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My monthly liturgical rant
The Pontificator offers ten suggestions on how to 'fix' the modern Western rite. I would proffer an eleventh: Stop building circular naves. Naves should be uni-directional. To build them otherwise is architecturally impractical and liturgically disorienting. If I'm going to sit and stare in one direction for an hour at mass, I want to be staring at the tabernacle, the altar, or the priest (in order of preference), not the silly hairdo or ridiculous get-up of my fellow worshipper sitting across from me. I go to Church to worship God with my neighbor, not to worship my neighbor. So I'd rather not kneel before him, thank you very much. I know the circular nave is the most natural setting for Marty Haugen to 'Gather us In,' so God can 'give us the courage to enter the song,' but I don't particularly feel like being gathered in today. Besides, there's something of the feel of a rock concert to some of these places. Let me cover my bases. I know circular naves are very traditional and Medieval and all that. But at those times they served one primary purpose: liturgical chant. If we're seriously going to restore congregational chant, or better yet, restore lauds and vespers, then by all means let's 'gather round' the nave. But until that happens, let's ditch the 1960s populist 'worship spaces.' # posted by Jamie : 8:49 AM |
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