LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD
Looking Back
At the 1982 NPM Regional Convention in Orlando, participants had an opportunity to express their feelings, concerns, observations, and questions about the situations they were facing in their parishes. Tese questions and observations were collected, arranged into categories and then presented to a panel for comments and response. Te panel included Rev. John Gallen (a theologian), Sr. Joyce Lavoy (a musician), Dr. Elaine Rendler (a musician), and Rev. Tomas Caroluzza (a pastor). Tis article, which first appeared in the November 1982 issue of Pastoral Music, presents the questions and observations of the Convention attendees and the responses of the panel given in Orlando.
I. General Concerns
Observations and Questions 1. Are priests and musicians co-ministering, or are we just doing our separate tasks?
2. We need to be more alert and sensitive to questions of professional competence.
3. Are the problems between clergy and musicians rooted in different, or perhaps conflicting, points of view about church, about ministry, and about the central aspects of our lives?
Comments John Gallen: We have raised questions about ministry, competence, and power, but underneath all of these is the more central question of vision. Tis is an important point. Te source of our different perspectives lies not
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in theology textbooks, but in our practice. We have been practicing different roles in the church for the last 20 years. We have become comfortable with our new visions and we like what we have experienced. We have bought into our vision, but we, as clergy and musicians, are simply not living the same vision of church.
Elaine Rendler: I would like to comment on two things. First, I believe that my vision is becoming clearer through experience, but, second, I also believe that we, as musicians, have some exaggerated expectations of the clergy. I need members of the clergy on the liturgy committee; I need them to be religious and spiritual leaders. Spiritual leadership calls for an expertise that I, as a musician, do not have. But the clergy, whether they do their job right or not, cannot threaten what I do as a musician. It affects what I do, to be sure, but if the priest fails to enrich people at Mass, if he “bombs,” I still have to try to pull the celebration along. I still have my ministry to do, regardless of any others.
Joyce Lavoy: Teologians are telling us today that a call to ministry comes from the people, but our sense from the past tells us that the call comes directly from God. I wonder if we musicians have a sense of our call coming from our parish or community. Tere is indeed a question of different perspectives here. Some ministers (perhaps the clergy) are operating from the premise that their call is from God; others seem to believe that their call comes from the community.
Tomas Caroluzza: I agree with John that ministry, or co-ministry, is rooted in our experience. And theologians need to base their theories on our experience. Second, I have something unpopular to say. It’s about the use of the words “professional” and “competence.” I believe you can be very professional and very incompetent at the same time. We need more reflection on the co-ministry aspect of our work, more prayer and reflection to make sure we are focused on the good of the entire parish. Ministry is not about professionalism, or higher salaries, or greater responsibility. Ministry is about empowerment— empowering others to minister. Professionalism seems to put the focus on the staff person, not on the people. Ministry points to the people being ministered to; they are the most important measure of our work.
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