Chad Reitz-Church Visit 2

Church Name: St. Michaels Catholic Church
Church Address: 310 S West St, Wheaton, IL 60187
Date Attended: October 15 2014
Church Category: More or less liturgical

Describe the worship service you attended.  How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The worship service at St. Michaels was very different than what I am use to in my home church.  The worship service was lead by one person and the only instrument that was used was the organ.  The worship service was also different because the songs they sang were old hymns, in comparison to what I am use to which is a more current music that you could hear on a Christian radio station.  Also the worship at times was spoken at different parts throughout the song which was something that was unique and new from my previous experiences in other churches. Another thing that was interesting about the worship service was that the head priest would also sometimes lead us in song which was something that was very interesting to watch and observe because our preacher back home would sing during the service but he would never lead the whole congregation in worship like this priest did.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
Something that really interested me about the service was all of the answer and responses that went back and forth throughout the service.  With not being Catholic I felt left out because I didn't know what was taking place at certain times or what he was specifically asking.  Another area of the service that was interesting was the amount of times that we would get up and go back down on our knees to pray or just to listen to the priest talk.  Another area was that they take communion every week with a bread chip and watered down wine.  One other area that was very neat to watch was how when you leave or enter mass you put your fingers in the water and put it in your fore head and shoulder.  Another area that was unique was the priest talked out of some big red book for responses and certain preaching which was interesting to see.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the whole worship service?
The thing that I felt most challenging about the worship service was the readings and responses that were said throughout the course of the service.  Everyone knew the responses because of growing up in this mass or from just being Catholic.  I myself was confused because I was not sure what was taking place and felt left out.  Another thing that was challenging was the amount of times that we would drop to our knees gets back up then go back to our knees again, this was something I have never done before and it was challenging because I'm a bigger person so to squeeze between the pews was tough at times.  Another area that was disorienting was that the priest didn't really preach out of the bible this Sunday, he referenced it at times but never really preached directly from the word itself.  This was something that made me confused because I though all churches really went deep into preaching.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?
In the church service that I attended we referenced Psalm 80.  typically what I was told that priest would usually speak from a text in the Old Testament and then one from the New Testament.  This week like I said before the priest only referenced Psalm 80 but did not really preach from it.  He made claims on how God can restore us from whatever we ask of him.  He said that nothing we did is to much for God to fix or to restore in our life's.  He also said that we need to give everything over to God so that we can trust in him and his plan for each and everyone's life because Gods plan is better than ours.  The priest said that once we go and give our life's to Christ and trust in him that we are then his children forever and that nobody can pluck us from his hand in this world not even the devil himself can steal us from God.