The JS Faithwatch blog is a very good resource. Let's hope it continues in existence.
Today they tell us about a new Catholic yout' deal: "Arise"
Well, OK. Good thing, yada. Held in the Basilica, Bp. Hying to preach, buncha priests for confessions.
Then you read this:
A fantastic Catholic praise and worship band featuring local musicians
Unhhh. Ugh. The '60's (and '70's, and '80's, and '90's) are gone. But the dreck never seems to depart.
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3 comments:
I have some friends who are involved in running this event, and they are in their late 20's. Unfortunately, I won't be attending. I was all for going until I saw that a praise and worship band would be there. Praise and worship bands are fine for an outdoor parish festival as a form of entertainment, etc., but these bands should never be asked to play inside of the church building for the Sacred Liturgy or any other ceremonies like Eucharistic Adoration. Just isn't appropriate.
I know some people running it.
It seems they are enjoying getting the "high" of music.
It's inappropriate for that kind of trash to happen during Adoration.
People don't comprehend the sacred.
Crappy, "praise band" music is crappy for a couple obvious reasons. First, it attempts to conform (and fails!) to a genre (pop/rock) instead of being original, and so, it ends up being a pale, unauthentic, emasculated version of what it tries to copy. Second, it's an "of-the-world" product in an area where the Christian is clearly told to be "in-the-world, but not of it. The problem with this follow-the-world business is that it insults our humanity. For all of its existence, humanity has been drawn to, inspired and challenged by, in admiration and awe of —if not entirely obsessed with—Beauty. It is Universal. Why are blatantly religious authors like Flannery O'Connor and Walker Percy so admired on secular campuses? Why do people of every belief flock to see paintings of the Crucifixion, the Nativity, the Holy Family, or the Resurrection by artists like Botticelli, da Vinci, Caravaggio and Michelangelo? Why are recitals of Handel's Messiah packed at Christmas? I'll give you two hints: It's not because these artists conformed to the world. And it's not because people naturally like Christian art. It's because these artists created Beauty, and Beauty draws us universally. It's an experience with the Divine in and of itself. To say that kids in the 21st century "just couldn't handle it" is a slap in humanity's face. We can handle it. Give it to us.
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