What are cultural liturgies?

I have spoken often, ever since the beginning of this Liturgical Folk project, about cultural liturgies. For those who scratch their head when I say that, let me explain. 

"Cultural liturgies" is a term coined by philosopher James K. A. Smith. It refers to the way human cultures teach us to worship. All human beings are creatures of worship, even if all may not know it. 

But being unaware of our worship does not mean we're not worshiping. We learn what and how to worship from a number of places. Parents, church, schools, corporations, cultural habits. 

Here is a video from Jamie Smith, in which he says a bit more about the idea.

That there are cultural liturgies is not necessarily a bad thing. Liturgical Folk as a concept is all about bringing deep habits of cultural worship to the surface, in the music that a culture has forgotten how to use to worship God. 

In delving into those traditions and plumbing the depths of cultural liturgies, we can reorient them around the only God who is worthy of worship. 

Then, perhaps both our music and our living will be deeper than it is these days.