Maundy Thursday @ St. Martin's Houston,TX

Check out the architectural photos at the link below. I attended Maundy Thursday services at St. Martin's, Houston, last night, along with my friend, Steve and his girlfriend. Browse this site to see the organ and other magnificent stuff. The prelude was an IMPROVISATION between the organist and a cellist!! After I stopped crying, I had to shift into Rite ONE language, and the service proceeded in glorious fashion. There were 20 priests, servers, and acolytes working around the altar area to strip the altar, and communion before that was very efficiently done with chalice bearers working in pairs side by side, one serving evens, one serving odds.

Procession of the entire congregation, altar crew, and choir was facilitated by singing a praise chorus as we moved outdoors to a giant stone cross on the church property. "Were You There?" was started by a solo tenor, and by the time he reached the last verse, the choir had made it out the church door, and they joined in very softly in 4 part harmony.

I must say, this was a most healing, deeply spirit-renewing thing for me. I also consider it a masterful integration of Rite I Liturgy, Classical worship music (Faure by the choir), traditional hymnody (from the 1940 hymnal), AND tasteful use of a modern praise chorus for all in procession out of the church.

And the ORGAN!!!!!! OHMYGOD!!!!!
http://www.stmartinsepiscopal.org/scheyer-4.htm

Blessings to one and all this Easter weekend. dgb