Further Distinctions on Culture

My continued reading of Ron Luce's book about youth ministry again brings me to consider even more deeply the essential differences between Catholic and Protestant culture. I have reflected on this for some time, and some of the things that have been coming to me have slightly concerned me. Therefore, more than wanting to know what the OBJECTIVE and essential differences are in culture, I'm beginning to be more concerned about the cause of the SUBJECTIVE essential differences are in the two cultures. For two of these I will be presenting as something in which I see as a problem in the Catholic Church. For a few it will be things I see as advantages.

Hierarchy and Role

One of the things that has bugged me about this book is that Ron Luce keeps talking about Youth Pastors preparing weekly/monthly "sermons". Sermons in my mind are reserved for Sacramentally ordained ministers during the celebration of liturgy. While there are other (sacramental) issues here, the first thing that this brings to mind is the Catholic focus on hierarchy. I love this about the Church... there are defined boundaries and roles that, while at first may seem limiting, are really just expressions of varied divine-given authority.

God gives us different roles in the Church, and while some may be called to teach, not all those who are called to teach are to do so in the same capacity or with the same authority. I am a DRE, I teach youth and to some extent parents as family, as well as evangelize to my friends (which is not done in a formal and public manner). I am not called to to shepherd a parish, a diocese, or an entire Church... that is for people who have been ordained by God. I give talks and lead discussions, I do not give sermons, letters, or encyclicals.

I feel as though this is a difference from protestants, both in the obvious differences in dependency on hierarchy (one of the major schism points in history), but also on the adherence to implicit boundaries. In a Catholic Church, not just anyone can give a formal and public exposition on faith (sure... privately is fine), but must be found to have some qualification of doing so. Perhaps my perception that protestants don't adhere to such rules is incorrect, but this is the first difference I perceive.

Sacramental Economy

One of the other things that defines Catholic Culture, and which I truly love, is the Sacramental Economy of the Church. The CCC (1076) defines the Sacramental Economy as "the communication of the fruits of Christ’s death and Resurrection through the sacraments". Basically its our participation in certain rituals that directly impart grace to us. The Sacraments are the life-blood of the Church and, all seven together, provide the necessary basis for living an authentic Christian life if practiced correctly. This is one area where my heart aches for protestants who don't have these, or don't recognize the depth and beauty inherent in every one of these. Sacraments are the primary way in which Catholics encounter God on earth, and thus formidably shape our culture by giving us an appreciation for ritual, liturgy, mediation, "mysticism", tradition, and the literal infusing of the Holy Spirit.

Depth of Emotion

This brings me to the first concern I have for my beloved Church. I'll begin with a Caveat though--this may just be a personal struggle that I am dealing with. It may not be characteristic of the Church as a whole, but it seems to be something I have noticed.

There seems to be a lack of depth in the Emotion of the Church. For some reason we are afraid to talk about how God makes us "feel", or how Jesus Christ is "moving in our lives", or how we have "received Jesus into our hearts". Many people would say we don't talk about it because they are "overly protestant terms". I disagree--I think there is a reason they are overly protestant. It seems to me that, in many cases, especially in certain populations in the Church, we become "surface Catholics"--focused on the intellectual and theoretical aspect of God, and not so much the Spiritual-relational aspect of Him. It's not that we don't have deep feelings of love for Christ, it's not that Spirit doesn't move us, it's that, for some reason, we seem to be afraid of talking about it (which will bring me to my next point).

This is one thing I think we need to learn from the protestants. They don't seem to fear expressing themselves... they can stand up and yell, "Amen". They talk about the intimate relationships they have with God... why don't we? I'm not saying we all need to be charismatic, I for one get a little uncomfortable with that and while a beautiful thing, is not for everyone... we just need to be open to expressing the Spirit more than we are.

Vulnerability

This issue follows closely with the last one. We as a Church (in my perception) are afraid to be vulnerable. Sure, we talk about it, we preach it, we right about it, but when it comes down to the individual practice of it, most lay people (and probably many ordained as well) are scared to be vulnerable. This is a part of the human condition unfortunately, but not only are we afraid to be vulnerable to each other, but to God. Many people are afraid to let the Spirit move in them. This is probably just a way of looking at the Emotional depth in a different way, so I won't go into too much depth about it.

Conclusion

I love my Church and my God with the depths of my heart. I am convinced that it is the fullest truth available to humans, and the fastest way to union with him. The Church is alive, we are the largest single denomination in the world, we serve, we evangelize, we worship, we teach, and we love. I feel we need to go deeper, we always need to, as Christ said, "put out into the deep". We need to challenge society's notion of privatism, individualism, and ego-centrism. Catholicism at its core is communal, and while we do a good job at worshiping in public, of praying in public, and engaging in community--if we want our numbers to grow and if we want to truly change hearts, we must not be afraid to be vulnerable and to show emotions.

The Subway Personality Profile

You can tell a lot about person by what and how they order at Subway. I'll use my experience today as an example.

I ordered my usual: a single toasted 12" black forest ham on Italian bread, with cheese, lettuce, and mayo with a combo (sun chips and a drink). I'll admit, I did switch it up a bit... I usually get white bread, non-toasted, and cheddar cheese (instead of the white American I did today). I ordered with "please and thank you" and with clear and decisive instructions, anticipating what they were going to ask. I payed with a check card.

Here's what my order tells about me:

The fact that I got my usual, but switched it up just bit shows that while I value consistency, tradition, and precedence, I also don't mind a little variety within the proper boundaries.

My choice of common sandwich with simple and traditional toppings points not only to the above values, but also to my need for simplicity and non-extravagance. It also shows that I'm slightly picky.

The fact that I got only a single 12" shows that I most likely eat/live alone, but that either I eat a lot, or that I save for later meals. It also shows that I can be frugal in that I made sure to get the cheap 12" and I'm eating for two meals. However, the fact that I got a combo shows that while I can be frugal, I don't mind spending a little more for the finer points in life. The sun chips and Gatorade also show that, at some level, I value eating healthy (I could have gotten a cookie and mountain dew after all!)

They way in which I ordered shows that 1) I have been to subway before, showing that I probably eat out relatively frequently, 2) I value politeness and can empathize with what it's like working behind a counter, and 3) I know what I want, I plan ahead, and know how to communicate that need. The way in which I payed shows that I value efficiency, am more "modern", and I don't feel carry cash (meaning I'm not involved in anything "shady" ;) ).

The lady ahead of me was probably in her 80's, ordered two "$5 foot longs" with all the toppings, was slow in making her decision, and didn't use please or thank you. She talked about what they "advertised" and didn't really know what she was doing. This tells me that she is frugal, is ordering for someone else (probably a younger person because she doesn't eat out much and doesn't go to "newer places" like subway), she may value politeness, but perhaps sees a distinction between those in front of the counter and those behind (and is kind of bossy), and she is not picky at all and believes that eating her vegetables is probably what got her to her ripe old age.

The most awkward part of this however, was post-order--she went to pay and was surprised that the total for two "$5 foot-longs" was $10.69 because, "They are advertise at exactly $5!". The cashier tried to explain tax... but the woman couldn't understand. After paying in cash... for which the woman scrounged around her purse for a couple minutes, she took her meal and a glass. I thought she was going to get water... but instead she took a full glass of Coke (which she hadn't paid for). The cashier purposely looked away and didn't say anything, so neither did I.

There's a lot of stuff you could infer from this, but this post is getting long and I'm sure you get the idea. I realize that judgements made in this method are just that--judgements--and are often unfounded and sometimes incorrect. However, in my experience (I eat subway frequently) there are general behaviors that people exhibit that I feel comfortable inferring certain personality traits from.

Feel free to leave an opinion!