Samuel Lee - Church Visit #1

Samuel Lee – Church Visit #1

Church name: Saint Peter & Saint Paul Orthodox Church

Church address: 6980 County Line Road, Burr Ridge, IL 60527

Date attended: Saturday, October 1, 2016

Church category: Orthodox

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

The worship service at the orthodox church was all done by singing: the scripture, liturgy, and creeds. While the singing made it difficult to understand what was being said, it was quite beautiful. The service itself was very immersive to all my senses: the singing in my ears, the beautiful illustrations and stain glass to see, the smell of incense filling up my nose. It was similar in the sense that the Presbyterian church I grew up in used liturgy in the service, but the orthodox church took liturgy to another level. The sign of the cross was done in every mention of the trinity and the congregation was required to face the bells and incense as the priest holding it walked around the sanctuary. It was a very different service in almost every way to what the tradition I have grown up in. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

The worship service illuminated that there are very different practices and traditions that still exist in the contours of global Christianity. The worship service also illuminated the catholicity and unity of the church. While the members of the congregation next to me were not engaging in practices that I engaged in in my church, we were still united in the context of global Christianity. The words that they spoke were not any different from the words spoken in Wheaton College’s chapel, albeit in a different tone. Many of these traditions such as the use of incense, bells, and singing the liturgy were done in the earlier eras of Christianity. The service truly transported me back to another era because of these practices. The service reminded me that “Christianity” has looked drastically different through the ages and that my protestant context of worship is not the only way of worshiping God. 

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian? 

Honestly, in the beginning, as an evangelical protestant not familiar with the orthodox church, I felt uncomfortable. However, as I absorbed the sounds and the smells of the service, I slowly began to love the corporate worship. I felt that I was a part of the congregation as I moved with them, said the Apostles’ Creed with them, and prayed with them. It was refreshing to see that people were connecting with Christ in a radically different way from what I was used to. Their emphasis on the saints and the liturgy was also refreshing. The parish’s mission statement was not that different from that of many evangelical protestants but the way they fulfilled their mission was drastically different. While I appreciated the different practices, I became more aware of my practices and why I did them. At times, the liturgy did seem dry and there was limited participation from the congregation. The service was a reminder that rituals can often take away from someone’s personal identity as a Christian and lose the essence of Christ.