It’s the last Sunday of Advent. The Dzieci are already there
preparing when I get to church. I check my email and see that Matt and I have
had some disagreement over how the morning should run. But I decide to go his way.
They station fools at both Amsterdam and 86th
street entrances, greeting people, bringing them inside. In the sanctuary,
Jeremy is playing variations on O come O come, Emmanuel as the pews begin to
fill. Visitors. thatcher has come back from Westchester.And then, shortly after 11, the fools begin to lead people from the sanctuary to the chapel, which fills to overflowing.
As it begins, there is that usual sense of tension as the
congregation, many who have not seen the Mass before, wonders what is going on
as a cacophony of foolery breaks out around them. You also have to get over
that PC anxiety as to whether what they are portraying is appropriate or
exploitative. But slowly the individual characters begin to establish
themselves and communicate who they are.
And soon enough, it is clear that Father Jose is not only
sick, but dead and the fools will have to conduct the mass themselves ifthere is to be one. And within the rough
outlines of a traditional Eucharistic liturgy, the Fools' Mass proceeds.
It’s classic Grotowski with deep respect for ritual, as
archetype, not doctrinal symbol. Commedia del arte buffoonery and Peter Brooks
visual esthetic. The story itself touches us at many levels. The ways the fools
sing, in perfect harmony, reminds me of my visits to nursing homes when
patients in serious states of withdrawn dementia sing hymns in full voice.
Even though the fools twist words and mash up scripture in brilliant
foolishness, it’s clear they understand the deepest meaning of what they are
about.
And after now seeing this over four productions, the
embodiment of incarnational spirit is so clear that I now understand why I
intuitively wanted to make this performance an annual Advent event. Father Jose
had to conduct the mass, but he had made the fools a choir. Taught them to sing. And now they would do the mass themselves. As Teddy (of blessed memory)
said when he first saw the production, when the one who takes care of you isn't
there any more, we have to figure out how to take care of each other. In that
sense, it could also be seen as a reflection on the absence/silence of God. And the Fools are those on our steps and in the sanctuary every day.
And then the Mass is over. The fools file out in silence. I
lead the congregants back to the sanctuary. The fools are invited in for an
applause of gratitude. And they remain in character. Then leave and come back for
a brief conversation. The head fool, Matt, asks me for a prayer of blessing. I
draw us into our traditional circle. Pray. And then we sing Amen together. I
look around at fools and congregants interspersed.
All Fools together
We are all fools together. Even
my producer trained in the Disney tradition is moved. This was clearly our best shared experience of the Mass yet. The Dzieci are part of our shared community. We share embraces.
Depart. The mass is over.
On the steps, Thatcher says to me, You people are doing important work here.
All fools together.
For previous years' productions, see http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/search?q=fools+mass
Always enjoy Arcadia’s weekly visit to sign the checks. She
always brings with her a comforting spirit and presence.
Jeremy and I are working on how to handle this week’s visit
ofTheatre
Dzieci, if we want to add anything at all to what they are doing for the service.
Boxer Mike is in with his Blueberry. The beautiful
Dalmatian. After all these years, still,
all he wants is just a place to hang up a
bag so that he can trainthe kids…I wish it were that easy..
I get back from Mili’s gallery in time for the latter part
of Open Mic…Our spoken word man Poez is at the piano as I arrive.
Poez
David
L does a strong set backed by Alex on violin.
David L and Alex
RL is doing his annual recitation
ofRed Ryder and the Fat Lady, but asks
me first to tell the story (briefly) of how I first heard him do that tale
after our first Crafts Festival and Balcony Music fest in a frozen unheated
church with no restrooms back in 2010. When no one was left but the clean up
crew and boss. He’d left. And then moments later, walked back in, asking for just seven minutes, for something he had to do, and do here..and how slowly we all became
transfixed. And as always, he chokes up as he tells the story ofthe year with Mable, and no father…(worth a read, go to http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/2010/12/advent-iv-today-we-lived-in-church-that.html….read
to the end, amazing to look back at what life was like 4 years ago…). Pat O’Connell
is back with his ever evolving pedal board and a good mix of songs including
some seasonal with a quirk or two.
Pat O
Mandola Joe gives us what he has been
waiting for, namely his declamation of Clement Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…
Mandola Joe
We’ve also got David Yorke with
his originals. And NED from France, accompanied by a friend,
Ned and friend
and then as a
special surprise, his father.
David Yorke
NED and DAD
As for me, I try to pull off Robert Earl Keen’s
Merry Christmas From the Family with what I’ll call a strumstick and lose the battle.
Again. Alex comes up to join me and I blend my You Won’t See Me with Norwegian
Wood. (RL says that Lennon told him it’s a confession of an arsonist who
set fire to a lover’s apartment when he found her gone…)It works.
Bob with Alex
And bring Pat
up for a finish of a good wintertime Girl of the North Country. My first all
covers set I can think of. And of course, it is a comfort to haveRL back for Stay Awhile.
12/16 I hear music in the sanctuary. Sam G is at the piano,
practicing for his Twelfth Night Jam coming up Thursday, working ooriginal arrangements of Shakespeare songs.
12/17
Representatives of Broadway Bound kids are in looking for
time and space.
Gregorymakes another
of his visits, just looking for metrocard money.
I explain to Charles that as long as the front doors are
open, it’s OK with me if Geoffrey sleeps in the church. He occasionally sleeps
up at Elise’s Advent church as well.
On the other hand, the sleepingman outside, the one who looks like a mean
Uncle Ben, needs to go. He’ s on the sidewalk, between our steps and Barney
Greengrass. Completely wrapped up in a comforter, with various debris around
him.
12/18
Back after a breakfast at Union with representatives from
Ferguson.It’s clear that we clergy are
not the leaders here. Like so much else, we need to be chaplains, and in
accompaniment.But the young folks on
the street are already way ahead of us. With
Occupy veterans providing logistical support. The morningended with another die-in, this time on
Broadway and 120th.
David S tries to help me with the sleeping man . But he pops
up, gets very hostile. Tells us to do what we gotta do. Which is call Project
Reachout and then ultimately the police, who do succeed in getting him to move
on. Even though we are responsible for the sidewalk, it is still public.
An Irish artist looking for space.
Another emergent church (with Baptist roots) in lookingfor major worship time space. They’ve got 4
services, 800 members.Still amazes me.
Not quite sure what to make of that.
Pat meets with an arts group with desire for major space.
Their own house has lots share of intrigue.
Sam
There’s a low turnout for Sam’s Stairwell Theatre 12th Night Jam.
Maybe it’s the winter and cold weather. (Well, that’s As You Like It..) the night begins by giving an explanation of the
day. The end of Christmas. A night of revelry and role reversal, tricks and
pranks. The play itself probably written for a revel.
There are songs. And monologues. And games. And mustaches.
Mulled wine and bags of treats. Ending of course, with Feste’s song. (…the rain it raineth every day…)There’s a
warmth in the darkness of the sanctuary.
(As for music, I always remember the wistful, melancholy,
magical score written by the Brooklyn band Hem for the 2009 Shakespeare in the
park production…)
Then comes time for sharing. I work my way through Robert
Earl Keen’s Merry Christmass from the
family, still rough. And later Blue eyes
cryin’ in the rain… A couple from Guatemala shares crafts and a song.
I feel like Sam is really on to something with his format.
Just needs more people. (Believe me Sam, I’ve been there…) and finding the
right way toget them there.
At 4 PM, we have our final run through and sound check. Russ
J,
Jeremy, Russ and Bob
our stage manager ready to take charge. Katie has arrived! The final member
to complete our band, Katie on violin and harmonies.And I have to admit, it sounds good….
My son Dan has arrived to help. And our faithful Dion.And Elise and volunteers from Advent.
I’ve got time to visit with the West 80’s Neighborhood
Association who is holding their holiday event in Martin’s studio due to
construction in Mc Alpin.
Speaking to the West '80's Association
It’s exciting to be able to tell them our project is
finally underway.
Our city councilmember Helen Rosenthal has left her own
holiday party to come by and visit our event.
Bob, Councilmember Helen Rosenthal and Elise Brown
I wish we had time to talk about
last Monday’s die-in at City Hall.
The big names for the night, Julie Gold and Christine Lavin,
Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche and Laura are now doing their sound check.
Watching and waiting for a good audience to arrive.And they are beginning to.
Our own Jeremy opens the night followed by my welcome with a
sense of the history of our place. And then Julie Gold. Marc introduces Nazima
Ali who tells her moving story.
Marc introduces Nazima
Then Suzzy and Lucy and Laura bring that
peerless Roches tight harmony to the First
Noel and the classic Roches New Yahk accent version of Walking in a Winta Wondaland.
Laura Pearson, Suzzy Roche, Lucy Wainwright Roche
Murray from Sesame
Street works his magic even with no kids in the crowd. The we hear from
Shorne how he went from being a Desert Storm veteran to being homeless.
Then it’s time for our block. Steve Blane opens with his Gonna Light the Lights Tonight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKGCWlp3-Lc)…with Kathleen Doran on trumpet and harmonies, then his anthemicSpark. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBkU_XsbHk8)
Steve Blane
Our Home band
(with me, Jeremy Mage on piano and vocals, Joe Ornstein on mandolin and vocals,
Steve Blane and Esther Ready on vocals, Katie Rowell violin and vocals and Pat
O’Connell, guitar) open with Storm Large’s Stand
Up for Me, then Emmy Lou Harris’ Light
of the Stable and finish with Stephen Foster’s Hard Times Come Again No More. Not quite perfect as our run
through, but harmonies still crisp and clean. We held our own.
The Home Band: Katie, Steve, Esther, Bob, Pat. Joe and Jeremy
James A has his story of recovery and redemption to
sharefollowed by his daughter and
granddaughter Tara Robinson and Derrika Willock with a tight harmony gospel
set.
From a distance the world looks blue and
green,
and the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
and the eagle takes to flight.
From a distance, there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
it's the voice of every man.
From a distance we all have enough,
and no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,
no hungry mouths to feed.
From a distance we are instruments
marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.
God is watching us. God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.
From a distance you look like my friend,
even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
what all this fighting is for.
From a distance there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves,
it's the heart of every man.
It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of
loves.
This is the song of every man.
And God is watching us, God is watching us,
God is watching us from a distance.
Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance.
The song for me will always be connected with the Bette
Midler versionthat came out which
became popular during the first Gulf War.
And it’s time to close out the night…
Just a few thoughts:
1.It’s important to support the Assembly. There
are many other groups that supply direct services for homeless people. But on
one else is working to help people transform and regain their own lives. When
you hear the stories, you realize that lives have been saved. That is worth
something. Even more, the Assembly also works with its members to bring about
systemic policy change to tray and address root causes for homelessness, which has
now reached historic levels, over 60,000.
2.My greatest joy used to be preaching a sermon
that just knocked people out. But now, it’s workingwith a group of people on a song until the
voices, no matter how disparate, blend and a sound so round and good, not pure
and perfect, but good comes out. It
echoes back and forth in my heart.
3.And there’s joy in having had an idea, brought it to life and had it
succeed. We all need that. Thanks Elise.
We raised nearly $4000, like our old Comfort Ye program at it’s peak.
Did anyone notice yesterday was 12/13/14?None of us will see that again.
The third Sunday of Advent. In the midst of anger and rage.
Where are we today? This is our Let it be
Sunday. Mary .And McCartney.
Our special guest this week is out own Jeremy.
We start the service with the full text of Bartbara
Lundblad’s O Come, O Come Immanuel…
O come, o come Immanuel
And bless each place your people dwell
Melt ev’ry weapon crafted for war
Bring peace upon the earth for evermore
Rejoice, rejoice! Take heart and do not fear,
God’s chosen one, Immanuel, draws near.
2 O come
green shoot of Jesse, free
Your people from despair and apathy
Forge justice for the poor and meek
Grant safety for the young ones and the weak.
Rejoice, rejoice! Take heart and do not fear,
God’s chosen one, Immanuel, draws near.
3 O
come now, living water, pour your grace
And bring new life to ev’ry withered place;
Speak comfort to each trembling heart:
“Be strong, fear not, for I will ne’er depart”
Rejoice, rejoice! Take heart and do not fear,
God’s chosen one, Immanuel, draws near.
4 O
come dear child of Mary come
God’s word made flesh within our earthly home.
Love stir within the womb of night
Revenge and hatred put to flight
And once again, a new litany for lighting our
candles….
One:
Our brothers and sisters are not yet free. Like captives and exiles in their
own land, they mourn the loss of children with inconsolable grief.
All:
We light this candle in solidarity. We light this candle to light the path from
lament to hope. To the day of true emancipation when all will live in freedom.
One:
Words like ‘Ferguson”, names like Michael Brown, Hands Up, Don’t Shoot, I can’t
breathe make our days, resound in our nights. Bridges, highways, subways close.
There is pain that goes beyond words, and the unbelievable that is only all too
believable.
All:
In such a world, the prophet cries Comfort, comfort my people…prepare
the way …a new day is coming…a new day will come….
One:
There is hope in the voices raised yesterday in our city from Washington Square to
Police Plaza crying out for justice and an end to violence.
All:
There is hope in the song of a woman about to give birth to a child, a sign
that God is with us, a sign of a new reality being born, a sign of a victory
already one, a song that with full heart says, “Let it Be”…..
Our prophetic lesson is that passage from Isaiah
that practically preaches itself..
FIRST READING
ISAIAH 61:1-4, 8-11
1 The
spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD
has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the
oppressed,
to bind up the
brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the
prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance
of our God;
to comfort all who
mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion —
to give them a
garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of
praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the
LORD, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up
the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of
many generations.
8 For
I the LORD love justice,
I hate robbery and
wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an
everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the
nations,
and their offspring
among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a
people whom the LORD has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being
shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of
salvation,
he has covered me
with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden
causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and
praise
to spring up before
all the nations.
We follow that by
singing Oh Mary don't you weep don't you mourn..including Arlo Guthrie’s original verse, Moses was the first to get the notionthat the world is safer with the army in the
ocean…Why is this appropriate for Advent? It’sMoses’ sister Mary, but Jesus’ mother too.
And it’s Moses’ pharoah and the Roman Empire. And the pharaohs of our own day.
And it’s filled with Advent apocalyptic language:
One of these days about 12 o’clock this old world gonna
reel and rock….
We
do our Psalm somewhere between people’s mic style and pastor K from SPSA style,
repeating key phrases for emphasis….
1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those
who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with
shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done
great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4 Restore
our fortunes, O Lord,
like the
watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of
joy. 6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed
for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their
sheaves.
Jeremy
follows the prophetic words with I Can
See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff.
For our
gospel lesson. We’ve got Mary’s song, the Magnificat…
6b My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the
lowliness of his servant. Surely,
from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great
things for me, and
holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear
him from
generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his
arm; he
has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful
from their thrones, and
lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good
things, and
sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant
Israel, in
remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to
our ancestors, to
Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
As a commentary on the Magnificat, Jeremy
plays Let it Be, Paul McCartney’s riff
on Mary’s song.
And these are my reflections:
It’s been yet another week…it’s
the thirdSunday in Advent, Gaudete Sunday, Mary’s Sunday. It’s the Sunday for the pink candle. A Sunday for Joy…so
who’s feeling joy? We are celebrating the beginning of our reconstruction..it began this week. There must be joy in that…Certainly the santacon revelers yesterday were wearing something that at least looked like joy. And yet….our streets
are filled with anger..
Last Monday…a circle of clergy went tocity hall…but we began at St.Paul’s
Chapel…itself a symbol of rebirth…(do you remember our hours of volunteer work
at Ground Zero on the St. Paul’s
steps?) We celebrated a liturgy of breath…a
way of breathing together (for which
the literal translation is conspiracy).
Thenwe marched silently to city hall.
Joined the black and latino city council caucus in a die-in closing Broadway. Then into the
council chambers, where we sang freedom songs and spirituals.
On reflection, we realized something.Chants are essentially confrontational,
singingis invitational,oiur singing blessed the council…..after we ended our
die-in, we left with the echo of we shall
overcome ringing in the rotunda…
Yesterday, the streets filled with people….marching against
police violence.
There is a thirst right now that cannot be quenched…
In this context, we hear Mary’s song, an old song,in this
case, the song ofHannah. (1 Samuel 2)
Like we sing the Seeger songs, she sings her
song…
The thing is, she sings as if it has already happened….and it has specific content…it is a reversal….
My soul magnifies
the lord….she sings..
We as a people have HOPE, but what about JOY?
Yesterday, there was this chant, I believe that we will win…
For Mary, she saw the victory as already won..
There is a question however, How do we make this personal? We are a part of something larger…
bigger than us…a something rooted in love…where and how do we feel it? (From
Lincoln to other Theresa to William Styron it's a sense of being connected to something beyond ourselves that enables us to move beyond depression.
Mary, an unmarried pregnant woman in day when that was
dangerous
Living at the lower end of working class in occupied land
with an oppressive power in control…feels in her womb a sense of HOPE a sense
of JOY
Mc Cartney’s Let it be….is
based on magnificat…Let it be…is beyond political issues ti
the personal issues of loneliness or broken heartedness, it’ s all directed to
these people as individuals….let it be…, let it be…
That’s our challenge…to let
it be…
And we finish, one last time with Ella’s song. After
Saturday, we had too…
We who believe in
freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Until the killing of
black men, black mothers' sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers' sons
That which touches me
most is that I had a chance to work with people
Passing on to others that which was passed on to me
To me young people
come first, they have the courage where we fail
And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale
The older I get the
better I know that the secret of my going on
Is when the reins are in the hands of the young, who dare to run against the
storm
Not needing to clutch
for power, not needing the light just to shine on me
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny
Struggling myself
don't mean a whole lot, I've come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives
I'm a woman who
speaks in a voice and I must be heard
At times I can be quite difficult, I'll bow to no man's word
We who believe in
freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Then it’s time for Jeremy’s own
performance. He begins with his own song, written as a tribute to a family
friend, Kathy Boudin. ( Who is actually here to hear him sing it…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Boudin) I wanted to
hear him singit because of the chorus:
What do you do with a
world on fire?
How do we change how
we live?
You have just one life
to give.
Somehow fits what’s going on around us.
****
Our band arrives for another rehearsal. This will be our
first run through with Rabbi Steve. He’s got that high voice we’ve been
missing. Tomorrow night draws close.
.jpg)
