Inanity With a Master's Degree

Found in a local Parish bulletin:

I Is For Me Or We?…

About ten years ago, I recall having a number of rather heated discussions
with people in Catholic music ministry regarding the use of the pronoun, “I” in
liturgical music. Every workshop that I attended sneered at the use of this
pronoun for it did not correctly reflect the nature of our liturgy, which is
communal prayer. “But,” I argued, “how can one enter into communal worship if
there is no personal relationship with the Lord?”

This was really a very good question, and I continue to ask it, however, my
context is different. My experience has shown me that I need to heed the call of
St. Paul to “pray without ceasing”, and this prayer is both private and communal
in nature. We are also encouraged into our “prayer closets” and to seek time
away with the Lord, just as Jesus often did. These are ongoing acts of prayer
and worship that can be as natural to the rhythm ofour day as breathing, thus,
prayer without ceasing.

But when we gather on the weekend, our Sabbath, that is the time for the
prayer of the community. We are called together to hear the stories of our God’s
love for us; we are challenged to reach out in the name of Jesus; we are fed and
nourished in the Eucharist; and we are sent forth to love and serve the Lord. It
makes sense in that context, to sing “psalms and hymns and inspired songs”(St.
Paul again!) that reflect the Body of Christ.

This is where things get a bit messy from the language viewpoint. If we
were gathering 2000 years ago, the use of the word“I” in our music would simply
reflect the entire community. This is the manner in which it is used in psalmody
and in music of the African American community.

In both these instances, the pronoun, “I” is communal and speaks the soul
of the community. We, however,live in a society that is very much driven by the
philosophy of the individual over the community. Contemporary songs that use
this pronoun outside of the reference to scripture or ethnic music tend to speak
to the “prayer closet” experience, or the “you and I, Jesus” understanding of
relationship. This is not bad or wrong, but it does not do much justice to the
understanding of the liturgical act as communal. Thus, you may find that we use
relatively little music that has “I” language, unless it is scriptural, when we
gather for our liturgical celebrations

The author of this piece, a woman "Director of Liturgy" was awarded an M.A. in Liturgy by the Milwaukee Seminary this past Spring. Evidently she was not graded on composition, nor on grammar..

Beyond that, the author evinces a shocking ignorance of the Psalms. The 'use of the [pronoun] "I" in psalmody of 2000 years ago' meant EXACTLY what it does now. It's first person, singular. So testified Rabbi David Fohrman, anyway, after I emailed him to determine if he was aware of any justification for this "Liturgy Director"'s assertion. Her similar remark about "the African-American community" is suspect, as well.

Beyond all of that, the argument she encountered with principled and thinking Church musicians had nothing at all to do with the "I/We" strawman she uses. In fact, the controversy over using such text has to do with a few ditties ('hymns' would accord them a dignity which is undeserved) that directly quote God. "I Am the Bread of Life" comes to mind immediately. This is a direct quotation of Christ--it is CERTAINLY not appropriate for the congregation to assume the 'voice of Christ' while singing 'psalms, hymns, and inspired songs.'

Please--go back to your closet. Examine and understand history. And continue to avoid "I" until the accurate translation of the Latin Credo becomes required in the United States.