I think it is rather evident that the Church is experiencing a ‘culture clash’ with American Modernism, which is so arrogant and complacent it can’t see anything beyond its own sick agenda. Both sides, Traditionalist and Liberal are the effects of an extreme case of egoism that simply won’t accept that any other person can exercise authority over another, even the mere mention of such a thing seems grotesque and unjust, muchless ‘God appointed’ authority, which is viewed as being more than rediculous, despite the record of Scripture. The Church’s mission is not to ‘please’ all nations but to ‘teach’ all nations. Christ did not come to ‘comfort our feelings’ but to ‘testify to the truth’. History clearly shows Christ’s Chruch and its endurance, and its victory has always come from obedience.
As far as things of liturgy, it is my opinion that when it comes to participation and reverence (the ‘spirit’ of the work), we find that one often comprimises the other. For in order to ‘participate’, we seem to bring in all of our sticky and familiar cultural baggage, which God I’m sure is not directly offended by, however, God always urges us to ‘let go’, to deny ourselves. In that case, I feel that local culture should have only minimal involvement with the Sacred Liturgy, which is supposed to be a solmn gathering to worship God in such a special way that, the action itself, is the only reason creation still exists (see Vatican II, Const. of the Sacred Liturgy). If the Church insisted that I learn swahili in order to give God proper reverence, I would do so. For I have so far, despite all the abuses in history, never perceived the Church lead any astray (see last sentence of first paragraph).
God Bless.
