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Aug. 27th, 2006 07:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mari4212I miss Christ Church so much right now.
It's Sunday, so of course I had to attempt to go to church.
The past few years I've been at college, I've gone to the local Episcopal church. I had a math teacher here who went there, and he and his wife gave me rides there on Sundays and on Wednesdays for choir. But between getting sick and leaving school last year, and the busy time I've been having this week, I've lost contact with them.
I was planning on going to the main (Prodestant) service this Sunday. I know the chaplain and I like the atmosphere of the service. Plus, aside from not having Communion as often, the Methodist service is pretty similar to Episcopalian worship, with slightly longer sermons. I happened to misread the worship schedule, though, so I missed that service.
So I thought I'd catch the Catholic mass instead. Heck, after fifteen years in Catholic schools, I know that denomination's service as well as my own denominations. Lo and behold, I actually made it to the church at the correct time.
But, to put it succinctly, I have never been more isolated by a Christian service before. It's not like any of the people were aloof, in fact, I knew a few of them and they were all smiles. Yet everything about the service was just slightly off. The hymn numbers were mumbled, but the titles of the songs weren't. That means that if you were familiar with the song itself, or knew where that song would be in the book, you were fine, but anyone who was trying to find it for the first time in the ten seconds given for us before the music started was out of luck. The priest's homily was ultra-Catholic biased and felt meaningless as it related to the majority of the congregation's lives. I mean, it's nice to know that he found his way back to the "correct" church because of this gospel reading, and I'm glad that the Eucharist being transubstantiation instead of consubstantiation is meaningful for him. It doesn't stop me from thinking that the way he phrased everything hinted at a smug sense that the Catholic church is the best and truest interpretation of what Jesus intended. Really off-putting for me.
Next Sunday, I'm definitely going to make sure I make it to the other service on time. I feel much more at home in that atmosphere.
It's Sunday, so of course I had to attempt to go to church.
The past few years I've been at college, I've gone to the local Episcopal church. I had a math teacher here who went there, and he and his wife gave me rides there on Sundays and on Wednesdays for choir. But between getting sick and leaving school last year, and the busy time I've been having this week, I've lost contact with them.
I was planning on going to the main (Prodestant) service this Sunday. I know the chaplain and I like the atmosphere of the service. Plus, aside from not having Communion as often, the Methodist service is pretty similar to Episcopalian worship, with slightly longer sermons. I happened to misread the worship schedule, though, so I missed that service.
So I thought I'd catch the Catholic mass instead. Heck, after fifteen years in Catholic schools, I know that denomination's service as well as my own denominations. Lo and behold, I actually made it to the church at the correct time.
But, to put it succinctly, I have never been more isolated by a Christian service before. It's not like any of the people were aloof, in fact, I knew a few of them and they were all smiles. Yet everything about the service was just slightly off. The hymn numbers were mumbled, but the titles of the songs weren't. That means that if you were familiar with the song itself, or knew where that song would be in the book, you were fine, but anyone who was trying to find it for the first time in the ten seconds given for us before the music started was out of luck. The priest's homily was ultra-Catholic biased and felt meaningless as it related to the majority of the congregation's lives. I mean, it's nice to know that he found his way back to the "correct" church because of this gospel reading, and I'm glad that the Eucharist being transubstantiation instead of consubstantiation is meaningful for him. It doesn't stop me from thinking that the way he phrased everything hinted at a smug sense that the Catholic church is the best and truest interpretation of what Jesus intended. Really off-putting for me.
Next Sunday, I'm definitely going to make sure I make it to the other service on time. I feel much more at home in that atmosphere.
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Date: 2006-08-28 01:41 am (UTC)I do know how you feel though, I've attended many, many Baptist services and while I tried very hard to be polite and fit in, there was always the vague feeling that I was working to a slightly different rhythm.
The worst part was the slightly wooden expression they tended to get whenever my own beliefs came up.
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Date: 2006-08-28 03:10 am (UTC)There is a set liturgy, and traditional vestments, but it's not really showy. More ritualized and ordered. And compared to some of the more Prodestant churches, which tend to emphasize theatrics in the sermons and the music, with much less participation from the congregation, I tend to associate those churches more with the theatrical experience.
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Date: 2006-08-28 12:54 pm (UTC)We also missed the Christ Church service, because this sunday was the joint service with St. Andrew's, where we installed Fr. Jane as rector of St. Andrew's and associate with us. The rain held off, and jans and John gave a fascinating joint sermon on what is a priest, built on Jane's reflections at the start of her ministry, and John's as a "veteran" priest. It was his 60th birthday after all.
John pointed out that behind all of the decorated stoles that priests wear, the origin of that garment was a towell, used to clean tables or wipe a guest's feet. He originally pointed that out last November, just after Waffle Shop, and suggested that an appropriate stole would be one made from dishtowels. Someone actually made him one, out of four new towels otherwise used in the parish kitchen, and he put that one on for the service.
John also mentioned getting behind all of the "isms" to cherish people instead. It reminded me strongly of the Jack Gladstone song from his latest album.
About 150 people there, between the two churches, and music supplied by "Broken Strings", Greg S. group. Hayward was taking pictures, and even got a few of John and Elizabeth behaving gigly and romantically WITH THEIR PERMISSION AND COOPERATION.
On your to-do list - go and visit the math department, and get re-connected with a parish you like.