Catholic worship vs. Protestant worship. Is one better?
Allie Beth Stuckey | 3 June 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5QGSSO9gTk
The Catholic made the mistake to use Mega-Church Evangelicals as the goto for Protestantism.
As ex-Lutheran, I take exception.
Now, worship music has two functions. The words need to edify, the melody needs to be compatible with the emotional palette appropriate for collective acts of worship.
I took a hear at Great is They Faithfulness.
Like Amazing Grace, like Han har öppnat perleporten, it is a melody not from a rock concert, but more from a pop convert ... in other words, the melody doesn't absolutely enhance worship, in the fullest sense, but doesn't make it impossible either. It does enhance some other related emotions.
Now, the words.
Amazing Grace, Han har öppnat perleporten and Great is thy Faithfulness are all totally appropriate sentiments for some (different) actual Catholic believers. If St. Augustine of Hippo would certainly say "I once was saved, but now I'm found", if St. Thérèse Martin would no problem say "genom blodet har han frelst mig, och bevarat mig som sin", I would say ALL I HAVE NEEDED THY HAND HATH PROVIDED GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD, UNTO ME totally reflects the situations of St. Theresa of Avila or of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (Venerable, the canonisation by an antipope isn't valid).
But for collective worship, all of these songs have a default. They speak of individual situations, and not of the common truth about God or about man. Telling Jesus in the sacrament "my eyesight, taste, touch, are all wrong about you, I can only trust my hearing, since nothing is more truthful than thou" (referring to His words in Matt 26:26) applies to every single believer on earth. Or telling Mary "you saw your son die, pray for me so that such a suffering be not in vain" applies to every believer who hath no final assurance of remaining saved, i e most on earth.
One can obviously meditate together on individual situations, that's arguably what we have the saints' days for, and why people are encouraged to relate to patron saints and favourite saints who relate to their situation (including but not limited to the name given or sanctified in baptism). I just saw Gavin Ortlund give the prooftext for this aspect of veneration of the saints.
Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation 8 Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today; and the same for ever
[Hebrews 13:7-8]
Probably both refers to praying for them while they are alive, considering the upcoming end of "their conversation" and recalling their lives and the past end of their conversation once that they have died to earth and been born in Heaven (those who go to Heaven directly).
That would be the more appropriate context for sentiments referring to individual situations.
Now, to the melody. The Catholic music given in the clip has a, what one could call, hypnotic effect. To most, slightly hypnotic. Calvin had an allergy against this sort of thing, he hated Gregorian, he hated the Rosary and Litanies (and mistranslated Matthew 6:7 accordingly) ... the words "doesn't need to be" actually doesn't hit the mark. Catholic worship music is not all like this. The things sung when going out from Mass on a Marian feast, is clearly more modern, and also in French. Dito for the Christmas carol, Il est né le divin enfant (He is born the divine Infant = baby God).
So, if "doesn't need to be" is what you really mean, take Catholicism, you get both.
Calvin would never have said "doesn't need to be" but he said straight out "shouldn't be" ... I think there was as personal darkness in his life related to that.
The melody of Great is Thy Faithfulness is more the sentiment of a national anthem. Not that it's a bad sentiment, but it is not "lifting you up in God" in the way slight hypnosis / autohypnosis when used as prayer does.
I would say Be Thou My Vision, Be Thou My Inspiration is better on both accounts. The original Old Irish text was also by a Catholic.
1:53 "the wrath of God was satisfied"
Is that the same hymn that says "he bore the wrath for me"?
It need not be taken like that. Jesus satisfied His wrath on Sin by consenting to the pains of crucifixion on a flesh now bearing the sins of others. Think of it as a horse getting snake venom, and producing lots of antibodies, that's how snake bite serums are made. His wrath on the sin laid on Him really is salvific, and helps us to have a wrath on the sin more personally naturally in our members.
He was of course also angry on Satan for putting Him in such a discomfortable position. The cross is how excruciatingly bad sin is for mankind, Jesus had that taste of it, and took a stomp at a snake head ...
As for the reconciliation with God, that's something else. God the Father didn't need to "get the wrath out of the system" ... Jesus bore the Cross with total and unblemished submission to the Father, and gave up His life in doing so. This sacrifice was totally pleasing to the Father, who once again said what He had said over Jordan.
And it came to pass, in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan 10 And forthwith coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit as a dove descending, and remaining on him 11 And there came a voice from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased 12 And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the desert
[Mark 1:9-12]
This is what happened when Jesus said "it is finished" and "in thy hands" ... the desert after the baptism represents Sheol after the hours on the Cross. Both are things "bad for" human life, and both are, prior to Calvary, in a sense Satan's domain. Jesus first defeated Satan in the desert, then 3 and 1/2 years later in Sheol.
Now, Victimæ paschali laudes is about the Resurrection, but looks back on Calvary:
Let Christians offer sacrificial
praises to the passover victim.
The lamb has redeemed the sheep:
The Innocent Christ has reconciled
the sinners to the Father.
Death and life contended
in a spectacular battle:
the dead / having-died leader of life
reigns alive.
Victimae paschali laudes - Sequentia in die Ressurectionis
Rorantysta | 9 April 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AneBNAmTyr8
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