Is Worship a Matter of Preference?

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Goblin_Taters

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I like good liturgy, or at least what I consider to be good liturgy. For the Latin Rite, I like the Mass to be solemn, reverent, have at least some Latin, etc. It is in this kind of environment that I can pray and meditate on the mysteries. Personally, when I go to a church or see a church on tv in which the people dance around with banners, yelling and screaming, hands in the air, play guitar music that blasts across the stage, possibly speaking in tongues, etc. I get a little freaked out and tend to think: that is all a bunch of “enthusiasm.” But then I realize that some people, who have gone to a regular Mass, a Tridentine Mass, a Divine Liturgy, or even a traditional Protestant service, claim that they cannot worship in these more traditional ways. I’ve come across various reactions to these traditional services. Some people accuse them of a formalism. Others say these services are calming and soothing, but that they themselves need to be energized by more contemporary music and worship styles. Today, someone told me that each person has a church that fits his or her personality.

Is this a good guiding principle to choose which church to attend: whether or not the worship style accords with one’s personality? It seems it makes some sense: if a person can’t worship or feel comfortable worshipping in, say, a Catholic Mass or Divine Liturgy, is there not some justification in attending another church down the street, let’s say a Evangelical Free church where’s there’s lots of contemporary music and jolting action? 😉

Does the Church have a duty to provide worship environments that fit with the worship preferences of the church members, or is it upon the church members to accomodate themselves to whatever worship is available at a specific church, and to place doctrinal beliefs before worship preferences?

God bless. Thank you.
 
Does the Church have a duty to provide worship environments that fit with the worship preferences of the church members, or is it upon the church members to accomodate themselves to whatever worship is available at a specific church, and to place doctrinal beliefs before worship preferences?

God bless. Thank you.
The Church (and that includes all parish churches) have a duty to provide worship environments in accordance with what is laid down by the Holy See.
 
It is not for us to decide how we can best worship God. We should worship Him the way He desires to be worshipped. If we look at the OT we see that He revealed to the Jewish people to worship Him in avery formal and reverent manner.

Since the Crucifixion is part of our worship in the Mass, how can we possibly mix that with “contemporary music and jolting action”?

This is part of why I am a Catholic, “God’s Will, not mine, be done”.
 
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