Carrie Bai - Church Visit #2

Church Name: St. Mary of Perpetual Help Parish

Church Address: 1039 W. 32nd Street, Chicago IL 60608

Date attended: October 25^th, 2015

Church Category: Tridentine Mass

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

I attended the 8:30am Tridentine High Mass service in Latin. The outside of the church has a huge magnificent dome shaped building. The inside is even more stunning, with many statues and icons. There was a high alter made of beautiful marble, and there was a marble aisle walkway leading up along the pews to it. The majority of the service was liturgy and prayer, all of which was in Latin. Not knowing Latin myself, I struggled through this, and there was no translation in the bulletin. The worship consisted of an extension of liturgy, being chanted in a melodic tune, also in Latin. I was relieved to hear the priest give the sermon in English; he talked about marriage in Ephesians 5, which I was somewhat surprised at because it seemed like a contemporary sermon as opposed to the traditional liturgy and prayer. Overall though the atmosphere was very different, as people seemed fairly solemn and to themselves, while my usual church has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where everyone acts as family.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

I enjoyed seeing how the traditions of the early church had not been lost throughout the years, but instead, they were still very present today in this service. As much as I enjoy the casual atmosphere of my usual church, there is something beautiful and fundamental about the solemn reverence shown in this Tridentine mass. The different traditions of liturgy, reciting creeds, and the importance of different body/hand positions (we for different prayers would kneel, sit, or stand) were all demonstrated here, and this showed how although society has changed so much throughout generations, the church still remains. It’s amazing to me that this church and its congregation was able to hold a service in Latin, a dead language. It really shows the importance of holding onto the roots of Christianity, despite where in the world and when in the span of time the church exists. The preservation of these traditions within the modern context is impressive, and a great model to others.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

I feel as if I am so comfortable in my own charismatic, modern nondenominational church, that I often forget the importance of tradition and liturgy. At first, I was uncomfortable with the solemnness of the service, as it seemed almost depressing. But by the end, I felt a great respect and peace for it, as everyone seemed to be reverencing God through this. I also highly appreciated the importance of retaining the Latin language. I, being an ancient languages major, see great value in knowing Greek and Hebrew to read the Bible in its original language, but I have neglected the importance of Latin in its place in the early church. This service has made me reflect on the things I value in (particularly in a church) as a Christian, and I hope that in the future I can appreciate more the history of the church and how it is to be preserved still in the present.

Caroline Caciano - Church Visit #2

Blog Title: Caroline Caciano – Church visit #2

Church Name: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church

Church Address: 36 N. Ellsworth St. Naperville, IL 60540

Date Attended: October 25, 2015

Church Category: Catholic (Tridentine Mass)

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

            The Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church was a beautiful space. The church had incredible stained glass windows, a tall ceiling, and beautiful artwork. Fortunately, there were service bulletins that provided an English translation of the Latin liturgy, as well as helpful illustrations that explained what the priest was doing throughout the service. While the liturgy was chanted and sung in Latin, the priest delivered the sermon in English. The priest performed many actions accompanying the words of the liturgy, such as sprinkling Holy Water, utilizing incense, and consecrating the elements of Communion. There were certain liturgical responses that were repeated throughout the service, such as “The Lord be with you – And also with you”. The atmosphere was very solemn and reverent. The attendees of the service remained somewhat distant from one another and it seemed that there was a focus on personal piety before God. The mass was particularly distinct from my regular church experience. My church has a very casual atmosphere, and members focus on fellowship and community. The services at my church usually consist of contemporary worship songs, occasional hymns and teaching from my pastor.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

            In experiencing this Tridentine mass, I noticed certain elements that have persisted throughout the continuation of the Christian tradition. The service included of the use of incense, liturgical phrases, the Nicene creed and an overwhelming sense of reverence. These facets have remained significant throughout the preservation of the Christian faith, as they have been handed down throughout generations and continue to play a significant role in Christianity today. I appreciated this sense of continuity and tradition that enlivened the service. It certainly illumined the difference of my own church context. As a Protestant, I was not able to partake in Communion. Not only did the service emit a much different atmosphere in comparison with my usual church context, it also emphasized the significance of the differences between the Catholic and Protestant churches. It was interesting to encounter this, as I often forget the manner in which differences in doctrinal beliefs have resulted in partitions within the Christian tradition.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

            While the atmosphere of the service was significantly different from the context that I am accustomed to, I still appreciated elements of Christian tradition that played a significant role in the mass. I appreciate the way in which Christians across generations and differing denominations are connected and united through the certain aspects of faith, such as creedal confessions, reading of Scripture and common prayers. It was an encouraging experience to take part in a church context quite different from my own. Even though it was very different, I still recognized a sense of belonging, It is humbling to recognize a sense of smallness in regards to the greater body of Christ, while still maintaining a sense of importance in sharing in fellowship despite denominational or doctrinal differences. After the mass, I reflected on the manner in which I often remain comfortable within my own church community, especially as it consists of a small, familiar group of church members. Oftentimes, I forget the large extent to which the Church has expanded and grown, aside from my own home church. It was helpful to experience a service in another language and engage with the observance of Catholic traditions.

Caroline Saylor - Church Visit #2

Church Name: St. John Cantius Church

Church Address: 825 N Carpenter St, Chicago, IL 60642

Date attended: October 25th 2015

Church Category: Tridentine Mass

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

This particular church service I attended was highly liturgical and especially dynamic seeing as it was a high mass. As soon as I walked into the church I was able to catch onto the specific style of reverence they held for Christ. The design of the sanctuary was stunning, with gold trimmed pillars, extremely high ceilings decorated with images of Holy figures and breathtaking detailed architecture. The style of worship matched the environment, which a dominant focus on liturgy and prayer. The church had a full choir in the balcony to chant the prayers after the priest. Although the congregations’ involvement remained scarce, the position of our bodies played a critical role in the power behind the worship. There were specific times where we were expected to be kneeling versus standing or sitting. There were many components of this service that were similar to my regular context, such as reciting the Lords Prayer, taking offering and the service of communion. However the ways in which this service acted out these foundational concepts of Church were much different from what I was used to. Besides the overall style of worship, the main difference that stuck out to me the most was the music style. As mentioned, this church had a full choir that would chant and sing choral music from 16th century composers. I was struck by the beauty they were able to capture, a style of musical worship I had never physically experienced before.    

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

I was continually struck by this church’s ability to maintain such ancient religious practices within our modern society. I have had some prior experience attending a Catholic Mass, yet I am always in awe with their ability to preserve their specific style of worship. A small example was how their service was primarily in Latin. Most consider the language of Latin to be slowly deteriorating with a lack of use in modern contexts. However most of this service was performed in Latin even to the point of the congregation would reply to the priest in Latin. As mentioned earlier, the music accompanying the Mass was derived from the 16th Century composer Clemens Non Papa. His style of music is matches the classic musical style all the way back to the 16th century—which set the tone for the entire service.  Another detail I noticed was how almost every woman in the congregation was wearing a lace veil. This parallels the passage in 1 Corinthians 11 that asserts that women should wear a head covering in order to honor her head. Overall, it was truly a unique experience to witness a worship service that has perfectly preserved timeless traditions.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

This specific service was able to reveal my high respect for the sermon within my personal experience of worship. The sermon in this mass was an elaborate analogy of God as our healer full of grace, to Humpty Dumpty. Although the Priest delivered an important lesson, I was effected by the dissonance between the somber prayers and chanting and the priest repeatedly referencing Humpty Dumpty. It didn’t seem as though the homily was supposed to be included into a High Mass. At the same time I was deeply moved by the style of music—the beauty in the cappella choir seemed to briefly capture the glory God deserves. It was as if the choir was offering to God the best form of worship to God. Although I often appreciate the involvement of the congregation, the experience of the listening to the choir was able to supersede my previously prioritized habit of getting involved vocally. I think both of these components of my experience further affirmed my identity as a Christian as delighting in a more traditional style of worship.    

Erin Modzelewski - Church Visit 1

Church Name:  St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Church Address:  893 N Church Rd, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Date Attended:  October 11, 2015
Church Category:  Greek Orthodox Church

At the beginning there was singing for quite a bit of time and most of it was in Greek, the priest was standing at the alter, but he was facing away from the congregation.  It was similar in that my church service usually starts with about thirty minutes of singing but the difference was that the congregation did not participate in the music at all, it was only the priest and the choir who sang. After that they moved into the liturgy which was different from my church because it is not liturgical but seemed fairly similar to a typical protestant liturgical service.  The biggest difference though was that all of the scripture reading, all of the creeds and prayers were done first in Greek and then in English.  The way in which they took communion was very different,  first they began by having a procession of the elements through the isles and then they had all of the children go first and take communion.  In my church, children don't typically take communion because they're usually in Sunday school at that time and the elements are definitely not given as much reverence.  

The whole service was very sensory, the sanctuary was full of icons and beautiful Christian artwork, there was incense burning throughout the service, there was a variety of music throughout and most of the liturgy was done either to music or had music going in the background and the congregation often responded physically by doing the sign of the cross quite often throughout the service.  This bodily-ness of the service and the way in was so sensory illuminated the way in which the historical and global church is so aware of our embodied-ness and embraces all the parts humanity both our minds and our bodies in worship.  The reverence that was given to both the eucharist and the scripture reading was also insightful into the ways that the global church has an honor and wonder at the mystery of God that the western church has in many ways lost.

Visiting this Orthodox church was a reminder of how much I value the community that I find in my own church.  During my visit, not one person went out of their way to introduce themselves to me or ask my name which I think mostly was because there was not space for that within the service but it reminded me how much I value that time within my church service where there is set aside time to meet someone new or say hello to friends at church.  This church visit was also a good reminder of how far we have come from the early church and how much our understanding of worship has evolved.  I now feel like I better understand the history of Christianity and Christian worship and I can see the way in which God can be worshiped in a variety of ways.

Will Reeves - Church visit #1

Church name: Saint Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church
Chuch address: 1855 E. Fifth Avenue, Aurora, IL 60504
Date attended: Sunday, October 11, 2015
Church category: Greek Orthodox

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

I appreciated the architecture, a feature secondary or irrelevant to most Protestants. It was indicative of a larger Orthodox value that the physical space where we worship actually matters. You could see the iconography and ornamentation, you could hear intentional cadence of the liturgy and the harmony of the choir, you could smell the incense, and you could touch and taste the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist. In evangelical churches, it seems that we primarily stress hearing and understanding a message, and maybe experiencing God in an emotional way through worship. This church promoted a different kind of experience of God than I was used to.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

The Orthodox definitely appreciate the history of the church more than Evangelicals do. The entire Sunday was a commemoration of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, a historical event about which most Protestants probably couldn't tell you anything. The weekly bulletin offered lyrics to a hymn commemorating Athanasius: "You are the pillar that supports the church of Orthodoxy. You proclaimed the dogma that refuted the Arian heresy, affirming that the Son and Father are one essence." In a similar vein, the surrounding iconography (including one of St. Macrina) afforded a whole new meaning to "the communion of saints." These historical and theological concepts - which Wheaton students restrict to the classroom and are foreign to most Protestants - are integrated into the weekly rhythm of Orthodox worship.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

Our worship is very, very dissimilar to Eastern Orthodoxy. While it's interesting and somewhat encouraging to witness God working in a different environment (yes, I think he is working through these churches), I can't help but be disappointed at how fractured our relationship is with one another. Even talking to a regular attender after the service, there was an implicit defense mechanism threaded throughout both my words and his. He belonged to the "same church that the apostles started," while I promoted the idea that "the same God is worshipped in different places in different ways." I was trying to justify my Evangelical denominationalism, while he seemed convinced I had gone off track. He wanted his Orthodoxy not to seem out of touch with real life, while I viewed him as Pharisaical for elevating his practice above Jesus (whatever that means). Quite simply, it seems like our differences are far, far more evident than any common redemptive narrative we might share.

Michael Mitchell - Church Visit #1

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

As my car pulled up to the church, it immediately became clear to me that my outfit (an electric salmon polo with blue pants) differed drastically from the black suits that all the other male attendees were wearing. As I walked into the sanctuary I was greeted by a few smiles and strange looks from children. Excluding a short sermon, the entirety of the service (singing and speaking) came out of a book of Divine Liturgy, read by the “pastor” and sung by the choir on the balcony. A few of the similarities of The Greek Orthodox service to my regular context include: the taking of communion, the “pastor’s” sermon, and the reading of the Lord’s Prayer. Some of the major differences include: a heavy emphasis upon the historical church/ saints, the amount of iconography present in the sanctuary throughout the service, the centrality/ importance of taking Eucharist to the gathering, and the transubstantiation of the bread and wine.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

Before attending the Greek Orthodox service, I had no idea that there was so much variance within the practices of the Christian church. Much of my extended family is Catholic, so my experiences outside Protestantism have only extended that far; the Greek Orthodox Church expanded my view of Christianity drastically. The service revealed to me how little I had ever thought about communing with the saints throughout history in their worship of the Lord and how the worship of Him extends beyond those currently living on earth. The experience also reminded me that the worship of God extends beyond any geographical or language barrier. Close to half of the words spoken or sung were in Greek, which repeatedly kept me from minimizing God to the size of my American context. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

To be honest, one thing that I was reminded of over and over was my appreciation for Protestantism and the context in which I was raised. The Greek Orthodox Church – from my minimal experience with it – seemed to emphasize the Holiness and Supremacy of God well, while offering very little insight into His loving and relational nature. They seemed to reinforce religious disciplines while leaving the direction of the Holy Spirit and His work in the life of a believer out. I do feel that I often lack a fear of the Lord while coming into His presence, mostly because of a very limited understanding of his holiness; however, I have tasted the sweetness of His fatherly love and possess the fire that comes from being driven by the Holy Spirit. The Divine Liturgy, which is followed verbatim every week, emphasized works heavily and gave very little insight into the true gospel. I was reminded how much of a gift God’s nearness is and how heavy the yoke of striving to be righteous can be without the work of the Holy Spirit and an understanding of the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. 

Church Visit #1

Anna Bret Allen

The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrius

893 Church Road, Elmhurst IL 60126

October 4, 2015

Greek Orthodox

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

As soon as I walked into the doors of the church I knew that this experience was going to be far from any kind of worship experience I had been used to growing up and even now. The fragrant incense hit me like a brick wall, and I immediately realized that I was the only girl wearing a bright color, namely yellow, in the midst of women dressed in solemn black. It was similar to my church context as it had a choir, it was different though because the choir at my church sings two or three songs, and this choir was on duty nearly the entire service. It was similar to my church in that it served communion, but different in that the priest himself gave the people communion. It was similar to my church as scripture was read, but different because the majority of that scripture was read in Greek. It was similar to my church in that it had images of Christ, but different in that it many more images than my church does, as well as images of other saints, some of whom I could identify, some I couldn't.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

Hearing the word of God preached in a language different from my own is always a beautiful reminder to me of the widespread kingdom of God. Hearing it particularly in Greek was a new experience, and an appreciated one, as it led me to reflect on the fact that this was one of the original languages which proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. I was also amazed at how old and traditional the service felt, as opposed to modern churches that evangelicals attend today. I need to learn more about early church history, but it seems to me that the Greek Orthodox church hasn't swayed all that far from its original practices, while the western protestant churches seem to be in a much more constant changing and evolving process. I looked at the men and women around me and thought, "They worship the same God I do, but do it so differently! I wonder what they would have to say of me and my faith practices?"

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

During the service I found myself looking at the huge face of Jesus painted on the ceiling. I kept going back to it, and thinking about the image of Christ and how beautiful that is. I reflected on how God gave us artistic abilities, and so many have used it to paint the glory of the incarnation. As I sat in the service, often not knowing what was going on, I wasn't completely lost because I knew that these people and I had a common Savior. I also realized that the majority of what the priest was saying were prayers, and I reflected on how little I pray. I marveled at the beauty of a congregation who comes together for two hours to pray. This service led me to realize my need to reflect on the person of Christ and who he is and how glorious is his grace, and my need to pray and come before the Lord much more than I do, and in community with other people.

Emily Felty: Church Service 1

Emily Felty

Church Name: Assumption Greek Orthodox Church of Chicago

Church Address: 601 S Central Ave. Chicago, IL 60644

Church service date: 9/27/2015

Church Category: Greek Orthodox

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

The entire service lasted approximately 2 ½ hours, where the majority was dedicated to chanting in Greek, which was performed by three men reading from music stands. The priest either prayed over the melodic chanting or sang the prayer, which was read from scripture or a book. Sometimes the priest would translate his prayer into English. There was communion, after which the priest gave a fifteen minute sermon. After some announcements, the congregation was dismissed. The Baptist church I grew up never chanted/sung scripture. I felt like the main difference between this service and the services I usually attend was that the Orthodox Church gathering was centered on worship, whereas my church centered its service on the pastor’s message. Secondly, I am accustomed to services that are entirely in English. Thirdly, the building itself was ornately covered in images, statues, engravings, carvings, and paintings of Jesus and the saints. My church has little-to-no images like these.Lastly, my church meets in small groups first, and then congregates for corperate worship for only one hour. Overall, the Greek Orthodox Church service I attended was an extremely new and different experience.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

I primarily noticed the rich tradition behind the church service, which was emphasized by the fact that it was mainly done in a different language. There was art depicting scenes from the Bible, along with a reverence with which the book was handled; this reminded me of the fact that many people in the history of the church only had one Bible per community, were illiterate and looked to the artwork to understand it, and relied heavily on the tradition of apostolic succession for authority. The Nicene Creed was read at the end of the Scripture and prayer recitation, which dates back to the church fathers. I researched different churches to attend and noticed that all of them seemed to follow a similar format of worship, which is strange considering that every protestant church seems to operate and believe different things. It is interesting and comforting to think that around the Christian world, where diversity and individualism is encouraged, one can walk into a Greek Orthodox Church anywhere and have a similar experience.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

An impactful thing that I gathered from this type of service was the primary focus on reading scripture and worshiping God, rather than hearing a message or teaching. Spending approximately and hour and a half in worship personally prepared me to listen to the brief message at the end. I also thought it was beautiful that anyone could join the congregation and simply participate in actively listening to the worship of God, and in this worship God. I didn’t know what was being said usually and my mind did wander occasionally, but any even I could grasp the reverance of the worship just from listening. I feel that, as a Christain, it would be nice to walk into any service and not have to feel excluded because I don’t understand the church’s particular customs. The reading and recitation of scripture, along with communion reminded me of the seriousness of the sacrifice of scripture. The fact that the majority of the service was not in English and the recitation of the Nicene Creed was humbling and reverant because it reminded me of the sacrifuce and holiness of the church fathers and the church.

Hayes Thielman
The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrius

893 Church Road, Elmhurst IL 60126

October 4, 2015

Greek Orthodox

            The most surprising aspect of St. Demetrius’ service was the chanting done by the priest leading the liturgy. It seemed as if almost everything he said was transformed into song by the end of the sentence. On top of this, there was a choir, which would sing a phrase infrequently throughout the worship. Most people arrived late to the service. There were elderly people sitting in the front rows at the beginning, however most of the attendants would come in very late. Communion was done in a somewhat similar fashion to my home church, where the congregation processes down the isle to receive the elements from a priest. However, unlike my home church, the Greek Orthodox would serve communion to babies, going as far as to tip them upside down so that they could swallow the ladled bread and wine.

            I found it very interesting how cultural Church can be. What I mean by this is that all the attendants of St. Demetrius were of an olive complexion and dressed in suits, one could easily have picked me out of the crowd as being different. This also made me wonder how a Greek Orthodox might perceive a service at the Presbyterian Church I attend here. Would he call us all white people who do not dress up for the Lord’s day? As we were worshipping I realized the profound truth that these people are here for the same reasons I am at my home Church on Sunday. I do not mean for the same personal reasons, but historical. They are there because they believe in the ministry of Jesus, his divinity, and his work on the cross. Like me the Greek Orthodox are beneficiaries of  the forming of the Early Church. They have just as much, if not more, of a claim to Athanasius, Constantine, and his councils. (For the most part).

            The service made me more appreciative of evangelicalism. Liturgy is wonderful, deep, and well grounded, however I struggle with it being the whole service. I am a child of the reformation, so my opinion is obviously skewed, but I believe when you have the gift that is God’s word it should be adored and used as a believer in Christ. I am not saying the Greek Orthodox do not love God’s word, but I do ask the rhetorical question, when is there a better time to open than in fellowship with other believers after a time of praise? I did feel convicted by the use of incense in St. Demetrius, though I hate the substance itself, I think there is something beautiful about offering something to the Lord, that has no practical purpose but to adore him. It reminds me of the sinful woman in Luke 7 who “wastefully” anoints Jesus feet with alabaster. How can I translate this heart into my worship of the Lord?

-Hayes