Beth Yan-Church Visit #1

Church name: St. Peter's Church

Church address: 110 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60602

Date attended: September 6, 2015 

Church category: Liturgical

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

I attended a Sunday Morning mass service held at a Catholic Church in Downtown Chicago. In comparison to my regular worship context, the differences began immediately with the facade. From an architectural standpoint, this worship space was significantly less modern than what I was used to. The interior displayed large biblical scenes in marble, a grandiose gilt altar space in the front, and stained glass panels near the entrance of the church. Additionally, the atmosphere of St. Peter's was significantly more reverent than my regular context. There were hardly any pre-service conversations taking place, with individuals tending to sit quietly by themselves. Once the service started, I began to recognize some of the components of the service. Singing from hymnals, listening to the reading of scripture and a short message, responsive readings, and communion were all elements of church services that I was familiar with. However, many of the things that accompanied these actions--crossing oneself, rising and sitting and kneeling at appointed times, and dipping one's hand in the baptismal pool--were quite foreign to me. 

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

Although the intricacies of the worship flow were foreign to me, I greatly appreciated the attention to detail that was paid throughout the service. This could be seen in the order in which the church leaders walked out carrying their respective items such as incense or the Holy Bible. It was also very apparent in the careful way communion was presented, prayed over, wafted with incense, and served. The enormous attention to detail and the overall pageantry of the experience communicated a high level of respect and intentionality. I deeply felt that many aspects of this service were rooted in tradition and that gave a sense of weight and authority to each action.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

I found some of the more ritualistic parts of the service confusing at times. For example, the use of incense throughout the service was very disorienting to me. In my mind, incense was something that had always been linked with other religions, namely Buddhism and ancestral worship. Thus, seeing incense in the context of a Christian worship service was very strange. Additionally, my general lack of knowledge concerning the order in which to perform certain tasks (i.e. kneeling, crossing, etc) made the entire experience a bit disorienting. It was difficult to like a unified church under Christ when my ignorance made me feel like an outsider. 

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

Overall, I feel that this experience highlighted for me the majesty of our God. In my regular worship context, the messages, songs, scripture, and call to communion often emphasize the less daunting attributes of God--his grace, compassion, unconditional love, and mercy. Worshipping at St. Peter's really illustrated the fact that we worship a supreme and all-powerful God. While the other attributes of God were also mentioned throughout the service, the general attitude of the church leaders and attendees conveyed a deep sense of respect for God. While God does love us intimately, he is also to be feared and held in awe.