One of the ways Satan attempts to destroy the Church, the Ark of Salvation, is by deforming its language, the language of worship. We see this clearly in the liturgical revisions of the 1970s and '80s. These were supposed to make the language of corporate prayer available to all and succeeded in turning everyone off.
Why? Because the revisions were rubbish, the language ugly, banal, and unprayable. Here's the modern, ahem, Nunc Dimittis from the 1979 Episcopalien Book of Common Prayer, I believe it's common to the Breviary:
Lord, you now have set your servant free *to go in peace as you have promised;For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *whom you have prepared for all the world to see:A Light to enlighten the nations, *and the glory of your people Israel.
"These eyes of mine." Well isn't that just dandy, said no one ever who's tried to pray this deformed attack language. Here's the original:
LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,* according to thy word.For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation,Which thou hast prepared * before the face of all people;To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, *and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Do you see the difference? One is hideous, the other is beautiful. Satan, punters, does his best to destroy our worship, in this case through language.
Here at the Missions we ignore demonic innovation,
LSP
As a Lutheran, I see it as well. In the public confession, use to confess what poor miserable sinners we were (and I am one). Now, thinly veiled, seems we are lamenting that we eat meat and use internal combustion engines to the destruction of creation. The absolution seems to be just "do what thou wilt". Dr. Luther would not be happy. LORD, have mercy!
ReplyDeleteThankfully the ACNA BCP corrected TEO's version of the Nunc.
ReplyDeleteI understand your crew's been through it, Last.
ReplyDeleteMy solution? Simply keep to the old rite.
Of course that'd be tricky in Rome where the superior Latin's been pretty much banned. They do, though, have an excellent resource in the Ordinariate liturgy (trad Anglican "patrimony" Tudor English etc) but I think you have to be part of the Ordinariate to use it.
And yes, Kyrie Eleison.
Right, pewster, and I feel it's Peter Toon's gift to the Church. He was very much an old BCP man and worked to correct '70s abuses, with some success. The trad language ACNA BCP's out now and seems to be a good option to boot.
ReplyDeleteThat said, why did they ever swap out the 1928 book? Evangelicals were happy with it "as is" and Anglo-Catholics could supplement it with Collects, Feasts and propers, Anglican Missal style.
The Romans were in a different position. Move the Mass to the vernacular? Probably a good idea, I say guardedly, but wow, doing so in the '70s was a disaster. But I won't bang on.
I understand the siren song of 'modernizing' The Word. I have no problem adapting The Word to new languages, but care must be taken that The Word stays pure in whatever language it is written and spoken in.
ReplyDeleteTaking the Mysteries out of The Word is what is wrong. The Word is meant to be spoken, canted, chanted. It is Poetry of the Soul and should be treated as such. When reading, one should be able to internally cant or chant it. The Word is a salve on a broken soul. It is warmth in a dark world. It is Light to combat The Darkness. Thinking about The Word should energize a field around you.
Modernizing it, dumbing it down, lessening it, cheapening it. That is a crime against The Word.
This travesty is like saying Cardi B's WAP song is 'good' and 'for the ears of everyone, old and young.'
No. This is a Sin. A Sin against God and Humanity.
What is scary to me is this is what is being taught in our liturgical colleges and classes. What is being preached at us and what is the basis of modern sermons. It is the Devil's Work in changing The Word from God's to The Morningstar's.
Bleh.
Burn them. Burn them all. Fire purifies...
That's one fancy outfit.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, most of the traditional Latin Rite churches are booming, filled with young families and keeping the old Rites and language. FSSP churches are needing to add Masses and some are building new, bigger churches. The Devil hates Latin. Maybe we have a chance to overcome this madness.
ReplyDeleteSouthern NH
Same in my Shul.
ReplyDeleteI called out my Rabbi on his support for PRIDE and he answered me back a word salad.
Hashem, I can't wait to leave there... I have two obstacles. First, my kids are leading up to their Bat / Bar Mitzvahs and it's difficult to switch tracks midstream. And second, my shiksa (non-Jewish) wife would cause... problems.
"Poetry of the soul." I like that Beans, a lot.
ReplyDeleteOf course all this nonsense will end when they die out and the Church returns to herself. A war of attrition, perhaps, and time is on our side, to say nothing of God himself.
I thought you'd like it, LL.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, N!
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry about the Shul. The problem's pretty much universal in the West, I'm afraid. Hang in there.
I hear this too, Anon, and a similar thing with the Ordinariate.
ReplyDeleteHey, it's not hard math -- Christians who actually believe are more attractive than ones who don't. As in, if you want to learn algebra, go to a teacher who believes in algebra. The libs don't get that but neither do they care about a Church they don't believe in.