Studia Pastoralne
Rocznik Wydziału Teologicznego UŚ

Music of the new evangelisation and spiritual experience. Context, reality, challenges
Summary
Music has a great influence on human’s life, also when it comes to religion. It expresses the professed faith in accordance to the rule lex orandi lex credendi in a way that we can risk a statement lex orandi lex cantandi. It enforces mutual influence between the truths of the faith and music in general.
The vision of music in sacred space, also in the liturgical one, should be reexamined. It is connected with the change in the mentality of contemporary people. It does not mean copying pop music but it implies the ability to properly adapt the approach to music so that the participants of prayer meetings and liturgy are able to gain a deep experience of and to identify with the celebrations.
In any case, an appropriate musical, biblical and spiritual formation is necessary for those animating meetings and liturgy to have a sense of sacrum. It is this care for the experience of sacredness, originating from deep faith, that seems more important than sustaining of existing solutions.
One should take into account the work of evangelization, which aims at a personal meetings with Jesus Christ and at accepting of salvation offered by Him, in everything the Church does. Appropriate music and vocals actively aid the process of preaching the Gospel. A modern man expects spiritual and religious matters to be presented in modern ways. However, this does not mean giving up or denying of the legacy of previous ages. On the contrary, again in the two thousands years’ old history of the Church, there comes a necessity to adapt to the needs of contemporary times. Such methodology fits into the nature of the Gospel.

Contemporary Christian spirituality in Poland. Description, attempt to eveluate, perspectives
Summary
Today’s times exhibit the important transformations in Polish christianity. It’s easy to see a leaving from the faith transmitted by the tradition and customs (folk faith). It’s not always the change in direction the faith chosen and consciously experienced. Some catholics do not practise the faith, limiting it to external rites which have more to do with a culture than a real faith (rites Christmas or Easter). It’s true a lot of catholics or other christians (orthodox, lutherans, reformed) limit their faith to piety’s rites without the connecting with their life (their faith is Sunday service only).
In the Catholic Church you may have noticed two trends. First there are misusages in folk piety, many a time deformed theologically.
Second trend, ever more increasing in Poland and other Catholic countries, it’s the charismatic and evangelistic renewal of the Church, often connected with pentecostal experiences. It is associated with the charismatic awakening in the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council and it fits to the evangelical model of the renewal of the Church and the Papal call to the new evangelization.
New times bring new practices which more than once are more expected and popular than traditional devotions in churches (the rosary, the service in first Tuesday and passion devotions). You can indicate the following pastoral activities: evangelizations, meetings with prayer for healing, worship concerts, charismatic prayers. At the same time you can noted an increased interest in Bible, a reading the word of God everyday and the necessity personal declaration Jesus as the Saviour and the Lord.
This new religious culture converts an image of the Church, religion, faith. The Church becomes nearer to apostolic community. Those spiritual phenomena and practices insist on an appropriate theological, sociological evaluation and quite often psychological too. Anyways this charismatic and evangelistic spirituality contributes to the creating of the conscious and deeper implemented faith.

Charismatic Renewal and The Church in the Face of Contemporary Challenges Theological and pastoral topicality of John Paul II indications
Summary
The Second Vatican Council prepared the Church for the requirements of the present and, above all, it began the work of multidimensional renewal (biblical, liturgical, spiritual, structural and pastoral). A particular feature of post-Conciliar Catholicism is also the greater involvement of lay people in the mission of the Church. The new Catholic movements and communities that renew the Church in accordance with their character and vocation are indispensable in this process. An important reality is the Charismatic Renewal (not identified with a single movement), gradually recognized by the Church and appreciated by pastors.
An important voice was Saint John Paul II’s teaching who in his speeches and texts showed the directions of the renewal of the Church, also those happening through numerous groups of the Renewal in the Holy Spirit. In this context, John Paul II’s observations expressed during many meetings with Catholic charismatics are extremely valuable. The Pope pointed to the beautiful fruits of the Charismatic Renewal, for example a prayer, biblical, missionary and sacramental revival, and called for active participation in renewing the whole Church and sustaining the ecclesiality of these groups through correct formation and unity with the bishops.
Thus, it must be said that the existing and still-emerging communities, bearing charismatic experience, become a powerful stream of grace that renews the Church and enables it to evangelize the contemporary world.