Worship Symposium 2009Worship Symposium 2009Liturgical RenewalLiturgical Renewal

from a Latin from a Latin American ContextAmerican Context

A Brief ClarificationA Brief Clarification In this brief time span we will speak of In this brief time span we will speak of

liturgical RENEWAL.liturgical RENEWAL. This means that we will assume some This means that we will assume some

basic knowledge of LITURGY.basic knowledge of LITURGY. We are simply sharing experiences in the We are simply sharing experiences in the

hope that some one will undertake a hope that some one will undertake a broader study of the subject.broader study of the subject.

Latin America, a Complex Latin America, a Complex RegionRegion

A complex continent:A complex continent:- Very diverse (formative - Very diverse (formative

history; cultural, social, history; cultural, social, political, and economic political, and economic evolution)evolution)

- A vast expanse- A vast expanse- Silenced voices (first nations)- Silenced voices (first nations)- The rhythm of slavery- The rhythm of slavery- A victim of economic - A victim of economic

plunderingplundering

Latin America, a Complex Latin America, a Complex RegionRegion

- Religions:Religions:- The religions of indigenous peoples / - The religions of indigenous peoples /

first nationsfirst nations- The arrival of the cross and the sword- The arrival of the cross and the sword- The arrival of Protestantism (by - The arrival of Protestantism (by

immigration and through missions)immigration and through missions)- Pentecostalism- Pentecostalism- New religious movements (post-- New religious movements (post-

pentecostalism)pentecostalism)

Between Memory and HopeBetween Memory and Hope There is a song by Father Julián Zini (Argentina) There is a song by Father Julián Zini (Argentina)

with appropriate words for this second act of our with appropriate words for this second act of our presentation. presentation.

How lovely the How lovely the peoplepeople that has that has memorymemory;; Surely they also have Surely they also have hopehope! !

How lovely this How lovely this peoplepeople that that looks at their looks at their story, story, That That gathersgathers and and celebratescelebrates by by singingsinging of of their their

faithfaith!! Liturgical renewal, in this diverse, complex Liturgical renewal, in this diverse, complex

continent, needs to have a memory and continent, needs to have a memory and must celebrate in hope.must celebrate in hope. The role of memoryThe role of memory The function of hopeThe function of hope

Celebrating LifeCelebrating Life““A collection of wood, stones, A collection of wood, stones,

cement, etc., is not always a cement, etc., is not always a building. A company of people is building. A company of people is not always a community.” not always a community.” (Multatuli)(Multatuli)[1][1]. An assemblage of . An assemblage of liturgical elements does not liturgical elements does not always constitute worship pleasing always constitute worship pleasing to God.to God.

When the community forgets the When the community forgets the world around it with its deepest world around it with its deepest pain, praise, adoration, worship, pain, praise, adoration, worship, preaching lose all meaning. preaching lose all meaning. [1][1] Pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), a Dutch writer. Pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), a Dutch writer. He worked as a civil servant in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, He worked as a civil servant in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, where he witnessed a great deal of injustice. His most famous work where he witnessed a great deal of injustice. His most famous work is is Max Havelaar, which criticizes the exploitation of the local , which criticizes the exploitation of the local population by Dutch colonial authorities. The pseudonym population by Dutch colonial authorities. The pseudonym MultatuliMultatuli means “I have suffered much “ in Latin and refers to a famous means “I have suffered much “ in Latin and refers to a famous passage in Ovid’s passage in Ovid’s TristiaTristia. He was the first Dutchman to be cremated. . He was the first Dutchman to be cremated.

Celebrating LifeCelebrating LifeThe worship that God desires is one in which The worship that God desires is one in which

the liturgy, that is, WHAT HAPPENS during the liturgy, that is, WHAT HAPPENS during the service, brings in life. The concrete the service, brings in life. The concrete life of concrete human beings.life of concrete human beings.

In the Sunday service we see reflected the In the Sunday service we see reflected the reality of what the community feels it is, reality of what the community feels it is, what the community believes, what it what the community believes, what it dreams, what it experiences, and what it dreams, what it experiences, and what it feels that it has to share with other human feels that it has to share with other human beings.beings.

Doing worship is CELEBRATING LIFE.Doing worship is CELEBRATING LIFE.

PerplexityPerplexity Many churches, when faced Many churches, when faced

with this call to celebrate with this call to celebrate Life, become perplexed. Life, become perplexed. They do not know what to They do not know what to do, how to react, they do not do, how to react, they do not know which path to take in know which path to take in order to continue developing order to continue developing their mission in that their mission in that permanent tension between permanent tension between memory and hope, between memory and hope, between their tradition, their doctrine, their tradition, their doctrine, their history, and the their history, and the challenges that life places challenges that life places along their way.along their way.

The effects of perplexity in The effects of perplexity in the life of the churchthe life of the church

The “How”: Contextualization The “How”: Contextualization I quote a well known I quote a well known

theologian:theologian: ““The “how” is a dangerous The “how” is a dangerous

question, because the first question, because the first temptation is to respond with temptation is to respond with prescriptions: each one prescriptions: each one latches on to what he or she latches on to what he or she has found and wants to apply has found and wants to apply it to all situations. it to all situations.

It is also a dangerous question It is also a dangerous question in another way, because when in another way, because when one asks, “how does one do one asks, “how does one do this?” it is because he or she this?” it is because he or she wants to move on to action. It wants to move on to action. It is dangerous for those who is dangerous for those who want to keep everything as it want to keep everything as it is..is..

““One begins to question how to One begins to question how to move beyond what he is doing move beyond what he is doing now, how to enter into a new now, how to enter into a new stage, a new commitment. It is stage, a new commitment. It is dangerous because it shows a dangerous because it shows a willingness to act, to take risks, willingness to act, to take risks, to try out new ways. It shows to try out new ways. It shows that we are beginning to lose our that we are beginning to lose our fear. If one is afraid, he does not fear. If one is afraid, he does not ask “how do I do this?” He might ask “how do I do this?” He might ask “how do I escape?” When ask “how do I escape?” When one asks how, it is because he one asks how, it is because he has lost his fear.”has lost his fear.”

The important thing is that this is The important thing is that this is human, … we are considering the human, … we are considering the risk of our own fragility, of the risk of our own fragility, of the need to explore things, to to need to explore things, to to venture out into that which is venture out into that which is proper to our own human proper to our own human condition. This implies a certain condition. This implies a certain level of anxiety, of insecurity, of level of anxiety, of insecurity, of risk, and it is the beginning of risk, and it is the beginning of recognizing the other, of seeking recognizing the other, of seeking agreement and of assuming agreement and of assuming difference.”difference.”

----Néstor Míguez, Seminario de Formación Teológica.Néstor Míguez, Seminario de Formación Teológica.

Liturgical GardensLiturgical Gardens

When I think of the process When I think of the process of liturgical renewal in Latin of liturgical renewal in Latin America, I think of the America, I think of the image of the garden of life, image of the garden of life, constantly renewed by the constantly renewed by the creating and re-creating creating and re-creating action of God, celebrated action of God, celebrated once and again by his once and again by his people in a thousand people in a thousand different ways. different ways.

Banners, murals, the Banners, murals, the rearrangement of objects within rearrangement of objects within the sanctuary, lights, candles, the sanctuary, lights, candles, colors, another way of colors, another way of positioning ourselves, Bibles positioning ourselves, Bibles with comprehensible language, with comprehensible language, few words and more gestures few words and more gestures …. There are no limits to human …. There are no limits to human creativity in the service of the creativity in the service of the God to whom we must render God to whom we must render new homage every day of our new homage every day of our lives. lives.

Faith communities on our Faith communities on our continent area beginning to continent area beginning to recognize more and more this recognize more and more this need to travel the path of need to travel the path of liturgical and also musical liturgical and also musical renewal. Without disowning the renewal. Without disowning the richness of their heritage, they richness of their heritage, they sow new songs, new poems, new sow new songs, new poems, new preaching styles, new preaching styles, new movements, and new symbols, movements, and new symbols, making their “liturgical garden” a making their “liturgical garden” a space fit for the manifestation, space fit for the manifestation, celebration, and sharing of life as celebration, and sharing of life as a joyous anouncement of that a joyous anouncement of that “other possible world” to which “other possible world” to which Jesus calls us. Jesus calls us.

Dangers and RisksDangers and Risks Along the road of liturgical renewal there Along the road of liturgical renewal there

are some dangers and there are lovely are some dangers and there are lovely challenges (not in that order of challenges (not in that order of importance). I mention only a few, in the importance). I mention only a few, in the assurance that all of us can flesh out the assurance that all of us can flesh out the second list and help make the first one second list and help make the first one less menacing.less menacing.

A. The Dangers of RenewalA. The Dangers of Renewal- Change merely for the sake of change- Change merely for the sake of change- Change without theological reflection- Change without theological reflection- The imitation of other experiences in an - The imitation of other experiences in an

effort to survive or to achieve a greater effort to survive or to achieve a greater numerical growthnumerical growth

B. The Challenges of RenewalB. The Challenges of Renewal- To seek at its source (the Word of God) the - To seek at its source (the Word of God) the

necessary nourishment for a meaningful necessary nourishment for a meaningful renewalrenewal

- To develop and sustain an alternative to - To develop and sustain an alternative to the post-pentecostal invasion, which the post-pentecostal invasion, which alienates and misappropriates the values alienates and misappropriates the values of the gospel. To this end it is crucial to of the gospel. To this end it is crucial to remain musically up to date. remain musically up to date.

- To train, mold, and create leadership, to - To train, mold, and create leadership, to promote diverse ministries (e.g. to value promote diverse ministries (e.g. to value once again the role of the musician, of once again the role of the musician, of liturgists, of worship leaders, etc.)liturgists, of worship leaders, etc.)

More ChallengesMore Challenges

- Tradition is not equal to faithfulness - Tradition is not equal to faithfulness (the “ordo” is a basic structure that (the “ordo” is a basic structure that allows for a great deal of movement allows for a great deal of movement and freedom. Tradition fossilizes the and freedom. Tradition fossilizes the “ordo” and turns it into a museum “ordo” and turns it into a museum piece. Renewal always breathes new piece. Renewal always breathes new life into the “ordo”)life into the “ordo”)

- To overcome the fear of change. Give - To overcome the fear of change. Give positive, doable examples positive, doable examples

- The production and socialization of - The production and socialization of resources (find support for this)resources (find support for this)

  Another World Is PossibleAnother World Is Possible

We belong to a people that marches on,that seeks, that dreams,that works, that hopes ...We belong to a people on a journey.

We belong to a repeated historyof struggles, of chains,of blood, and of lies ...We belong to a history repeated. We belong to a people that dares,that feels, and that believes, to a heart that beats with hope ...We belong to a people that dares.  

Another world is possibleif we keep on moving forward.Another world is possible,a different road,and a history that is brand newwith room for people. We belong to a people that

builds,that cries out, that teaches,that shares, that embraces.We belong to a people that

builds.   (Gerardo Oberman)

Thank You!Thank You!

Rev. Gerardo C.C. ObermanIglesias Reformadas en ArgentinaRed Crearte

•To the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship for the invitation•To Grand Rapids for a warm welcome•To Dianne Zandstra for her translations and interpretation •To all those who have helped facilitate this presentation•To those who encourage us to keep on creating and producing•To my home community for allowing me this time away•To my wife and children, for bearing with these days away from home