Vespers at Corpus Christi Church

Tonight the Union Theological Seminary choir sang as guests of Corpus Christi Catholic Church (121st St, just down from Broadway; Thomas Merton was baptized there). I was the cantor for the Psalms, per Penna's (our director's) request. The service was beautiful, though more high-church than is my own preference: I did cough a little when the priest released incense right in front of where I was singing! The sanctuary, though, is beautiful, much more of the Greek cross' square than the Latin cross' length. Acoustics were wonderful - they much more than my own singing ability ensured that I didn't sound too bad.

Prof. Barbara Lundblad's sermon was perfect. Too many great points to recap the whole here - but let this suffice. In the face of Gibson's Passion, Barbara was unafraid to remind us that too long and too much Christians rely on the idea of a bloodthirsty, vengeful God in understanding the death of Jesus, rather than (in Barbara's words) "a God who refuses to make victims of anyone" and is not afraid to enter this life on account of suffering.

I wish every Christian service would end with the words Barbara related from a congregational anecdote: "Go in peace; SAVE the Lord."

Go in peace. And if you can ever make it to Corpus Christ Church, for music or merely meditation, go there as well.