CHANGING ATTITUDES

A lot of people tell me I am intelligent. I want to clue you in on a secret. It took me years to accept this truth. I spent two summers in high school making up courses I flunked. My Seminary marks were fair at best. One seminary prof told me I was an airhead. I began to realize that I could study well when I took English and American literature classes at B.C. and then got a masters degree in liturgy and worship after ordination. I always wanted to do doctoral work but never figured I could. Well, I thank God that my attitude changed and I found out that I could study on this level.

I know a lot of people who take risks and start new ventures, who go back to school, or enter spiritual direction, or begin psychotherapy, or go to a twelve-step group in order to grow and develop God given gifts.

It takes hard work to change attitudes in one's personal life. It takes hard work to change attitudes in a local church, a parish, an Assembly which gathers every Sunday.

I have been presiding at Sunday Eucharist for almost twenty-nine years. I have a liturgical wish list for all parishes.

First, I wish that Assemblies would sing robustly. Music is not icing on the cake. It is intrinsic to worship. No one recites "Happy Birthday". Many parts of the Sunday worship are lyrical and demand that they be sung--like the responsorial psalm and the acclamations during the Eucharistic Prayer, etc. For starters I would settle for every adult picking up the hymnal or music leaflet. Adults give good or bad examples for our children. Choirs do not substitute for our full, active musical participation. Choirs, organs, pianos, flutes, guitars, drums, brass, support us singing.

Second, I wish we could rejoice in our obligation for new life. This means changing from "I didn't come here to see someone else's kid get baptized" to "I rejoice in spending a few extra minutes so that I can pray for and support these kids and their parents." Ditto for First Communion, Confirmation, and the dismissal of catechumens. Sunday attendance is not getting it in, nor is it intended just for personal salvation. Sunday is about the communal experience called church.

Third, I wish people would be willing to volunteer to bring up the gifts of bread and wine. This does not require a tux and gown. Nor is this a status thing. It's simple. This is about bringing up gifts that represent our gratitude to God and the fruits of our work.

Fourth, I wish to see respect for our symbols--real bread that looks and tastes like bread. Both the eucharistic bread and cup are communion. I want to see people change their attitude about receiving the cup. We are too paranoid about germs. We walk by the cup minister in a way that suggest to me that the cup is either secondary and unimportant or is a cup of poison. This cup is communion with the Lord who poured out his life for us!

Lastly, I wish people would stay till the final hymn is over and wait long enough so that we can greet each other hospitably as we leave. Actions speak louder than words. Ask kids. They'll tell you.