San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral is planning to host a Beyoncé Mass on April 25, using the pop icon’s music to celebrate black female spirituality.
The Wednesday evening service is part of The Vine, a weekly contemporary gathering organized by Grace for San Francisco’s “urbanites and spiritual seekers.” The Beyoncé Mass promises to help attendees discover how the musician’s art “opens a window into the lives of the marginalized and forgotten ― particularly black females.”
The Rev. Jude Harmon, founding pastor of The Vine, pointed to how Jesus used ordinary stories to preach the gospel ― parables about vineyards, day laborers, stewards, and other figures that would have been familiar to his audience. He said the upcoming Mass uses a familiar part of modern culture ― Beyoncé lyrics ― in the same way. Full report the Independent UK.
The adoration of Beyonce and her husband Jayzee is now more of worship than musical art appreciation. We reported how some fans had now started looking at Beyonce as a god and her lyrics some sort of Bible.
In recent years, Beyoncé has begun making more explicit references to female spirituality in her music and in her public persona. During her Grammy performance last year, she incorporated imagery from African, Hindu and Roman goddesses.
In July, Beyoncé ignited Instagram with a portrait of her holding her newborn twins, draped in a veil and flowing robes. The image provoked comparisons to the Virgin Mary, who for centuries has been represented as a white woman in Western art. Beyoncé’s portrait challenged the association of Mary, often seen as the ideal feminine figure, with whiteness.
Attendees at Grace Cathedral’s Beyoncé Mass will sing some of the performer’s top songs and hear Scripture read by women of color. The message will be delivered by the Rev. Yolanda Norton, an assistant professor of Old Testament at San Francisco Theological Seminary.
According to the organizers, It’s about time we properly worshiped Beyoncé.
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