"All are Welcome?"

CommentAuthordavid andrew
CommentTime1 day ago

What's so bad about "All Are Welcome"? I'll tell you . . .
Let us build . . .
Let US build . . .
Let US build . . .
Let US build . . .
Get it? It's all about US building an edifice that includes God as some kind of part of the accoutrements. Look at the text! God had nothing to do with it, we simply call him to be a part of what WE'VE built, what WE'LL do in it after we've built it.
Aint it grand?!?
Compare it to the text of Locus iste. And then wonder how we got from God being the principal resident of the sacred space to us being the landlords.


CommentAuthorGavin
CommentTime22 hours ago

It's all about US! This is fun!
No seriously, your rationale is off but you're dead on. I turned down a job on the sole basis that they use this at Mass. And not just for Lateran. The issue isn't the presence of the word "us", it's the ABSENCE of any action of God in the hymn. What action happens in it? People build a house.. where others are welcomed... apparently at one point they have intercommunion. Where is God in this? "Here the love of Christ will end division." Well fine if that's a BASIS for a text, then you've got Ubi Caritas. Unfortunately, that's just a passing reference in this Song to Ourselves. I'm always saying that we need to realize that these texts don't always mean to everyone what we think they mean. But there's no way to view this as much more than a moralistic Hymn to Diversity and Ego. Stop telling me I have to do things that have nothing to do with scripture or the teachings of the Church. I don't want to build your house, I want to praise God.
As I said to a more moderate church musician, "It doesn't belong at Mass. It's not a hymn. It's a nice song about people being welcomed, but it's not a hymn.

"Organ student http://introibo-ad-altare/.


CommentAuthormjballou
CommentTime20 hours ago

I'm going to side-step discussion of the Haugen because it's one of the most annoying pieces I know. It sounds like the intro to Romper Room or a spirit team tune for a pep rally.