O Little Town Of Bethlehem

[poliphilo]

I have sympathy with the vicar who decided he didn't want to be singing "O, Little Town of Bethlehem" this year. He'd been to the real Bethlehem, seen what a shit-hole it is, got involved with the politics- and couldn't square his experience with the fantasy version in the carol. 

"How still we see thee lie"? Actually, no. 

It's the job of a priest to point this sort of thing out.

Christianity isn't just bubblebath for the soul.  There's also the social gospel.

Myth and ethics: a powerful- and volatile-  combination. 

Besides, there are plenty more carols to chose from.

Comments

[richenda.livejournal.com]

I agree that he is right to point out the problem, and to avoid singing it himself. I'm not sure if he's entitled to make a blanket rule for his congregation. Are we sure that it was his own action and not something that he suggested?
In my experience, the media likes to portray clergy - Anglican or catholic - as autocrats, even when the decision has been taken by a parish council
I've always taken it as poetic licence, and part of the general mawkishness of carols - like "No crying he makes" - it wouldn't have been all that still with all those cessor candidates milling about and all the inns full!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

When I was a vicar I used to chose all the hymns. I'm not sure why. It might have been better to devolve that duty to the choirmaster.

I don't much like hymns- and never did. I love anything medieaval- and Watts and Wesley are OK- but most Victorian Anglican hymns are horrible. 20th century hymns are even worse.

[richenda.livejournal.com]

In most of the parishes I've known - Anglican and Catholic - since the 80s, it's the choir leader who chooses the hymns, to fit the readings.
According to the Church Times, he simply said that he wasn't going to sing it - no banning of it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's a sensible course I think. My choirmaster probably allowed me to do it out of laziness. He wasn't a very good choirmaster.

It's a silly story really. A mountain out of a molehill.