Church name: Holy Angels Parish
Church address: 180 S Russell Ave, Aurora, IL, 60506
Date attended: 1 November 2015
Church category: Tridentine Mass
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
After I went to Latin Mass early in the morning, I also went to the church I regularly attend in Wheaton. The contrast was striking. I noticed how both services had a very specific structure to the service that was built on traditions. However, the traditions related to the order of service in the Mass have a much longer history than the "traditions" of the worship service of the small baptist church I attend. For example, the liturgy of the mass service recalls centuries of church history. In comparison, my church in Wheaton has recently (this fall) incorporated the tradition of having a child from the congregation light a candle, symbolizing the presence of God among us, at the beginning of the service. While sitting in the Tridentine Mass, I was slightly overwhelmed by the speed at which the service went by. While I followed along with the order of service which outlined everything the priest was saying, both audibly and silently, I found that the theologically rich text was difficult to follow, both because of the language difference and the fast pace of the service. The priest spent much of the service with his back to the congregation, facing the altar, contrasting my usual expectation of the pastor/priest leading the congregation by facing them.
How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?
While I have visited church services in languages I do not understand, I was reminded during this church visit of the many difficulties that arise when the church does not communicate the truth of the Scriptures in the language of the people. The rich theology of the mass can easily become habituated traditions, essentially divorced from their meaning. At the same time, I was challenged by the way in which the Latin Mass ties the worship service to a piece of the history of Christianity. There is a sense of continuity in hearing the Kyrie, Gloria, and other sections of the mass in Latin. It was interesting to hear these Latin phrases that I have so often sung and heard, especially in sacred choral music. It gives a new weight to singing these parts of the Latin Mass as it provides such an embodied connection to the history of the church in the West.
How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?
The experience of participating in a Tridentine Mass challenged my assumption that participating in worship requires my complete comprehension of the truths being proclaimed. This experience made me consider the concept of faith seeking understanding in new light. I think Protestant traditions can tend to undervalue the inherent power of God's Spirit at work among His people through the proclamation of His Word. While it is important to be open to the work of God, human stubbornness will not prevent the fulfillment of God's will. Another aspect of the service that stood out to me was the sermon which related to prayers to the saints. The priest gave the homily in English and, because it was All Saints' Day, he spoke about how living believers can relate to the saints. Listening to his sermon reminded me of how foreign the language and concepts of Protestantism must seem to those outside that tradition. It was a good reminder that the language and theology of Evangelicals and Protestants are learned and not intuitive. This should increase sympathy and humility in me as I converse with others who have strikingly different ways of talking about and relating to God and His people.
No comments:
Post a Comment