Interestingly enough, I’ve twice attended an interdenominational Christmas service in a Catholic church where they used incense. I’m not Catholic, so the first time they did the incense thing it was a little jarring. The second time I was expecting it.
My brother attends a good-sized local non-denominational church which means in a former warehouse building. The chairs have wire cup-holders on them. Suitable for the little bitty cup handed out with communion. Still, I had to laugh at my mother because the first time we attended church with him, it was communion Sunday, so we observed people placing their cups in the cup-holders, and followed their example, and Mom said how relieved she was to know what the little cupholders were for.
Yep. That be it. There’s a new kid in town, though - in lovely Palatine, and Elgin. Harvest Bible Chapel. Same deal - cops, traffic jams, buses - makes driving my husband to community service in Arlington Heights on Sunday sheer hell. It’s on NW Hwy by 53 - in a big old used to be warehouse. The one in Elgin is the old Safety Kleen plant on Randall.
Flutterby - The priest at my mother’s parish uses incense at many masses. It makes it difficult for my sister, who has asthma and allergies when Mother wants her to attend Mass at St. Pat’s for a special occassion (Mass said for my father, on the anniversary of his death, for example) because the incense can throw her into an asthma attack. My priest only uses it for certain holy days.
I haven’t gone to church regularly since I was a teen, but the last time I remember incense at any mass would’ve been the mid to late 80s and I think someone told me (or I overheard) that it was because of the people with allergies and asthma that they were no longer using it.
Flutterby - It probably wouldn’t be hard to find a parish near you that has a more traditional Mass, if you wanted to go. Last most things, the pendulum swings both ways, and parishoners are more traditional, except for the ubiquitous “Teen Mass” that most parishes have. I’m convinced that the aging boomers enjoy the music much more than the kids. Heck, nuns are even wearing habits again! (Our local Dominican order wears full, floor-length habits.
Near is relative when you don’t drive, and Sunday hours for the bus are hellacious, moreso if you add in changing buses (there’s only two churches within a one bus radius and only one is Catholic… and that one I don’t like).
If I really wanted to go, I would find a way, but I’m pretty lapsed and not sure what I believe anymore.
I do know I don’t like the rock n roll churches though. Went to one a few times with a babysitter as a kid and didn’t like it much even then.
I’m just an Episcopalian, but we do occasionally have incense – usually only on the big days, though. I belong to St David’s – I think it’s the oldest Episcopalian church still standing west of the Mississippi? (We’ve got one old wall, but still!)
I love that they ring the tower bells, too, and the bell choir is neat. And the cantor, oh, the cantor, and what an amazing singer he is. And…
…damn it, I miss my church. If I didn’t have to drive an hour one way to get there I’d be there every week.
Oy, these places, such grandiose buildings and hundreds of thousands of dollars of lighting, sound equipment and machinery, that it makes me wonder if it’s thier money or their god these people are worshipping.
If ever there was a way to seperate people from both their money AND their faith, this has GOT to be it.
Crap, missed the big Jesus the first go round. That thing is bitchin! I wonder if they hang messages between his hands like, announcing the bakesale and whatnot. I think you’d almost have to have the world’s largest ball of yarn, and a few spools around his hands for effect. Either way? Bitchin.
No, this is on the western edge of NE Ohio. It’s a Brethren church, and I don’t know if their attitude toward women is specific to this congregation or characteristic of the denomination as a whole.
I have heard their complex referred to (by non-members, of course!) as Fort God, the Vatican, and Waco North.
The “Fit for the King” thing always creeped me out, too. Yah, sure, my body is a temple and all, but…ick!
LittlePlastic Ninja, I was raised Catholic, and I love that incense smell, too! (In fact, for all your Episcopalian and Catholic incense addicts, my sister discovered a perfume that smells EXACTLY like that incense! It is positively freaky! I’ll get the name from her, if anyone is interested.)
If I didn’t have to drive an hour one way to get there I’d be there every week.
