The Protestants have something they call a “blended worship” style – a mixture of traditional and “contemporary” styles in the one worship service. While somewhat sympathetic, it can be a little ugly. Here is a “spoof” from this site which you might find rather amusing. See if you can pick the original music on which it is based before you go and get the answer from the original website.
I propose that
1) We replace the absentee monarch of Australia (who is also the Monarch of Great Britain) with an elected Australian monarchy.
2) The elected monarch exactly replaces the current monarch in the current constition.
3) The elected monarch has exactly the same powers, duties and responsibilities as those of the current absentee monarch. All the monarch's functions are carried out by his/her personal representatives (as is currently the case): federally by the Governor General, and in the states by the State Governors.
4) The Governor General and the Governors continue to be selected and appointed as they currently are, that is, by the premier with the approval of the monarch.
5) The monarch is elected to sovereignty over Australia for life, but his/her sovereignty is strictly non-hereditary.
6) The elective body is the "college of electors" comprised of the state governors and federal governor general.
7) The election of the monarch must be a unanimous decision on the part of the college of electors.
Blended worship a Protestant thing? I think there’s a good case to be made that the folk mass of the 1960s was its prototype, and I undertsand it is still pretty popular too.
I’m not saying that Protestants invented “blended worship”, nor that it is only to be found among Protestants. What I am saying is that some Protestants are the ones who gave it a name and aimed for it.
Personally, I too like a “blend” of old and new in the liturgy, as long as it is all of good quality. For eg. I do not believe that Gregorian Chant should be the exclusive form of liturgical song in the mass, although it should have pride of place and where full liturgies can be done faithfully using only the chant, this is very good and to be encouraged.
As for the folkmass: it was a “one style” job – unless you count putting folk songs with the liturgy as what you mean by “blended”.
And not being a Catholic, you will not be able to recognise the tune of this “chant” which makes it incredibly funny.
Do any Catholic readers recognise the tune?
Anglican friend told me of a Uniting Church service in Geelong where the ‘new’ included a ‘hymn’ to the tune of the Flintstones – complete with Yaba- daba-do! My friend thought it was particularly out of place in a very elderly congregation,
Yes. That sort of silliness is known… My daughters’ favourite meal time grace (next to “Benedic Domine Nos”, is:
“Jesus was a cool dude,
40 days with no food,
Then he wrote the golden rule and that’s O.K.
He’s got love on his face,
Full of grace!
He’s spreadin’ his word all over the place!
Singin’, We will, we will
Praise him yeah, praise him Yeah,
Singin’, We will, we will
Praise him yeah, praise him Yeah.”
You can guess the tune.
For this and other church-camp favourites, see here: http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/camp-songs-for-grace.page-1.html
But now won’t someone tell us the obvious and point out what tune the Ave Maria is set to?
That would catch on with my boys!