Any other clergy out there?

[ravasb]

I am a middle aged former punk now clergyman. Are there any other clergy out there making spiritually oriented music without trying to be obnoxiously pious? More like a spiritual journey, not for converting others.

[xoxos]

sure. i'm with ulc.

cost me $5 for the u.s. govt accredited 'archbishop' title.

http://www.xoxos.net/music.html

i recommend 'when everyone should receive an instrument' or any other 'stochastic' series for spiritual

[gravehill]

Welcome back xoxos!

[foosnark]

I am a middle aged former punk now clergyman. Are there any other clergy out there making spiritually oriented music without trying to be obnoxiously pious? More like a spiritual journey, not for converting others.

Yep, I'm a Kemetic Orthodox priest. I had played around with music before, but I started getting serious about it because my Parent asked me to at my ordination.

(Just quick background: it's a monolatrous religion; we cope polytheistically with a singular divine power too mind-blowing to understand. I think of us as sort of polytheists and agnostics at the same time. Our experiences are of individual or aggregate gods, but the idea of the One is an abstract that makes the math add up.)

My first two albums, I think of as musical statues -- primarily made to honor the aspects of Deity they were written for, partially to teach members of the faith without words. That was their strength and weakness both. I didn't make them primarily to sound cool (though some of them did), nor in any consistent or identifiable genre.

Of course, being instrumental, there was no danger of them sounding preachy or obnoxiously pious.

My next album is going to be consistently dark ambient. Still spiritual/magical in nature, but more secret-bearing than revelatory. I'm expecting it will have wider appeal than my first two, though it'll be deep, internalized, headphones and comfy chair music.

Um, anyway. Hope that helps in some way, though I expect I'm not the kind of clergy you were looking for.

[ravasb]

I am a middle aged former punk now clergyman. Are there any other clergy out there making spiritually oriented music without trying to be obnoxiously pious? More like a spiritual journey, not for converting others.

Yep, I'm a Kemetic Orthodox priest. I had played around with music before, but I started getting serious about it because my Parent asked me to at my ordination.

(Just quick background: it's a monolatrous religion; we cope polytheistically with a singular divine power too mind-blowing to understand. I think of us as sort of polytheists and agnostics at the same time. Our experiences are of individual or aggregate gods, but the idea of the One is an abstract that makes the math add up.)

My first two albums, I think of as musical statues -- primarily made to honor the aspects of Deity they were written for, partially to teach members of the faith without words. That was their strength and weakness both. I didn't make them primarily to sound cool (though some of them did), nor in any consistent or identifiable genre.

Of course, being instrumental, there was no danger of them sounding preachy or obnoxiously pious.

My next album is going to be consistently dark ambient. Still spiritual/magical in nature, but more secret-bearing than revelatory. I'm expecting it will have wider appeal than my first two, though it'll be deep, internalized, headphones and comfy chair music.

Um, anyway. Hope that helps in some way, though I expect I'm not the kind of clergy you were looking for.

That sounds incredibly interesting. It is nice to see alternatives to standard religions.

I was not looking for any particular kind of clergy. I did not even list my own background. I am curious about ways people incorporate their music and spirituality , especially those whose professions are primarily within the religious world.

[DWb]

sure. i'm with ulc.

cost me $5 for the u.s. govt accredited 'archbishop' title.

I can go one louder on that, I'm afraid:
http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/~calle/pope-card.html

[james0tucson]

sure. i'm with ulc.

cost me $5 for the u.s. govt accredited 'archbishop' title.

The US Government has no laws whatsoever "accrediting" religious titles, or in any other way respecting the establishment of religion. Having a religious title is one thing. Operating a church which enjoys tax-exempt status is another thing entirely. And if a church pays its clergy, they pay income tax -- lot of people don't seem to realize this. I learned it in shock, when an Episcopal church withheld taxes when they hired me to perform.

Basically there are three kinds of clergy: Those who are academic theologians who get seminary degrees and seek to be ordained into a church with rigorous formal requirements, those who are sincere practitioners of a religion, be it a contoversial one or a mainstream one, and those who get ordained more or less as a joke.

So can I be an Episcopal Deacon, a practicing Rastafarian, a minister of the Church of Universal Life, a Rainbow Chef, and a Subgenius Monk, all at the same time?

[Trojan Badger]

Not ordained, but I am a worship leader at an Anglican church. Did an album 2 years ago, now I run a monthly praise event with the best band I've ever worked with - 3 professionals, an 18-year-old with more talent in one fingernail than the rest of us put together, and me, a fat 30-something banker with an expensive guitar.

[whyterabbyt]

I can go one louder on that, I'm afraid:
http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/~calle/pope-card.html

Hey; I used to have one just like that...

[Reverend Rhythm]

I think my name says it all.

[anzoid]

I'm the pastor of a small church in the Belgian Ardennes.

Been a bass player since I was 17 (I'm now 32), then got into guitar whilst at college.
Got myself setup with a software home studio this past summer because I wanted to create MIDI files of hymns to use in services.

That was a bit of a washout - couldn't keep up whilst trying to sing

After that tried to write some worship songs. Got some tunes down but never could do the words. Trying to write French lyrics when English is your mother tongue simply didn't work for me.

So now I just do stuff that I like - instrumental so far of no particular genre and with no particular meaning. I suppose it reflects my mood but there is nothing inherently religious about any of it.
Maybe my thinking in writing is that I would like to write stuff that is at least spiritually uplifting. If that makes sense...

[Kriminal]

Im a Minister in the Flaming Chirch Of Baby Jesus (UK)

[foosnark]

The US Government has no laws whatsoever "accrediting" religious titles, or in any other way respecting the establishment of religion.

State laws generally outline who is or isn't qualified to perform marriages, although no government entitity is concerned with the granting or recording of religious titles.

For example, in Missouri, the law states that the church to whom the minister belongs has to be "in the state of Missouri." I couldn't confirm it, but I suspect they did that just to stick it to ULC. It probably also disqualifies my church, which is based in Illinois.

[james0tucson]

The US Government has no laws whatsoever "accrediting" religious titles, or in any other way respecting the establishment of religion.

State laws generally outline who is or isn't qualified to perform marriages

In the only state where I've ever been married, the marriage was official from the moment the license was recorded in the county clerk's office, and any ceremony was strictly a perfunctory step. I can only imagine the shock that would follow if anyone were to discover this the hard way -- that they were legally married even when the wedding was called off!


I have a problem with "marriage" being a state sponsored institution to begin with. There should be no special privileges bestowed to marrieds that are denied to unmarrieds. Estate issues should be covered by whatever contract laws protect everyone else. Child custody as well. "Gay marriage" shouldn't be an issue for the state any more than "hetero marriage" should be, which is, "not at all".
There should be no tax implications whatsoever for being married. Marriage favors the attractive, the wealthy, the "normal", and the religious, and elevates their status at the expense of the rest.

[james0tucson]

For example, in Missouri, the law states that the church to whom the minister belongs has to be "in the state of Missouri." I couldn't confirm it, but I suspect they did that just to stick it to ULC.

I don't understand how that would exclude the ULC (based right here in my town, down the street from me in fact!), yet would not exclude the Catholic church, based in Italy.

The statute you're referring to is MRS451.100

"Marriages may be solemnized by any clergyman, either active or retired, who is in good standing with any church or synagogue in this state..."

But Missouri statutes are silent as to the definition of "clergyman". Further, the requirement is met by "...A religious society, institution or organization in Missouri of which either marriage party is a member, in accordance with the organization’s regulations and customs." Which would permit a Wiccan ritual, or a ceremony in the Temple of Aprhodite, or anything else you would like, provided you have met the "mutual consent" and "eligibility" requirements and the license is recorded by the county Recorder of Deeds.

I know one couple that was married in Missouri by a Navajo medicine person from Arizona. That was in 1996, and their marriage is legal according to the state. If you were really worried about this, you could have a county magistrate sign the paper, and then go have your Subgenius or Scientologist wedding or whatever you were into (as long as you're not into "same sex", not in Missouri, that's for sure.)