Beware Of The Cantor-Eating Spider

Once a month is better than none . . .

It has been a busy time, these past few weeks. The major event was the big ol' Diocesan Centennial Mass in DeKalb on September 24th - more on that at a later time . . . if I ever get around to it.

More immediate is the story of the Cantor-Eating spider. Terri was on to sing the . this morning. As she approached the mike, she noticed a wee spider - not the poisonous one in the photo but if, like our friend Terri, you don't care for the eight-legged little critters, that doesn't matter.

Now I have no problem with arachnids myself. My wife can hardly stand to be in the same State as one. Of course on one of our first dates I took her to see the movie 'Arachnophobia' . . . but that's another story. Anyway, despite my nonchalance I have to admit a certain degree of heebyjeebitis (google THAT!) at the thought of poor Terri's ordeal.

There she was, singing away, "Alleluia, Alleluia . . ." and somehow our little friend found it's way onto the microphone. "Alleluia, Alleluia . . ." - he's crawling up along the gooseneck mike . . . closer, closer . . . "Alleluia, Alleluia . . ." and engages in a staring match with poor Terri, who - true professional as she is - continued singing gamely. Upon duly reporting to me the trespasses of the errant octopod, I, her knight in shining armour, proceed to flick the offender from the tip of the mike.

Who knows if the poor creature of God has since recovered from the trauma inflicted upon it, or how many little spiderlets are now in a single parent family . . . but perhaps it will survive to once again sit in judgement on future cantors.

The Thing About Funerals

Funerals!

I go to a lot of funerals by virtue of my job - I'm a professional church musician. I play at maybe 30 or 40 each year.

Anyone who does what I do can offer their fair share of funeral horror stories, which rank right up there with wedding stories.

My "most embarrassing moment ever" as a Church employee happened at a funeral for a woman, an artist, who had died prematurely from cancer in her fifties. This was maybe 12 years ago in a previous parish, where part of my duty was to physically set up the church for the event (no longer, thank God).

So, most of the people are in their seats waiting, and I walk across the sanctuary area to make sure the ambo mike is switched on. The Paschal (Easter) Candle is in it's place in front of the altar and leaning up against it is a prized portrait of the deceased in an old fashioned frame. As I pass, my pants catch the corner of the frame, knocking it over and smashing the glass and cracking the frame. Collective intake of breath from the horrified mourners seated only yards away . . . sudden desire on my part to join the poor deceased in the casket.

Though I imagine that would not have helped any either . . .

Anyway, what brings funerals to mind is two recent ones we had. The first was a month ago for my colleague, Kathie Fuller, whom I 'll remember at greater length in a future post. This wonderful lady with whom I have worked for almost 10 years died after years of fighting cancer and heart disease. One of the biggest crowds we have ever had for a funeral filled the church, including 50 priests and two bishops. We also had a full choir and it was the perfect example of what a funeral should be - both a leave taking and a celebration. What a testament to a woman who devoted her whole life to the openhanded service of others. It was unbelievable how many people came out of the woodwork whose lives she had touched. Powerful!

Today we had a funeral of a different sort - terribly sad and tragic. The Polish lady (according to the newspapers) had committed suicide by throwing herself in front of a train, after suffocating her seven year old daughter at home. Apparently there was a custody battle going on with her common law partner, but equally apparently she was in a horrendous state of depression and anxiety to have been driven to such a terrible place. A very moderate crowd attended the bilingual Polish and English service.

Two white coffins were brought in. Having been to so many funerals over so many years, it can sometimes get very routine from my point of view (though I NEVER show that to a grieving family, for whom this is anything but routine) - one can get a bit numb to it all eventually. But there is something about the coffin of a child that grabs you right in the gut in a very primal way - especially in a case like this where her chance for a life was stolen from her so tragically by her own parent. I say that without judgement - that's God's job and it is what it is.

I guess the thing about funerals is that though they sometimes may FEEL routine, they never really are! Part of the addiction of my work is how I get to be a part of the most powerful moments in peoples lives, and through my ministry as a liturgist and musician I get to help put a shape, structure, sense of meaning on the chaos for them. At least that is what I attempt to do. Now, maybe some are oblivious, but maybe others are helped.

I guess the thing is to try. To be even allowed to try is humbling when you remember the context of what has brought people together in such circumstances, whether it is the joy of a long life well and truly lived, or the unnecessary tragedy of lives destroyed prematurely by hopelessness and despair.

It's why we church musicians sing "How Can I Keep From Singing?"

Sometimes it's all we can do!

Welcome to the Fold!

To some people, Kingsfold is the name of the melody to a church hymn, 'I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say.' To others it is the town in which they live: Kingsfold, in Surrey, England. Actually, those two are related in that Ralph Vaughan Williams actually named the tune after the village!



To my wife and I, the "Kings", it is the name of our little company. We chose the name because of it's link to church music (our profession) and also to the fact that the same tune is expressed in the Irish tune 'Star of the County Down' (we're from Ireland and Irish Music is our 'other' profession).



But apart from encompassing our musical schizophrenia, it also encapsulates our 'philosophy'. All that we do is about people. Whether they are the people we minister to, the people we drive to drink on an occasional Saturday night (I guess that is a kind of ministry too!), or they are customers, students, friends . . . we think of them as being part of our "Fold" - our family, our court, our fortress, our dear ones. They are the folks who make life worth living and make our lives possible.



If you are still here on Paragraph 4, then you also qualify to be in the King's Fold. Come back and visit every now and then, if only to see if my actions are capable of living up to my procrastinations! They say that one person's boring life is another person's ambition, or at least their entertainment. Otherwise, why is Reality TV so popular?



Well if that is true for you good luck to you and God bless you!



I'm thankful you bothered!



Till the next time, friends!