- Leave your ball cap at home. - No gum or candy. - For the love, stay awake - it's only an hour, and sometimes less depending on how many people are there.
Just because your shorts are clean and it's sum-sum-summer time, it won't hurt ya to wear long pants. Most people don't want to see that you're rockin' the Chuck Taylors with white socks and pastey white legs anyway...
...for the love of the Divine, you are assisting at an event unchanged in substance by humans over the past two thousand years that grants us grace beyond all imagination--a sacrifice so unbelievable that not even a ex-Seraphim could comprehend it. And you really can't find the courage to dress at least like you're going to meet the Mayor?
We once had a priest who encouraged EVERYone - not just those who were altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers, etc - to dress as if they were meeting the Pope, Crusader 29-A... so yes, agreed!
Also some rules for the girls who serve (because they aren't doing much better)... - Brown or black shoes only! No one cares if it "doesn't match your outfit" - no one really sees your outfit anyway! And if it's that big a deal, get some 'altar serving shoes' and leave them at church. Ooo, there's an idea! - No big foofy hair bows - it's just distracting! - For the love, can we limit the make up?
(These suggestions are applicable not just to the Athens area!)
And a suggestion for those who schedule the servers: Don't schedule two young girls together. They will giggle.
And one for the girls: Leave the high heels at home.
For boys AND girls in the sanctuary during Mass: Resist the temptation to 1) examine your fingernails closely, and 2) scratch something on your face and then look at your fingers to see what you scratched off.
(I just realized that I've wandered into DANGEROUS territory by addressing the behavior of people in the sanctuary. This means there might be another post about the manner of dress of choir members that happen to be stationed in the sanctuary. Unless I can resist the temptation.)
I think we might need to implement military standards for hair when one is serving. Though I doubt we could successfully convince a lot of young boys to get high-'n'-tights, at least have it combed and clean. And girls should also keep their hair clean, brushed and pinned/tied back so that their faces are visible. That way, no one can pick their nose mid-Consecration.
Hehe to the scratching and picking! So, sooo true! As a wee server, I was a 'let me inspect my fingernails very closely' kid - I think it might have had to do with nerves more than anything else though, haha.
Also you enter a whole new realm of rules when you think about actually having to process in with candles, the crucifix, etc... Once had a server spill wax all down his face and cassock because he 'tripped' - our parish moved to fake candles with oil centers shortly thereafter...
Peeling off hardened wax is somewhat similar to peeling glue off one's finger...except the wax tends to be hot when it first makes its way onto one's skin.
Good! The wax is HOT for a reason. In much the same reason why a stove is hot: To make you not want to touch it again or fool around and trip during Holy Mass. FOCUS PEOPLE!
ALWAYS leave your hands folded in prayer at chest height while standing or kneeling or clasp together while sitting. No picking, touching, or maneuvering. If a bug flies into your eye during Holy Mass, pray that the Lord will pluck it out. You don't touch it, OR quietly excuse yourself to the sacristy as if you forgot to lay out the purificator.
15 comments:
/cut your hair
:)
- Leave your ball cap at home.
- No gum or candy.
- For the love, stay awake - it's only an hour, and sometimes less depending on how many people are there.
I'm sure I've got more...
Just because your shorts are clean and it's sum-sum-summer time, it won't hurt ya to wear long pants. Most people don't want to see that you're rockin' the Chuck Taylors with white socks and pastey white legs anyway...
...for the love of the Divine, you are assisting at an event unchanged in substance by humans over the past two thousand years that grants us grace beyond all imagination--a sacrifice so unbelievable that not even a ex-Seraphim could comprehend it. And you really can't find the courage to dress at least like you're going to meet the Mayor?
We once had a priest who encouraged EVERYone - not just those who were altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers, etc - to dress as if they were meeting the Pope, Crusader 29-A... so yes, agreed!
Also some rules for the girls who serve (because they aren't doing much better)...
- Brown or black shoes only! No one cares if it "doesn't match your outfit" - no one really sees your outfit anyway! And if it's that big a deal, get some 'altar serving shoes' and leave them at church. Ooo, there's an idea!
- No big foofy hair bows - it's just distracting!
- For the love, can we limit the make up?
(These suggestions are applicable not just to the Athens area!)
And a suggestion for those who schedule the servers: Don't schedule two young girls together. They will giggle.
And one for the girls: Leave the high heels at home.
For boys AND girls in the sanctuary during Mass: Resist the temptation to 1) examine your fingernails closely, and 2) scratch something on your face and then look at your fingers to see what you scratched off.
(I just realized that I've wandered into DANGEROUS territory by addressing the behavior of people in the sanctuary. This means there might be another post about the manner of dress of choir members that happen to be stationed in the sanctuary. Unless I can resist the temptation.)
I think we might need to implement military standards for hair when one is serving. Though I doubt we could successfully convince a lot of young boys to get high-'n'-tights, at least have it combed and clean. And girls should also keep their hair clean, brushed and pinned/tied back so that their faces are visible. That way, no one can pick their nose mid-Consecration.
Ooo dress code for choir members in the Sanctuary. I'm intrigued by this...
Don't resist the urge! :)
Hehe to the scratching and picking! So, sooo true! As a wee server, I was a 'let me inspect my fingernails very closely' kid - I think it might have had to do with nerves more than anything else though, haha.
Also you enter a whole new realm of rules when you think about actually having to process in with candles, the crucifix, etc... Once had a server spill wax all down his face and cassock because he 'tripped' - our parish moved to fake candles with oil centers shortly thereafter...
Peeling off hardened wax is somewhat similar to peeling glue off one's finger...except the wax tends to be hot when it first makes its way onto one's skin.
Good! The wax is HOT for a reason. In much the same reason why a stove is hot: To make you not want to touch it again or fool around and trip during Holy Mass. FOCUS PEOPLE!
ALWAYS leave your hands folded in prayer at chest height while standing or kneeling or clasp together while sitting. No picking, touching, or maneuvering. If a bug flies into your eye during Holy Mass, pray that the Lord will pluck it out. You don't touch it, OR quietly excuse yourself to the sacristy as if you forgot to lay out the purificator.
M.S. Cassock,
I think that's a little harsh. What if you've got an itch? Have a little bit of mercy on those servers.
Master Sergeant Cassock--
But...duuuude. A bug in one's eye, left IN one's eye, could lead to permanent retinal scarring!
If there is a log in the server's eye, should he pluck it out?
Most definitely! Because then he can get to the task of taking out the splinter from his neighbor's eye!
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