Related to some of the other threads where some see a distinction between "conservative" versus "progress" interpretations of the same word of God. It made me wonder about a saying I heard some time ago by a preacher when discussing the differences between liturgical settings and music. If you have ever heard of the RCC's Life Teen mass, it was/is an attempt to infuse more contemporary musical instrumentation to the more traditional Gregorian chant or organ.

The idea is that God reaches out to humankind (young and old) in various ways. Interested to hear your thoughts?

LifeTeen delenda est

I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

It's much easier to see heaven as a different place if you experience a contrast with the outside world. For this reason, I'll not go back to 'contemporary' worship. While I would say it's not simply instruments, the instruments impact musical choices and it's hard to separate the two meaningfully, in my experience.

LifeTeen.com

Our kids (now adults) enjoyed the music and fellowship. We are all at different points (spiritually) along our journey toward heaven, and for my kids, they really needed this at that point in their lives.

powerbelly said:

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I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

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The Vatican is probably against the Latin Mass, at least to the exclusion of non Latin masses, because it would run off about 80% of Catholics, and most prospective seminarians

As far as teen/youth mass with contemporary music, no problem with it at all, as long as the band is not the focal point. They should be in the back

No rock concerts. The Protestants can have that

PabloSerna said:

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LifeTeen.com

Our kids (now adults) enjoyed the music and fellowship. We are all at different points (spiritually) along our journey toward heaven, and for my kids, they really needed this at that point in their lives.

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Doesn't look super different than standard eva stuff I see based on the website. I think if you're on the normal American daycare to degree mill path, it's the water you swim in to throw your kids into something that segments them by grade or age at church, so it seems appealing to have a 'safe and fun' place for them.

Am I wrong it what it is? Just looks like a Catholic take on standard youth ministry for big churches.

powerbelly said:

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I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

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Maybe because virtually no one can understand it? Just a thought.

From an early elementary age I have strongly disliked guitar masses. Always felt like church was trying to be cool when there is nothing that will ever make church cool. I think time is better spent teaching kids why traditional church services look so different from everything else in our daily lives.

Captain Pablo said:

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powerbelly said:

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I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

---

The Vatican is probably against the Latin Mass, at least to the exclusion of non Latin masses, because it would run off about 80% of Catholics, and most prospective seminarians

As far as teen/youth mass with contemporary music, no problem with it at all, as long as the band is not the focal point. They should be in the back

No rock concerts. The Protestants can have that

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The protestants?? You mean your fellow Christians?

AGC said:

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PabloSerna said:

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LifeTeen.com

Our kids (now adults) enjoyed the music and fellowship. We are all at different points (spiritually) along our journey toward heaven, and for my kids, they really needed this at that point in their lives.

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Doesn't look super different than standard eva stuff I see based on the website. I think if you're on the normal American daycare to degree mill path, it's the water you swim in to throw your kids into something that segments them by grade or age at church, so it seems appealing to have a 'safe and fun' place for them.

Am I wrong it what it is? Just looks like a Catholic take on standard youth ministry for big churches.

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You are not wrong- it is targeted to youth and it is a ministry.

The people who are most uncomfortable with the instrumentation tend to not have kids or their kids are long gone. For our parish, it was THE mass before religious education on Sundays. So the kids in the band and choir were all teen leaders. I don't remember seeing any 50 year old drummers? The RE catechists and music director were older, but just there to guide, not play.

In a way this is like the Traditional Latin Mass in the sense that it appeals liturgically to some and not others. The difference however, is that the rite (order of prayers etc.) is exactly like the Novus Ordo (the current rite of the RCC). So only the music is different, not the prayers.

Hey...so.. um said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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powerbelly said:

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I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

---

The Vatican is probably against the Latin Mass, at least to the exclusion of non Latin masses, because it would run off about 80% of Catholics, and most prospective seminarians

As far as teen/youth mass with contemporary music, no problem with it at all, as long as the band is not the focal point. They should be in the back

No rock concerts. The Protestants can have that

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The protestants?? You mean your fellow Christians?

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Well of course. Why? Are you protestant? Did I say something to offend you?

Captain Pablo said:

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Hey...so.. um said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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powerbelly said:

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I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

---

The Vatican is probably against the Latin Mass, at least to the exclusion of non Latin masses, because it would run off about 80% of Catholics, and most prospective seminarians

As far as teen/youth mass with contemporary music, no problem with it at all, as long as the band is not the focal point. They should be in the back

No rock concerts. The Protestants can have that

---

The protestants?? You mean your fellow Christians?

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Well of course. Why? Are you protestant? Did I say something to offend you?

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No, I'm Christian. I'm not offended, I just think that is a weird way to phrase what you said. Sounded rather pretentious.

Hey...so.. um said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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Hey...so.. um said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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powerbelly said:

---

I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

---

The Vatican is probably against the Latin Mass, at least to the exclusion of non Latin masses, because it would run off about 80% of Catholics, and most prospective seminarians

As far as teen/youth mass with contemporary music, no problem with it at all, as long as the band is not the focal point. They should be in the back

No rock concerts. The Protestants can have that

---

The protestants?? You mean your fellow Christians?

---

Well of course. Why? Are you protestant? Did I say something to offend you?

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No, I'm Christian. I'm not offended, I just think that is a weird way to phrase what you said. Sounded rather pretentious.

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Well, by referring to Protestants and a Catholics as "fellow Christians", I should have known you are at least not the variety of Protestant that declares Catholics are "not Christians".

Also, no pretentiousness intended. If you've ever been to a non-denominational church service, complete with contemporary Christian rock band, you will know that the band is the show. Situated front and center. Sometime barefoot. An hour of Christian rock music, a sermon, some prayer, and that's pretty much the service

Not that the music is bad. It's not. But there is no doubt the band is the centerpiece of the service, and in my opinion that has absolutely no place in the Catholic liturgy

I have been to Catholic masses where talented musicians play contemporary Christian music. And I liked it. But they in no way belong front and center, or anywhere else that would distract from the liturgy.

I never claimed Protestants are not Christian. Catholics are not taught to do that. It's sad the reciprocal is often not true, but whatever. I digress. I love my Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ. We shall all meet

On music, the rock concert format is a feature of many Protestant services, and IMO that's where it needs to stay. Not pretentiousness, not an insult, just what is. They do their thing, we'll do ours.

Hope you had a great Easter Weekend. He is Risen. We can all get on board with that!

Bob Lee said:

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I have a few problems with it.
1. Guitars and drums lend themselves to music that's performative and not liturgical in nature.
2. God is perfectly beautiful. The liturgy should approach that as near as we can. Contemporary praise and worship music is ugly. Objectively, it stinks.
3. Some Priests who fancy themselves liturgists apparently perceive the Life teen mass in particular as a license to tinker with the rubrics, and abuse the liturgy.
4. Every single guitarist and drummer in every life teen band is like 50 years old. And that's weird.

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ALL American Protestants services and music are ugly.

Incense, pageantry, constant prayer, worship only (save the announcements and the super rad youth pastor talking about tithing for other times) and more reverence is needed.

Protestant church services are hard to attend for me. It doesn't feel like Church/Worship. It's more to "feed" the congregation. I think of them as Christian High Five Centers with cool special effects and props where people can come hear a motivating message about Christ

That has its place but it isn't focused on worship or "church"as I understand it.

Captain Pablo said:

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Hey...so.. um said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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Hey...so.. um said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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powerbelly said:

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I have no problem with contemporary service, although I don't think it brings in the teens/young adults like churches think.

This is also why I am baffled by the Vatican being against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Different strokes for different folks as long as the important parts are covered.

---

The Vatican is probably against the Latin Mass, at least to the exclusion of non Latin masses, because it would run off about 80% of Catholics, and most prospective seminarians

As far as teen/youth mass with contemporary music, no problem with it at all, as long as the band is not the focal point. They should be in the back

No rock concerts. The Protestants can have that

---

The protestants?? You mean your fellow Christians?

---

Well of course. Why? Are you protestant? Did I say something to offend you?

---

No, I'm Christian. I'm not offended, I just think that is a weird way to phrase what you said. Sounded rather pretentious.

---

Well, by referring to Protestants and a Catholics as "fellow Christians", I should have known you are at least not the variety of Protestant that declares Catholics are "not Christians".

Also, no pretentiousness intended. If you've ever been to a non-denominational church service, complete with contemporary Christian rock band, you will know that the band is the show. Situated front and center. Sometime barefoot. An hour of Christian rock music, a sermon, some prayer, and that's pretty much the service

Not that the music is bad. It's not. But there is no doubt the band is the centerpiece of the service, and in my opinion that has absolutely no place in the Catholic liturgy

I have been to Catholic masses where talented musicians play contemporary Christian music. And I liked it. But they in no way belong front and center, or anywhere else that would distract from the liturgy.

I never claimed Protestants are not Christian. Catholics are not taught to do that. It's sad the reciprocal is often not true, but whatever. I digress. I love my Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ. We shall all meet

On music, the rock concert format is a feature of many Protestant services, and IMO that's where it needs to stay. Not pretentiousness, not an insult, just what is. They do their thing, we'll do ours.

Hope you had a great Easter Weekend. He is Risen. We can all get on board with that!

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Thanks for the reply. I get where you are coming from and agree that some churches can get lost in the "rock concert" aspect of it. I disagree that the band is the centerpiece of a worship set. They may be the medium, but for me, and many others, the focus is on God. The lyrics and message of the contemporary worship music at my church resonate with me, not how good the band is.

I attend a "non-denominational" church that I helped launch 8 months ago. I put the above in quotes because I don't really like that label. We are just a church that loves Jesus and preaches the Bible.

I am personally very happy for you that you attend a church where you can grow closer in your relationship with God.

That is all I want for anyone.

Happy late Easter to you as well.