Human Dimensions of Divine Worship

1. Human Dimensionsof Divine Worship

2. Source and manifestation of the church’s life Basic Concepts • Interaction between • Tradition & contemporary life • Central & local church • Internal & outreach • Community politics Aesthetics <-> Ethics Liturgy may be bad for you

3. Apostolic Letter for the Year of the Eucharist:Mane Nobiscum Domine, Oct. 2004: • Eucharist as source and manifestation of unity of the church • Encourages personal (non-sacramental) practices that had fallen into some disuse = “devotional” approach to prayer • Patriarchal nature of the church represented in Eucharist= “restorationist” approach to church • Stress on the implications of Eucharist for social justice and solidarity, but not for ecology.

4. “Liturgical Inculturation” The alteration of standard Christian rites developed in other cultures or timesso that their symbolism is intelligible,both as affirmation and as critique, in new cultures.

5. Inculturation is a two-way process • An existing form of Christianity is changed by a newly encountered culture • An existing culture is changed by Christianity

6. Times and places

7. Christian tradition Is a process of integration of Christian faith with new cultures Is not unilinear but a constantly changing network of inculturations

8. Inculturation • Christian tradition is a series of inculturations • It is a process of integration of cultures with Christian faith • It involves a two way critique • It includes a critique of existing structures of domination within a culture • It can result in the cultural capture of the Church

9. Interaction between • Tradition & contemporary life • Central & local church • Internal & outreach • Community politics Aesthetics <-> Ethics

10. Liturgical inculturation and liturgical renewal Recent official documents Movements to inculturation

11. The Current Liturgical Climate Centralizing Diverse

12. Key features of a liturgical renewal Liturgical leadership Gender-inclusive language

13. Holy God Christ Spirit Trinitarian language Source of all being Eternal Word Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Eternal Word God all-compassionate Creator Redeemer Sanctifier Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver

14. Key features of a liturgical renewal Liturgical leadership Gender-inclusive language Acknowledge cultural diversity Liturgy in the Earth Interpreter of Scripture Focus on ‘sending’

15. Focus on ‘sending’ Lord, may the death and resurrection of Christ bring us salvation and make us one with him in glory. We ask this, . . . God ever faithful, Protect and nourish in us that honesty and integrity by which may bring about your justice in our world. We ask this, . . .

16. To be authentic, the process of inculturation: • always includes a Christian critique of structures of domination within a culture • always runs the danger of a cultural capture of the Christian church where Christianity is submerged below the values of the culture (Christianity is unable to change the existing culture) • also runs the converse danger of colonial capture where the Christian church becomes an agent of foreign interests (the culture is unable to change a foreign form of Christianity).

17. Future Directions for Liturgical Renewal ?