Come October, schools and churches
love to throw carnivals (though public schools might do so in honor of
Halloween and churches might do so in honor of "Harvest," just to
keep it pure). One expects to find things like cake walks, bobbing for apples,
darts at balloons, spooky organ music, ghouls dancing... Well, those last
couple of things might more likely be found in "Carnival of Souls."
The movie tells the story of a woman
who apparently survives a fatal car accident but begins to see ghostly
apparitions; which is not, of course, why we're looking at it here in Movie
Churches. "Carnival of Souls" is one of the only films that I know of
that deals with the intriguing ecclesiastical issue of whether it is important
for the auxiliary staff of a church to hold to the beliefs and doctrines of a
church. Didn't see that coming as part of a Creature Feature, did you?
Mary Henry, the heroine of the film,
has been hired as an organist in a church in Utah. We see her practicing at a
factory which recently shipped off an organ to the church where Mary wants to
serve. When a worker at the factory asks her about the position, Mary says,
"It's just a job."
The worker responds, "That's
not the attitude to have going into church work."
Mary said, "I'm not taking
vows, I'm just playing the organ."
Which brings up the question:
"Is leading worship in a church just a job?" Mary apparently thinks
it is. And many churches seem to agree. Churches often advertise for a pianist
or organist or a choir director and ask questions only about musical talent and
aptitude, but nothing about the applicant's faith. Mary would agree with that
process.
In further discussion at the
factory, Mary admits the job doesn't pay much, "but it's a start."
The worker tells her, "It takes
more than intellect to be a musician, it takes soul." See what they did
there? "Soul" like in the title?
Mary is rather listless. One wonders
if Mary is really alive, does she really have a soul? Can such a person
worship? Should such a person be leading worship?
Mary goes to Utah and meets the
pastor of the church where she'll be working. He describes their new organ as
their pride and joy. He tells Mary they don't have the largest congregation in
town, but it's a nice congregation. He asks Mary if she'd like a reception to
be thrown in her honor so she can meet the people. "Can't we skip
that?" Mary responds.
"You can't live in isolation
from the human race," the pastor says. But it looks like Mary wants to
give it a shot.
Initially, the minister is pleased
with Mary's organ playing. He tells the congregation that "we have an
organist capable of stirring souls." He tries to befriend Mary and takes
her for a ride. She asks to stop when they come across an abandoned amusement
park. She tries to convince him to go past the "Do Not Enter" signs,
but he says "it would be unseemly of a minister to break the law."
Later we see Mary in an apartment
entertaining a neighbor. He offers a flask; she says that it isn't "the
recommended diet of a church organist." He is surprised a church pays
someone to play the organ. "Some churches do," she says, "A
church is just a place of business."
"That's a funny way to look at
things," the neighbor says. Leaving he says, "See ya at church!"
Befitting a horror film, Mary begins
to experience the macabre. She sees a ghostly man in various places. In her
visits to stores and on the street, she finds that people go past her as if
she's not there. But one of the strangest things happens to her in the church.
She looks around the sanctuary and sees stained glass with writing: "Cast
out the devil!" She sits at the organ to play and sees a vision of ghosts
at the amusement park. She begins to play wild, strange music.
The minister comes in and puts his
hand on hers. "Profane! Sacrilege! Why are you playing like this in a
church? Have you no respect? No reverence? I feel sorry for you! Your lack of
soul! The things in this church have significance. I assumed these things meant
something to you. In conscience I must ask you to resign. I'm not abandoning
you, nor do I want you to turn your back on the church. But now you must go!"
She doesn't come back. Because it
turns out she's, well, you may have guessed.
It was foolish of the minister to
assume spiritual things meant something to Mary without asking if they did. The
minister comes a little late to see that the spiritual condition of the
organist does matter.
I'm going to take a bold stand here
and say I believe that anyone who leads worship in a church should be alive. At
the very least, they should be physically alive, but probably spiritually as
well. Mary's qualifications in those categories seem to be lacking. I do
appreciate that in "Carnival of Souls" we finally have a film that
deals with these important issues of church polity.
I give the church in this film Two
Steeples.
