Daniel Puknaitis Church Visit #2

Church Name: St. Michael Catholic Church

Church Address: 310 S West Street, Wheaton, IL, 60187

Date attended: October 5^th, 2014

Church category: Catholic Church

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

The worship service I attended at this Catholic Church was something I have never seen before. My entire life I have been attending a non-denominational Church in which the worship service consists of songs I’ve heard on the Christian radio station, as well as playing with a full band. The first thing I noticed as I began to worship in this beautiful architectural building was hymns that everyone had memorized and sung together with no instruments behind them besides the massive organ. To be honest, I was a little freaked out by it and felt separated because I was not used to any of the customs that everyone around me was participating in. People would cite songs they memorized and would read from a pamphlet. In the church I went to the words were always on the screen projecting in front of the audience.

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

During the service I saw three younger children of different ages helping out the Pastor as he prepared different things throughout the entire service. The youngest of the three looked to be about 12 and the oldest looking about 16. This small group of three would help prepare many things for the pastor that included the preparation of incents, to handing him the giant red book he used to pray out off, to handing him different golden cups he would drink out of. These young adults were the pastors little helpers and were very serious the entire service.

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

The hardest part about this worship service was trying fit in most of the time. Many times I had no clue what I was suppose to do or say. Even though I was with a buddy who was catholic, I still felt lost within the whole service. Every church member knew what to say when to say it, whether it was from memory or in the packet in front of us. This made me feel separated from the church and the community around me. When visiting a church for the first time, I just want to blend in as much as possible.

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

            The actual theology and scripture they read from was actually very short after all the traditions were completed and followed through with. However, we did recite the Nicene Creed, which I was very glad I memorized and was able to recite. In my other churches I attend, we very rarely recited that as a church and very rarely recited passages or sayings together as a congregation. However one theology I did take away from this service was how I should confess my sins more often as well as recognize communion with God more often.