Sunday, March 9, 2014

The "Really" File - (Episcopal "Studs"?)


And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,
he said unto Moses,
There is a noise of war in the camp.
And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery,
neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome:
but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp,
 that he saw the calf, and the dancing:
Exodus 32:17-19

"They call themselves the Rectors of Rock. The Fathers of Funk. The Collar Studs.
 .........these four Episcopal priests live up to the billing.
Fathers Drew Bunting, Andrew Jones, David Simmons and Don Fleischman are the fab four of Monstrance, a rock, blues and country band more interested in fun than fame, whose members lend their considerable talents to worthy causes throughout the Milwaukee diocese.
From the "Really" File
Monstrance will take top billing — OK, the only billing — on the Red Door Tour when they rock St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in River Hills on Friday. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Red Door Clothes ministries at St. James & Trinity Episcopal churches in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa, and the Hospitality Center at St. Luke's in Racine.
The good fathers fired up the amps under the stained glass windows of Simmons' home church — St. Matthias in Waukesha — for band practice Friday. There, they ripped through covers of Cheap Trick, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and the Ramones, not to mention an ecclesiastic parody of the J. Geils Band's "Centerfold."
"We take liberties," said Bunting, who is known to wear tuxedo tails and Converse hightops in concert and punctuates their finales with a Pete Townshend leap.
Fleischman, who plays keyboard and acoustic guitar, adds accordion on Prince's "Purple Rain."
"You haven't heard Blue Oyster Cult's 'Godzilla' until you've heard it sung in the original Latin," drummer Simmons boasts." MilwaukeeJournalSentinal


Can any of you actually picture the disciples forming a band in their work and ripping through cover songs of secular bands?
Can any of you picture Christ forming a band to do a cover of "Centerfold" by the J. Geils Band?
Should the clergy of Christendom be interested in having "fun" in the Holy Sanctuary or should what goes on within its walls be solemn events?


These priestly "Collar Studs" lyrics for "Centerfold"....
"My blood runs cold, My liturgy has just been sold
My angel wears a maniple," goes the chorus.
"Ritual Notes on her desk, she's chanting Benedictus Es
Surplice trimmed in too much lace really caught my eye
I was shakin' in my shoes — she's giving me the K Street blues
I caught a whiff of incense, When angel passed close by
The bishop's fancy crozier – Too magic to touch
Too see her in that vimpa veil Is really just too much"


REALLY?