Boogie to the Royal Hours

I realize that today through Sunday are slim to none on Orthodox blogging & surfing thanks to the holy services. [Today is “Good Friday” for Orthodox Christians.] But I have to explain the title of this one.

This morning, arriving at church — knowing it was going to be a busy day and hoping not to miss anything — I left my cell phone on.

Before service, I took it out of my pocket and laid it on a shelf in the altar.

My wife, long ago, as a gift to her husband, had set the ring tone on my phone. I don’t think much of it these days.

But I was quickly reminded of its oddity during the great censing at the beginning of the Royal Hours of Great & Holy Friday. Dimly lit church; candles burning in front of the icons; a large Cross with an image of our Lord on it in the middle of the nave; the sweet smell of incense, acapella chanting …

That’s when my phone “rang” …

to the tune of …

“Play That Funky Music White Boy” by Wild Cherry.

(Luckily there were no first time visitors present.)

Which begs two questions.

1) Did anyone else’s Great & Holy Friday service begin this way?

2) Must we now repeat this every year?