Good grief--another language fascist. Let her take it to the pastor. If he supports your reasoning, let her drop out. We need fewer inclusivity militants.

My deepest sympathies, David, and encouragement to continue offering this lady the guidance away from the tyranny of her literalism, so that she herself may choose to let the scales fall from her eyes and mind. Her correctness was acquired by propagandist, didactic drilling. Help her to rediscover the gift of art if she wishes to remain a Christian in its fullness. This could be God's challenge to you to celebrate Creation anew.
"A stable lamp is lighted...."

I share your feelings about this poem and hope greatly that you do not pull the anthem or alter it in any way. It is a fine piece, representative of authentic judgment on your part. My suggestion would be for you to consider pre-empting any complaint she may take to the pastor by going to him yourself to demonstrate the beauty and integrity of this poetry, and your concerns about this lady's poisonous effects upon the choir's work and ministry. You should in no way be bullied or dis-heartened by those who are looking for offense where there isn't any while being blind to the sublime which is before their very eyes. Stand your ground!

I thank you all for your valuable comments.

I'd add that she is a lawyer (although she practices international business law, not civil litigation), and as a cantor/psalmist in the music ministry she is one who has repeatedly given me grief over this or that, mostly showing up on one of her assigned Sundays unprepared and unfamiliar with the psalm of the day, typically requiring extra drilling and teaching of the music just before Mass, which then makes it impossible for me to play my chosen prelude due to lack of time. All of this despite the fact that I publish the music lists two months in advance. I send out an e-mail alerting them that the list is posted to the website with the instruction that they review it right away and contact me if they have questions or need extra help learning anything. Ay associate schedules the cantor/psalmists several months ahead of time. I was also offering special training and rehearsal sessions monthly for all of the cantor/psalmists to afford them the proper amount of time to work on vocal technique as well as teach them any of the music that might be unfamiliar to them. She would always e-mail me to tell me she was unavailable to attend these, and yet would show up on Sundays unprepared as I've described above.

In short she's a typical boomer suburbanite.

I've gotten to know my pastor well enough to be pretty certain that he'll dismiss her as the PC whack-job she's proving to be, but I'll send him a copy of the e-mail I sent to her yesterday along with an explanation of what happened and see where the cards fall. Given conversations we've had in the recent past about the sad state of affairs with respect to hymn texts and especially the weak, theologically suspect lyrics of many of the songs that pass for "Eucharistic songs" in "Gather 2nd ed", I think I'm in safe territory here.

David Andrew: I'm in much the same position as you are, as far as an unprepared cantor is concerned. I formerly published monthly musical planners, but they didn't seem to do much (meaning, the cantors rarely used them for preparing more than a week in advance, if that), so during Advent I've been handing out weekly planners because I've been having a hard time going the extra mile to plan further ahead. Lazy cantors have a funny way of shutting down my desire to help them out, and I am especially angered because they are regularly paid fair stipends. I am planning to go back to monthly planners in January, this time with stronger policies about preparation and consequences.

I am distressed that at this time of year, awaiting the Prince of Peace, I have this struggle.

In any event, it's good and a relief to hear that your pastor will likely be supportive of your decision. Perhaps this is an opportunity for catechesis (and to enforce personal preparation). If not, she may be better off in another ministry (or working for an inclusive-language hymnal--couldn't resist).

How is there no control over cantors? I've seen this mentioned a few times and I don't understand it. At my last job we had 5 cantors, including myself, responsible for 2 Masses per week. All of them knew what I expected, and knew I was available to help. If I were in a position where a cantor regularly showed up unprepared (I mean had no idea how the music went), I would tell them their preparations did not meet my expectations and that they needed to try harder, with my help available as necessary. If they still did not come prepared, I would require a run-through with me. If they neglected to show up for it or schedule one, they would not sing for the Sunday they did not prepare for. If this became a chronic problem, they would be given very limited use in the Cantor ministry, and as a final resort removed altogether. In short, I would not allow for more than 4 "bad" Masses in a row from them. This was my unstated cantor policy at my last church, although I never had a problem with a single one who didn't prepare as well as they could (although that was different quality levels for each!)

So without telling those here who are smarter and better trained than I how to do their jobs, what's the problem? Why is there no control over these cantors? And if it's the priest, what's the point in being music director at a church where the pastor gives you responsibility without authority? You may as well be a British policeman if you like that idea (although they at least get to carry clubs).

Gavin asked, why is there no control over cantors?

Gavin, many parishes today suffer from cliques where the pastor is in "good" with the lay music "ministers," including cantors and other instrumentalists. I've served at two parishes where the pastor talked and acted in a way to demonstrate that he was more inclined to take the side of the cantor, not me, the director. The music director, thus, is demonized to a degree.

In a previous parish, I complained to the pastor about a choir member who never attended rehearsals and threw a hissy fit because she wasn't "familiar" with the music for Holy Thursday one year. She threw this fit on Palm Sunday morning in front of other choir members and parishioners after a liturgy. The pastor never took her to task for her behavior but instead spoke in pleasant tones about how he'd known her "for years" and that she's basically a good person. Another choir member who couldn't read music and who constantly crooned into the microphone, a la Mr. Caruso from Thomas Day's book, constantly nagged me to program songs that were "lively and uptempo" but which the congregation obviously didn't know, but, alas, the pastor said "she's a good person, and she'd never say anything to hurt you."

Talk about having my case closed before I even rest my defense.

I know much of this must seem anecdotal to you because you apparently think all music directors will possess the idealism to rise above these situations, but you apparently do not recognize the political struggles therein. Controlling cantors can be very difficult if the pastor is not categorically behind one's measures to correct the problem. Cantors can be very irresponsible and unprofessional, particularly if they're divas (in my case) who are opera students who assume that their music abilities can automatically translate into singing the liturgy.

I'm sorry to David A. for this digression.

I'll move this to another thread, Dave, so we don't throw this off track.

I have often said that political correctness is good intentions carried to a laughable extreme. However, dealing with some of these folks is anything but funny. You shouldn't change the words, since it is a beautiful poem. You have to respect the integrity of the work and not alter it. It's good to have policies and procedures in place for choirs. I have a policy that if you don't practice, you don't sing. In Tennessee, we have an old expression for trouble makers that goes along the lines of, "don't let the doorknob hit you in the rear on your way out."

My 2 cents. The poetry certainly is not referring to her skin color but making allusion to her purity. Her arms now serve the same protection as her pure womb. If she can't follow that argument, then just tell her you have it on good assurance that the poem is referring to her garment.

Merry Christmas to everyone, even the white folks

I wonder her wearing white wedding dress offended anyone.(assumng she is married and had a wedding dress)

That's good news, D.A.

*confetti*