{"id":27000,"date":"2014-08-19T10:49:27","date_gmt":"2014-08-19T15:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=27000"},"modified":"2014-08-19T10:49:27","modified_gmt":"2014-08-19T15:49:27","slug":"interviewing-liturgical-leaders-kimberly-belcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2014\/08\/19\/interviewing-liturgical-leaders-kimberly-belcher\/","title":{"rendered":"Interviewing Liturgical Leaders:<\/i> Kimberly Belcher"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pray Tell is starting a new series of interviews with liturgical leaders. It is loosely inspired by a series in <\/em>Time Magazine. Each interviewee was asked to be witty, engaging and humorous in their responses. The views expressed in their responses are not necessarily those of Pray Tell.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here is what we received\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why are you in liturgy? What part of your job do you like the best?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first time I attended a mass, at the astoundingly powerful, completely ordinary post-conciliar Pentecost liturgy at St Augustine\u2019s Catholic Church in Gainesville, FL<\/a>, I thought to myself, \u201cThis is mysticism, meeting with God, right here in the ordinary for people who haven\u2019t committed themselves to years of fasting and asceticism.\u201d I had been reading Christian mystics, but was under the mistaken impression that they encountered God because of their holiness, rather than that they were holy because they encountered God. I always have found Pelagianism tempting. The liturgy taught me grace.<\/p>\n

The part of my job I like the best is writing. No, teaching. No, teaching about God and writing about God and teaching people to write about God. And reading. About God. The three parts of my job I like best — well, anyway, I like almost everything about my job.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Three things to fix the liturgy \u2013 what would they be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFix the liturgy\u201d sounds disturbingly unilateral, but three things I think we should reconsider and continue to reform, that\u2019s easy: 1. Full infant initiation, and getting beyond our sense that \u201cparticipation\u201d means primarily \u201cunderstanding\u201d the liturgy (these two go together, in my view). 2. Liturgy of the hours should extend to the ordinary days of very ordinary faithful people. This probably means moving from an understanding of liturgical reform that\u2019s centered on \u201cfixing the book\u201d to an understanding that\u2019s centered on forms of prayer that are distinctive for each kind of liturgical rite. The Roman Liturgy of the Hours may not be one book (or set of books) but a sense of the forms that the Hours have taken in the Roman Rite. 3. We should renew the liturgy out of hope rather than fear. Not exactly a reform, as such, but I think it\u2019s the most important thing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pope Francis: good for liturgical renewal or not?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course. Preaching the joy of the gospel has got to be good for liturgy. Pope Francis isn\u2019t good for liturgical renewal primarily as \u201cchief liturgist,\u201d but as an evangelist with a prophetic sense of perspective.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Is liturgical ecumenism still alive?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope so, but I think it may be time to move forward differently. The manuscript I\u2019m working on right now is a Roman Catholic theology of the Eucharist in the light of ecumenism. I think the work of consensus agreements has been more fruitful than anyone would have expected, but intra-confessional dialogue (for example, Catholics talking to other Catholics about what the consensus agreements mean for them) is just beginning, which probably accounts for at least part of the hesitation. In addition, I think it\u2019s time to look at one another\u2019s distinctive emphases as a gift rather than as a threat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Do you advise young people go into liturgical study?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, but with cautions that the job market is always uncertain. I know there are a lot of people who feel very pessimistic about the academic future of liturgical studies, but interest in fields fluctuates over time in all areas of academia – I\u2019ve seen it with my friends who are in engineering and the hard sciences as well as the humanities. At the same time, I think liturgical studies has a lot to offer the church and the world. Honestly, I\u2019m more worried about the culture of academia with its abuse of adjuncts and unfair distribution of work than I am about liturgical studies as such.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Organized religion isn\u2019t exactly flourishing just now \u2013 are you hopeful about the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, but only because I can remind myself that I don\u2019t work on behalf of organized religion, but on behalf of the unconquerable Word and unpredictable Spirit. Plus, if things really go south, I always said I wanted to write a novel.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How come so many young people don\u2019t go to church? What should we be doing differently?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We should probably ask them! More seriously, I have heard two constant critiques from college students in my classroom: that the Church is angry about the wrong things (especially homosexuality), and that they hate the bickering about petty questions (I\u2019m afraid many of the things we talk about on this blog strike them as petty). They are moved by beauty and in search of deep connection. I\u2019m pretty sure the Holy Spirit is there and we should be too, finding out what it is we\u2019re missing out on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What\u2019s your next book project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a theology of the Eucharist centered on the concept of change and on how it links consecration of the elements with personal transformation, popular practice with elite theology, and gives hope for further ecumenical dialogue. It\u2019s also, of course, about the Trinity and eschatology, because I don\u2019t seem to be able to write without writing about those.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What\u2019s the liturgical advice you\u2019ve never been asked for and would really like to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I always want to tell the liturgical professionals in my classes: Do your best and let God make up the difference.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kimberly Belcher recently received her Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies at Notre Dame and, after teaching at St John’s University, she has recently returned to Notre Dame as a faculty member. Her research interests include sacramental theology (historical and contemporary), trinitarian theology, and ritual studies. Her interest in the church tradition is challenged, deepened, and inspired by her three young children.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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