Bishop's consecration

[organist]

I endured the choir rehearsal on Saturday for the consecration of our new bishop which happens today. I did find it irritating that the music booklet called it "the ordination" and some of the composers were not given. The hymn tunes not printed either - why? Some of the Diocesan choir cannot read music but lots can. For the first time some of the youngsters from the Cathedral choir are singing with us. It remains to be seen if the organ will be used.
As a tenor I find the attitude towards harmony puzzling. Why some items in harmony and others not? Some tunes are just too low for me. I consider myself a friendly person with a happy smile but this choir are definitely cliquey. One man replied to me "I've not seen you before". Hardly a friendly welcome and I replied that I had sing with them in the past. A friend asked if we would sing at the Chrism mass to which I said "No, not if the rehearsals are like this". I think it is fundamental that the end time of a rehearsal should be stated. It is just self indulgent for the conductor to talk as much as he likes and repeat things without explaining why! I also think that when young people are present we need to be very careful what we say about the liturgy, bishops, etc. ! Actually we need to be careful full stop if we call ourselves Christians!
Oh well I expect we will enjoy it and we are going because we like the bishop to be! And bless him he has chosen some good hymns and music.
i have copied this from the Liturgical tourism and I should explain this is Southwark not Westminster!

[JW]

Sorry you didn't enjoy the rehearsal, Organist, I did. I must say the tenors were in fine voice. In fact the men overall were better than usual, though there are still some out of tune, especially among the basses. That's why they don't do everything in harmony.

I have to say it is actually an ordination. In RC ecclesiology only Bishops have full "priesthood'.

I must say he's picked a great day for it!

Enjoy the ceremony and I hope you'll sing with us again! See you later! Oh and I am sure Norman will be on the organ: plus some brass!

[alan29]

Bishops have been ordained and not consecrated for a few decades. They are ordained to the order of bishops.
Choirs can be the most cliquey and unwelcoming groups on the planet. I still sting from my first rehearsal with one of the major symphony orchestra choruses. The chorus master told me to sit next to a particular man to get to know the ropes. After about 5 minutes he told me to move because that was his friends seat!

[organist]

Thanks JW actually rather enjoyed it but an awful lot of singing. The Taize beforehand went on for ever and all so loud. As bad as singing Elijah but at least in an oratorio you get some breaks! It was lovely to meet old friends but why were the clergy at a separate reception and the bishops somewhere else? Are we not One Church? It was also a shame that the ecumenical guests were not in the marquee as I know 3 of them. I had a good chat to the Mayor of Southwark who seemed to have been left to her own devices! Here is the music list.
Be thou my vision O God you search me Farrell great piece
O Christe Domine Taize Hymn for the Holy Year of mercy Inwood like this
Praise to The Lord the almighty
Kyrie Jodie Page Clark
Gloria Mass of remembrance Haugen
psalm beautifully sung You will draw water - composer not given
Alleluia Easter O sons and daughters chant - used several times
come Holy Ghost
litany chant accompanied on piano some odd variations
symbols of your office Alan McLean
may God bless John Bell
will you let me be your servant
Let my prayer rise up as a canon Haugen like this
Missa de angelis Sanctus
we proclaim chant
great Amen Haugen
our Father Rimsky-korsokov
Agnus Dei Missa de angelis and then hummed?
be still O godhead hid
Magnificat Walker sung by school children lovely
Part of Te Deumusing Celtic Alleluia as refrain
tell out my soul Guide me o thou great redeemer
so plenty to sing that people know, brass, piano, organ.
Widor Toccata

[organist]

As I understand it we are all baptised to be priests, kings and prophets and that is exactly what Bishop Paul Hendricks preached the other day. So I do not understand the idea of only bishops having "full priesthood" -clericalism again!

[Southern Comfort]

As I understand it we are all baptised to be priests, kings and prophets and that is exactly what Bishop Paul Hendricks preached the other day. So I do not understand the idea of only bishops having "full priesthood" -clericalism again!

We all have baptismal priesthood, as you say. We do not all have the fullness of the ordained priesthood, which is not the same:
(i) deacons are ordained to service. They share in the priesthood, but not as presbyters. They can baptise. (So can lay people, if necessary.)
(ii) priests (presbyters) are ordained to the priesthood. They can baptise, preside at Mass, hear confessions, anoint.
(iii) bishops are ordained to the fullness of the priesthood. They can do things that presbyters cannot do: confirm, ordain priests. (Yes, I know priests can confirm at the Easter Vigil, etc, That is because the bishop delegates them to confirm those they have baptised.)

The only sacramental ministry common to lay people, deacons, priests and bishops is the ability to witness weddings on behalf of the Church. Lay people are not supposed to do that in England (though it has happened qute often, without the knowledge of the local bishop!) but it happens often, officially, in places like South America, where catechists fulfil many roles that priests would undertake if they were there.

The crying need is to allow deacons (and lay people, in my opinion) to anoint. This is a desperately needed ministry in the Church, but with the rapidly diminishing number of priests it is is becoming increasingly rare.

[Southern Comfort]

I suppose, to be more complete, I should also have mentioned that lay people administer the sacrament of matrimony to each other, in front of the Church's witness, but I was focusing on the sacramental presiding roles.

[organist]

Thanks Southern Comfort and the thought that one might not be anointed is a sad one indeed.

[alan29]

Maybe the sacrament of the sick has become too associated with last rites and last confession etc and thats why deacons and eucharistic ministers can't anoint. I know several eucharistic ministers who regularly take communion to the house-bound but have to call in a priest to anoint.