Friday, January 8, 2010

Attention Liturgical Dancers

The front page of the December 30 Anchorage Daily News featured an article extolling the virtues of the hula hoop. Written by Debra McKinney, the article quotes hooper Megan Turner, “I feel like I finally have a tool and an art form I can use to fully express and challenge myself. It’s my meditation, my exercise and my play.” For those of you into liturgical dance, and those of you who can’t discern between Luther’s Meditatio and Eastern forms of “prayer,” this hoop’s for you. Imagine the possibilities. Nothing says “Gospel” like a well planned and expressive hoop move.

Turner uses her hula hoop “to do a little hooping and get herself centered” according to McKinney. Who knows? This might add to the expressive nature of the processional as liturgical dancers leap and hoopsters gyrate – all the while proudly demonstrating their freedom in Christ. Or, we could stick to our previous agreement:

…The Mass is held among us and celebrated with the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved, except that the parts sung in Latin are interspersed here and there with German hymns. These have been added to teach the people. For ceremonies are needed for this reason alone, that the uneducated be taught ‹what they need to know about Christ›. AC XXIV, 1-3

Some ceremonies and Church practices are neither commanded nor forbidden in God’s Word, but are introduced into the Church with good intention, for the sake of good order and proper custom, or otherwise to maintain Christian discipline. FC SD, X, 1

Likewise, when there are useless, foolish displays that are not profitable for good order, Christian discipline, or evangelical practice in the Church, these also are not genuine adiaphora, or matters of indifference. FC SD, X, 7


photo credit: Daquella manera

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

As long as the hula hoop (or "Holy Hoop) doesn't tip my coffee over, it works for me.

On the other hand, maybe we have a new worship form. Let's call it the 10:30 Holy Hoop-la.

Johannes the Dry and hopelessly hoopless.

Anonymous said...

Of course, if the pastor doesn't like hoop-la worship, he could put up a sign that reads (are you ready?):

ABANDON HOOP, YE WHO ENTER HERE.


Johannes, sans water & hoop

Dennis Peskey said...

Ah Johannes, I would buy you a drink at Don Hall's, but alas, I can not excape the "sans water" precondition.
Faith, Hope and Love
(no hoops involved)
Dennis

Anonymous said...

Dennis, the water precondition is only related to the water-in-the-pew worship war that was going on over at BJS. You'll be able to identify me easily enough, I guarantee it.

Johannes, Dry-but-not-always.

Dennis Peskey said...

Please tell me you'll not be sporting a hula-hoop as a halo! P.S. - the bar is at the opposite end of Don Hall's (from the conference rooms). Get there early - there will be more than one Lutheran in residence at the motel.
Dennis - All wet in baptism water!

Anonymous said...

I promise no hula hoops. Or praise songs.

And I know where the bar is.

Johannes