Sharings

Cultural respect

Dear Editor,

After reading Michael Novak's “Taking a Stand: Are We Sitting Too Much At Our Liturgies?” (ML 27:2), I have a question. Have we ever thought that culture might have something to say to us about posture in liturgy?

For example: When an important person walks into a room, Western people stand as a sign of respect.  However, among Pacific Islanders, when the Big Chief comes to the village to address the people, the people sit as the Chief approaches the village and remain sitting to listen when the Chief speaks to them.  Standing would be disrespectful.

When we present God's word in the Gospel, we have the Chief of Chiefs speaking, yet we ask our Pacific Island people to stand — a sign of disrespect for them. For them, sitting when the Chief speaks is not a sign of passivity; it is a sign of acceptance and agreement with the Chief's words to them.

Another example: We genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament as a sign of deep reverence. This is our Western way (and that is cultural, as well).  But for the person in Japan, a very profound bow is much more reverent culturally.

If we look at the faces of the people in our churches today, we see people of various cultures.  Should we continue to speak and make ritual proclamations to our people as if they were all from European background or Euro-American background?  Should culture have something to say to us about posture in liturgy?

Rev. George DeCosta
Hilo, Hawaii

Planning music

Dear Editor,

I read the article “A 12-Step Plan for Music” (ML 27:2), and it is a bit helpful for musicians who have difficulty accepting the real role of people in worship but deficient in its approach to the vital song for the communion procession.

My concern is with you as editor. I sense your role is to be sure that you offer the best of teaching that will help us all celebrate quality worship. Our bishops suggest a much clearer understanding of this sacred journey of becoming the Body of the Lord:

The communion song should foster a sense of unity.  It should be simple and not demand great effort.  It gives expression to the joy of unity in the body of Christ and the fulfillment of the mystery being celebrated.  Because they emphasize adoration rather than communion, most benediction hymns are not suitable (Music in Catholic Worship 62).

Father Damian M. Kobus, OSM
Portland, Ore.

Ed. Note: The following response appeared on our website, www.rpinet. com/wwwboard/forum8/, in response to Barbara Mount's article “A 12-Step Plan for Music” (ML 27:2).

Dear Editor:

This seems like such an individualistic and lonely process. Where are the other music ministers, or the presiders, or the liturgy committee or the assembly in this process? Does the music minister govern the sense of the season, or is it much broader than one — even one very experienced — person?

The methodology is great; the involvement of others appears to be totally absent.

Pat Knuth
Cudahy, Wis.

Mega-problems

Ed. Note: The following responses were posted on our website, www.rpinet. com/wwwboard/forum8/.

Dear Editor,

Whatever the relative experience and education of Ms. Florian in her article “The Mega Church Challenge to Parish Life” (ML 27:3), she misses the mark. By comparing a Catholic parish to a highly organized evangelical church run along the lines of entertainment principles rather than faith ones, she implies that Willow Creek is doing something better than contemporary Catholic churches. Her own parish and Willow Creek's do not draw from the same membership base. One is Catholic; the other is made up of various Christian denominations, apostate Catholics, and seeking, non-baptized people.

Despite her experience, education and clear love of her faith, Ms. Florian seems almost to shrug off what is essential to our worship experience: the sacraments. Through ritual, sign and symbol, and repeated action we “explain” the actions of God in our faith history. Clergy have heard the same mantra from Catholics who have been taken in by such services that our liturgies are devoid of beauty, grace and style. Simple but careful preparation produce a wonderful celebration without having to circumvent liturgical norms, something which Ms. Florian does not seem to advocate but which so many reformists do. She did say one thing that is very true about many of the “mega” churches and which we should avoid: “The Willow Creek service is engaging and entertaining … [and] uplifting.”

If Willow Creek offered stock, and I were a stockbroker, I'd tell my clients to buy, buy and buy some more. Catholics aren't going to Mass in record numbers because we aren't entertaining enough or even engaging. Unfortunately, the reason is fodder for another article and endless debate. Good liturgy flows from the people, and imitating a church that admittedly doesn't have liturgy, doesn't form a good comparison.

What I as a pastor could use more of are articles related to how other parishes solve problems common to all of us.

Rev. Stephen Hilley
Coconut Creek, Fla.

Dear Editor,

I did think Father Hilley was a bit harsh in his objections to Ms. Florian's article. Her point seemed to be that there are lessons to be learned from the mega-churches and I agree 100 percent with that.

ML

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