for that matter) DURING MASS.

As my dear Sister of Mercy Maria Benigna used to say to us, “Restrain those hasty impulses”!!!
 
First this is just my opinion, not an official stance. But based on different things I have hear priest, bishops and other say, clapping is appropriate during Mass at an appropriate time (i.e. during announcements) but not as much as it is used in many churches today.

Appropriate times:
  1. Someone is newly appointed to a position
  2. Someone is newly baptised
  3. A new resident priest is welcomed to the community
  4. A loved resident priest is leaving the community
Inappropriate times:
  1. For anyone that is doing their duties during the Mass (i.e. the choir, EMHCs, readers, the priest, etc.)
  2. Most other reasons.
Most clapping that you hear now is for the item I list in the inappropriate times.

Like I said this is just my opinion, that and 5 cents might get you a gumball.
 
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Marauder:
Appropriate times:
  1. Someone is newly appointed to a position
  2. Someone is newly baptised
  3. A new resident priest is welcomed to the community
  4. A loved resident priest is leaving the community
Inappropriate times:
  1. For anyone that is doing their duties during the Mass (i.e. the choir, EMHCs, readers, the priest, etc.)
  2. Most other reasons.
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I agree completely. If clapping is part of my worhip, I should not clap unless it is also part of worship for the whole congregation. Since Tantum Ergo was unable to produce any documentation saying that clapping is inappropriate during Mass, I will accept that as your opinion, and I appreciate that. I find neither dancing or clapping for God inappropriate.
 
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