Lydia Kang - Church Visit #3

Church Name: Saint Peter's in the Loop
Church Address: 110 W. Madison Street, Chicago 
Date attended: October 30, 2014
Church Category: Liturgical

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
Mass was the least similar from my regular context amongst the churches I went to for Church Visits this semester. Though it was not as foreign and confusing to me as my first Mass experience which was done completely in Spanish, it was still very different. I braced myself to feel uncomfortable as soon as I entered the sanctuary. There was a fountain of Holy Water right at the door, and, after watching several other people dip their pointer fingers into the water to bless themselves with the motion of the trinity, I did the same. I purposely sat in the back pews to better pick up on the customs and cues from the regulars in front of me. Obviously different in every way. I never cross myself, come in contact with Holy Water. I am unfamiliar with the recitations and liturgy. I am not used to kneeling during service.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
I loved how beautiful the sanctuary was. The high ceilings and the art that decorated the walls all around were amazing. It made me wish that my own church was more aesthetically pleasing. I could definitely see the value and impact of the aesthetics in creating a spiritual atmosphere and a personal emotional state of awe and reverence towards God. I do realize that it crosses that line of potentially allowing material objects to bridge experiencing God's glory and greatness when we should be able to do so without architecture and art. But then again, it did make me wonder if it was so wrong to use art and beauty as a form of worship. 

What did you find most disorienting of challenging about the worship service?
It was definitely uncomfortable to see people walk up to the shrines on the sides of the sanctuary and kiss each statue of Jesus, Mary, and other Saints. I saw people around me praying in front of the statues, rubbing the hands of Mary and Jesus and kissing each of them on the cheek. I knew that they probably didn't actually believe that the statue itself was actually Holy, or that it held the presence of God, but I could definitely say that it was personally problematic. I still have mixed feelings about it, especially because I did personally experience the value of worshiping in such a lavish, beautiful sanctuary (Felt more worshipful), which in a sense should technically be serving the same purpose as the statues and shrines all around.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?
I really admired the deep reverence of God that was constantly emphasized throughout the service. This didn't just come from the Pastors who led the liturgy and gave the message. I saw this in the whole body-- in every kneel, every motion of the trinity, and just all the customs in general. It was a constant reminder that I was in the presence of God and was a personal conviction of His greatness and holiness and how small I am in comparison to Him. I also liked that the whole service was centered around the communion. This is something that I realized was underemphasized in my regular context. In our regular evangelical setting and worship, we tend to make worship service all about ourselves and our individual needs. Did the message mean something specifically for me? Did I gain something from service today? Mass was so different. Everything was communal. Everything pointed directly back to God, and there was no question of who exactly was at the center. It was safe, almost no room for "error" if I can say so.