One of mine is bad liturgical music. We have been getting it a lot at my parish since we got a new organist who couldn't wait to switch to the GATHER hymnal. Now we get heretical (and just plain banal) songs on a regular basis. You know...the "hymns" about how we take the bread and wine. (NOT! After the Consecration we receive the BODY and BLOOD of Our Lord. There is no more "bread and wine," only its appearance.) Then there are the pitifully inept lyrics. We care, we share, there's "hope in our despair." (Another heretical idea: despair is a SIN against hope.)
I had hoped the bad music was going to disappear with the liturgical changes, but some things are harder to get rid of than poison ivy and the 70s and 80s cabaret style "hymns" seems to be among them. One of this morning's choices had lyrics so ridiculous I couldn't sing them. I wouldn't have been able to stop laughing!
Don't get me wrong.Some of these songs have nice catchy tunes, but they could as easily be sung in a cocktail lounge or added to a Broadway show. They are about as "liturgical" as American Bandstand (I know, I'm dating myself.). If you find yourself wanting to sway to the music, it probably isn't appropriate for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
This is not an insignificant issue. Many terrible things have been fostered using music. Martin Luther wrote hymns to spread his bad theology. One of the reasons the Aryan heresy took the world by storm was through song. Think of the impact of rock music on kids spreading immoral lifestyles, violence, etc. Think of M-TV. Music can easily embed in the subconscious spreading ideas that are just plain wrong. (Remember these lyrics: "It can't be wrong cuz it feels so right?")
Read more about "bad poetry, bad theology"
here.
Here is a perfect example of all the above problems: Marty Haugen. Does this belong in the Mass?
