John Torppey- Church Visit 1
St. Joseph Catholic Church
230 N 3rd St. Grand Junction, CO 81501
Saturday March 26, 8:15 p.m.
There were many ways in which the church service was similar to my regular context. We sang hymns, which we do in my usual context. The seating was what I'm used to, as the seating consisted of pews. There was a sermon, which I am also familiar with. The entire service was structured in a manner not totally foreign to me. The differences were what caught my eye, though.
Because I attended the "Easter Vigil" service, the church was dark, which is obviously not the norm in my church or any church. In my regular church context, we stand up for the praise and worship at the beginning of the service, but then sit down until the closing hymn and benediction. In this service, however, there was what seemed like a continual stand up and sit down dance. Also, the Catholics like to kneel, which has never been a normal thing for me. Finally, I noticed lots of iconic images and depictions of Jesus, which I do not typically see. There were a lot of stained glass windows and little wooden figurines throughout the church.
Priestly honor was the Catholic element that stood out the most to me. It seemed like the priest was a level above the congregation. It was like the gap between the rich and the poor on steroids. The priest wears very fancy garments and has some special accessories. Images of Jesus was another Catholic aspect prevalent in the church. They sure love their sculptures. The church as a whole seemed very elegant, and there were lots of candles as well. People making the sign of the cross was also a huge part of Catholic theology that was present in the service, as this happened multiple times throughout the service, not to mention when people walked in and took their seats.
Other aspects of Catholic theology that I noticed were aspects not new to me. For example the focus on Scripture was important in the Catholic service, but that is an area that Catholics and Protestants do not really differ. Another thing was the reciting of the Creed.
One thing in particular was illuminated for me as a result of the Catholic church service. The constant cross symbols throughout the service illuminated the importance of the cross for me. It actually got me thinking about the work of Jesus on the cross and its significance, because without it (and the resurrection) we are not redeemed. I have been to services before where the sermon has been about the cross and how important it is, and perhaps this laid the foundation for my epiphany in this service. But I have never had an experience where constant implicit references have caused me to think about the cross and its significance. I think it is ironic that the cross and all it stands for was illuminated for me in this service, because I am sure many Catholics do not think so deeply about the cross most of the time that they make the symbol.
St. Joseph Catholic Church
230 N 3rd St. Grand Junction, CO 81501
Saturday March 26, 8:15 p.m.
There were many ways in which the church service was similar to my regular context. We sang hymns, which we do in my usual context. The seating was what I'm used to, as the seating consisted of pews. There was a sermon, which I am also familiar with. The entire service was structured in a manner not totally foreign to me. The differences were what caught my eye, though.
Because I attended the "Easter Vigil" service, the church was dark, which is obviously not the norm in my church or any church. In my regular church context, we stand up for the praise and worship at the beginning of the service, but then sit down until the closing hymn and benediction. In this service, however, there was what seemed like a continual stand up and sit down dance. Also, the Catholics like to kneel, which has never been a normal thing for me. Finally, I noticed lots of iconic images and depictions of Jesus, which I do not typically see. There were a lot of stained glass windows and little wooden figurines throughout the church.
Priestly honor was the Catholic element that stood out the most to me. It seemed like the priest was a level above the congregation. It was like the gap between the rich and the poor on steroids. The priest wears very fancy garments and has some special accessories. Images of Jesus was another Catholic aspect prevalent in the church. They sure love their sculptures. The church as a whole seemed very elegant, and there were lots of candles as well. People making the sign of the cross was also a huge part of Catholic theology that was present in the service, as this happened multiple times throughout the service, not to mention when people walked in and took their seats.
Other aspects of Catholic theology that I noticed were aspects not new to me. For example the focus on Scripture was important in the Catholic service, but that is an area that Catholics and Protestants do not really differ. Another thing was the reciting of the Creed.
One thing in particular was illuminated for me as a result of the Catholic church service. The constant cross symbols throughout the service illuminated the importance of the cross for me. It actually got me thinking about the work of Jesus on the cross and its significance, because without it (and the resurrection) we are not redeemed. I have been to services before where the sermon has been about the cross and how important it is, and perhaps this laid the foundation for my epiphany in this service. But I have never had an experience where constant implicit references have caused me to think about the cross and its significance. I think it is ironic that the cross and all it stands for was illuminated for me in this service, because I am sure many Catholics do not think so deeply about the cross most of the time that they make the symbol.
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