Lifeteen

[ilovechrist]

i LOVE Lifeteen..
but we can't get one started anywhere in our Vicariate for some reason.. our priest is objected to it by the way they present material--his claim is that they need to have a more stable church education policy in their teachings before he'll let one start at our parish.

[cmotherofpirl]

Lifeteen is fine as long as the obey the rules.
Music has to be appropriate for church, and NO one is permitted around the altar.

I also wonder what will happen when the teens grow up and have to attend a regular Mass like the rest of us. Will they be bored due to lack of entertainment?
Liturgical dancing is forbidden in the US unless you are Hawaiian.

Edited April 18, 2004 by cmotherofpirl

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='aznsonny27' date='Apr 18 2004, 02:24 PM'] that may be true. but at my parish we do kneel. and are you saying the teens are not sacred enough to be on the altar. if anything the teens are more sacred than the priests and deacons. [/quote]
How can a teenager be more sacred that people who have dedicated their entire life to God by Holy Orders?

[rachael]

i think that lifeteen is a great thing. it brings kids (and adults) in who would never go to Church otherwise.

[Oik]

Hi, I actually am a core member. I have helped out with LT for many years.
I must say that LT has helped me tremendously in my faith. I have grown closer to Christ and tp the Holy teaching through the Church. I have some points about LT that I would like to share with you.

Positive

1. LT presents an atmosphere that welcomes in a age group that has been neglected in the past, by adults and teenagers.
2. LT presents and teaches the Faith in the langauge of the youth culture.
3. LT provides a consistant, healthy, and sfe enviroment for teens to grow and learn the teachings of Catholicism.
4. LT is REALLY fun!
5. LT is a united and organized (unoffical) ministry, so resources are tested and retested to assure a guidance for the teens, Core Members and Youth Ministers.
6. Keeps teens out of trouble.
7. Leads teens closer to Christ.

However, I must say that while I can acknowledge the good of LT, I have to admit that I see it as more harmful to the overall experience of Catholic struggle for holiness. I know pretty much everyone involved with the program will disagree, but I am saying this based on experience and opinion (which I am entitled to). I have done my research and am pointing out my own view.

Negative

1. LT seperates the teens from the community of believers by placing emphasis in the wrong area of ministry. (ie It becomes a numbers game of how many teens and what percentage you can get/also everyone in the church is in need of focus in ministry).
2. Blatant disreguard of church rubrics by "bending" rules such as the alter gather.
3. Creating a disapproval of church teaching by creating a "contemporary" environment that downplays the beauty of tradition (this is usually justified by saying that certain elements of the church are boring to the teens).
4. Wasting time trying to entertain the teens and not teaching them about the beauty of the church, or watering down of church teaching (usually justified by saying that we are to "just plant the seed" or that "certain things might go over their heads".
5. Puts teens in a place that fosters a lukewarm, but charismatic sense of sprituality (ie encourages singing and clapping during mass, as well as raising of hands during adoration or times but praise and worship, but fails to really even emphasize the internal santification by continual examination of conscience).

Overall, I know this sounds harsh and overcritical, but too much is at stake in our present day to teach a "happy go lucky, feel good" Jesus spirituality. We are Catholics, so let's learn about it.

[Iacobus]

I have been to teen Masses before. Always at the retreat center. But I must say I love my more tradional mass. Thankful, this Masses are better than most LT. NO altar gathering, same readings, kneeling, homilies always present, no dances, etc. I only think I do not like is the comerty music.

If all my parish had was LT I don't think I would go as often. I like the normal Mass. I conncet more with Christ there than at a LT.

[HomeTeamFamily]

can someone provide a link or a citation to/from the GIRM that adresses the altar gather?

[JP2Iloveyou]

Here it is.

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=310233&Forums=8&Experts=8&Days=3000&Author=&Keyword=Lifeteen&pgnu=1&groupnum=0"]http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.as...nu=1&groupnum=0[/url]

[HomeTeamFamily]

thanks

[HomeTeamFamily]

i posted that on my LTs message board to see what kind of reaction it gets....it definitely makes me think....

[ilovechrist]

[quote name='aznsonny27' date='Apr 18 2004, 01:24 PM'] that may be true. but at my parish we do kneel. and are you saying the teens are not sacred enough to be on the altar. if anything the teens are more sacred than the priests and deacons. [/quote]
um..
teens can be on the altar--but as altar servers. how can they be more sacred than priests and deacons, who have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders?? i'm really curious about this one

[M.SIGGA]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Apr 18 2004, 03:00 PM'] Liturgical dancing is forbidden in the US unless you are Hawaiian. [/quote]
... and African American parishes. bwt I love Lifeteen because it's a gift to the Church and has yeilded sooo much fruit it's amazing!

[Philippe]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Apr 18 2004, 03:00 PM'] I also wonder what will happen when the teens grow up and have to attend a regular Mass like the rest of us. Will they be bored due to lack of entertainment? [/quote]
first of all you might be gettin the wrong idea of lifeteen masses... EVERYONE is invited we have 90 year old people there and 9 month old people there i mean its not [b]only[/b] for the teens its just geared more towards teens and that alter gather is interesting ill let my youth leader know about this

[hopeful1]

we have a knock off version of lifeteen that we started about a year ago (and have a childrens mass) over at my parish, but it actually appeals to people of all ages. actually, i think we have more ppl there over 50 than we do teens! actually it's basically the same as the traditional mass with the same readings, except the music is a little more upbeat (we usually take stuff from "Spirit and Song" from the OCP if anyone is familiar with it) and use some of Michael W. Smith's stuff (ex. Agnus Dei, Awesome God, Heart of Worship, Forever, ect), but overall it's a nice blend of traditional and "contemporary stuff". We also have a drummer, which i understand is a bit controversial, but i can assure you all that what he plays IS NOT too loud or overdone, but played in a tasteful manner that is both reverent and respectful to the mass. (pk, maybe it's one of those things you need to see, but trust me on this one). None of the readings are omitted. the liturgical dance, is rarely done, if at all (maybe once during lent or advent). we've never done skits. We do have the alter gathering, but we've been doing that at the children's mass for as long as i can remember, so I don't have a problem with it. And when we are up there the priests asks us to bow whenever he kneels to show reverence towards the eucharist. whether or not the kids understand that, i can't judge. I've never been to a LT mass personally, but i enjoy what we have at my parish. I also grew up going to saturday vigils so i can appreciate the traditional stuff as well. From what i heard, i believe Lifeteen and simular programs are a good thing. Obviously not for everyone, but as someone else on here already said it draws in ppl who wouldn't ordinarily go to mass.

Edited April 19, 2004 by hopeful1

[musturde]

The Pope doesn't have to neccisarily say something about LifeTeen for it to be acceptable. Somethings can slide if the Bishop is cool with it. I haven't heard a Bishop say anything wrong about LifeTeen in my area so I'm cool with it. True, the Popes said nothing to support it, but has he said anything against it?