Jared Strom--Church Visit #3

Church Name: St. Michael Catholic Church

Church Address: 310 S Wheaton Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date Attended: November 1^st

Church Category: More Liturgical

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

The church service that I went to at St. Mike’s was very different from my ECC background.  One of the main differences was the participation in Eucharist because my church only commemorates the Lord’s Supper with communion once a month.  It was clear through my visit to St. Mike’s that by taking Eucharist every week you are participating in the body of the church.  Another difference from my usual context was the scripture readings.  I became aware that all Catholic churches follow the liturgical calendar and use the same scripture readings known as the homily.  There were two scripture readings, one from one of the gospels.  Although there were many differences, the largest similarities were in the music because of the hymns that were sung and the use of the organ and piano, which is common at my church.

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

I found many things interesting and appealing about the worship service, one being that I found that the Catholic tradition puts a large emphasis on commitment to early church traditions.  From the clothes that the church leaders wore to the structure of the church itself it was clear that the Catholic Church is very tradition focused and it has been that way since the incarnation of the Catholic church.  In addition, another aspect that was appealing to me about the worship service at St. Mike’s was that the service placed a focus on God’s word and action of the church rather than the interpretation of a sermon.  Also, the service was very organized which I liked a lot because it kept me focused. 

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

There were a few things that I found a bit disorienting and challenging about the worship service at St. Mike’s.  I definitely attribute this to the fact that the catholic tradition is so much different that my usual church context.  One thing that I found challenging—and that I think many others find challenging regarding the Catholic Church—is that the service felt more communal rather than personal.  To clarify, the service felt as though it was one group working to praise God through actions rather than a personal time with God where you are directly praising Him and worshiping Him yourself.  This caught me off guard in a way and it is something that has been challenging me ever since. 

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

There were many aspects of scripture and theology that this worship service illuminated for me that could not have been illuminated in my regular context.  The Priest and Deacon read from Revelation 7, 1^st John 3, and Mathew 5.  It was interesting hearing the scriptures read the way they were in the Catholic Church, especially in regard to the fact that it follows the liturgical calendar, which I was not aware of until this visit.  I went with a couple of friends I know that are catholic and they did a really good job explaining things to me that I did not understand which allowed me to interpret the scripture and theology that was presented more effectively.  The main thing I would say that I learned about scripture and theology during this visit is that it does not matter who or how the word of God is presented, because there are multiple effective ways to do this.