playing music for $ at protestant service

[Porknpie]

I’m thinking that if unity is the real point for Catholics, then less needs to be made of being present or participating in other worship services. You really can’t have it both ways can you?

We live in a Burger King society. You can have it not just both ways but “your way”. With pickles…Please.

Now that could be one good new thread to start

“What is the real point for Catholics?”

Then we can start an even better one…

“What is the real point for Protestants?”

:coffeeread:

 

[PuddleJumper]

We live in a Burger King society. You can have it not just both ways but “your way”. With pickles…Please.

Now that could be one good new thread to start

“What is the real point for Catholics?”

Then we can start an even better one…

“What is the real point for Protestants?”

:coffeeread:

Not sure where you are going with all that, but my point is God.

 

[BettyBoop416]

If it’s good enough for a Protestant to make a few dollars leading the music in a Catholic Church, then I don’t see why a Catholic can’t make a few dollars as a musician in a Protestant Church.

I agree with this.

As it happens, the long time organist at my parish is a Baptist - a nice man and a very skilled musician who contributes much to the beauty of our Sunday Mass.

 

[benjohnson]

You can think of it as “I just play notes”, but you also have to realize the danger of this thinking. I’m sure some Nazis at Auschwitz thought “I just pull the lever.”

You’ve found the secret of why Lutheran hymns are so good.

It keeps us busy playing music instead of doing evil.

 

[Joyful_Catholic_1]

The Catholic Church is always wondering how to reach out and build bridges to other faiths, but then you get answers like “stay away from all Protestant churches. They are dangerous and could corrupt your faith.” “Be wary that you are not influenced…” What??? If one’s faith is so fragile, that the mere act of setting foot in another church can “put dangerous ideas in one’s head” that person is not ready to commit to Catholicism or any other faith. Both my faith and my mind are strong and I’m really beginning to resent all these dire warnings. I say, go ahead and share your talents. What better way to show non-Catholics what good and decent humans our faith makes us?

 

[stevekehl]

I can’t give you a direct answer, but I can tell you that I have been in the same position. I am an organist and cantor, and once when I was looking for work I was very close to auditioning at a Lutheran church. But something made me change my mind and I cancelled my audition.

If I had not, I would probably not now be employed in a beautiful, very traditional Catholic church, with which I am very much in love

You can think of it as “I just play notes”, but you also have to realize the danger of this thinking. I’m sure some Nazis at Auschwitz thought “I just pull the lever.” Now obviously there are big differences, but my point is that the line of thinking COULD be used to justify almost anything.

Talking to your pastor is probably a great idea

Well, first you just play music. Then you start to enjoy yourself. Then you start talking to people. Then you start loving them. Next thing you know your a Nazi pulling the lever.

 

[liturgyluver]

Hello All,

Lately I have been taking some music gigs at Protestant services. As a Catholic, I have mixed feelings about it. I did check with one person I consider a pretty knowledgable and orthodox Catholic and he led me to believe that while he would not do it, there is nothing to forbid it. I have found some people who seem to discourage it online though.

Now, I might feel different if I was leading the songs or involved in the liturgy more directly. All I am doing is playing a role in the band. I mean, I feel weird because it is directly affecting their service in a way, but it is just a job to me. But if I were a carpenter or a janitor I would feel fine fixing/building or cleaning for a protestant Church. Would it be different I wonder if I were an organist and was the only musician playing? Does it matter how much one needs the money or not?

My point being that, what I am doing is being hired to play some notes. It does so happen to be during the service, but I do not see it as direct involvement in carrying out the liturgy.
It is my job, and I play wherever I am invited and paid as long as its reasonable.

Has anyone ever definitively asked or answered or have a link for me to solve the issue?
I welcome your opinions, and I will take them to heart, but am looking for something more concrete. If not found, maybe I should just ask my Pastor.

Thanks.

Well, this is an individual decision, but if might help you to know that the Master of the Music at Westminster Abbey - James O’Donnell - is Catholic, and Pope Benedict was very nice to him when he came to the UK and invited the choir to the Rome, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

 

[Oldtimer_7]

Our praise and worship coordinator is Catholic and he also plays at a Methodist church. He does not take communion with us, but will pass the peace if someone comes up to him. He is truly Catholic and makes no bones about it. Working during a service is very different from worshiping. I do not care for a praise and worship service, nor am i particularly fond of the music. I do it to allow more people to worship God. In the eight years of running the projection, I have only been to maybe five praise and worship services as a worshiper and much prefer the traditional service. My mind is on the words and images that I am projecting, and not primarily on God, though I am serving Him. The coordinator is in much the same position, having to concentrate on his playing. Another consideration is that we share so many hymns. A friend who converted to Catholicism invited me to her baptism and I was leafing through the hymnal and found “A Mighty Fortress,” which was written by Martin Luther.

I offer for your consideration a passage from Phillipians:
Philippians 1:15-18

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
15 Some indeed, even out of envy and contention; but some also for good will preach Christ.
16 Some out of charity, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
17 And some out of contention preach Christ not sincerely: supposing that they raise affliction to my bands.
18 But what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion, or by truth, Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

 

[jesuspsr]

I appreciate the opinions. But so far that is what they seem to be. I ma not saying they are incorrect. Just that you offer no actual citation or authoritative backup of your thoughts to convince me. Again, if you were a plumber and you were hired to fix the plumbing at a protestant church or a carpenter and you were hired to fix a whole in their roof would you not take the work even though it helped the building to continue to go on and have worship services that were contrary to your beliefs? I am not sure if what I am doing is the same thing, but I am not sure it is not either.

Yes, and I have. I’m a drug and alcohol counselor but to make ends meet I also have a Handyman business on the side, so I get calls from all, that includes other churches.
God bless

jesus g

 

[Stylites]

I appreciate the opinions. But so far that is what they seem to be. I ma not saying they are incorrect. Just that you offer no actual citation or authoritative backup of your thoughts to convince me. Again, if you were a plumber and you were hired to fix the plumbing at a protestant church or a carpenter and you were hired to fix a whole in their roof would you not take the work even though it helped the building to continue to go on and have worship services that were contrary to your beliefs? I am not sure if what I am doing is the same thing, but I am not sure it is not either.

Well, a plumber or carpenter go in and do their job and make things look nice or repair a leak and then leave. Someone paid to perform to the ears and souls of worshippers is on a different level of interaction with the liturgy, is just my uneducated opinion.

 

[Stylites]

Well, first you just play music. Then you start to enjoy yourself. Then you start talking to people. Then you start loving them. Next thing you know your a Nazi pulling the lever.

Ah. Now I understand hyperbolic steps. Seriously, it was a sad and awful analogy, no?