A Non-Believer in Church: St. Peter's Episcopal at Oxford
As a college student, the end of the semester is good about throwing me off of my regular routine, but I found some time to visit St. Peter's Episcopal Church here in Oxford. This was my first time inside of an Episcopal church so once again I am asking any readers who are familiar with this denomination to elaborate in the comments. The service was so wrapped in symbolism that I felt completely lost.
I attended the 5:30 PM service of the Holy Eucharist, which is designated to fit into the busy schedules of local college students. There were about 50 people in attendance. Nearly all were college students wearing typical college student garb. The music was the best that I've heard in any church visit yet. The music at The Orchard was good, but felt mass produced. The music at First Free Will Baptist was country folk singing at the top of their lungs. Here we had a small band of mostly acoustic guitars and a violinist playing a set of honest and beautiful songs. If I could get a CD of this small band, I would.
Most of the service was foreign to me. The services began with a procession of people in white robes holding various holy relics like a Bible or a Cross. I did not understand a single action of the minister. He had a metal ball that produced smoke that he started swinging at a candle. There is a deeper symbolic reference here I'm sure, but I've read the Bible from cover to cover and must have missed the references to a metal ball, the smoke, and the candle. There was part of the service where everyone recited a prayer while staring at a stain glass window of Jesus . There were parts where we were requested to kneel during a prayer. At another point, the assistants brought all of the holy relics to the center of the auditorium while the minister produced a lot of smoke from his metal ball and began reading from the Bible. Like the Presbyterian service, the congregation recited the Nicene Creed, and many did it from memory. I felt uncomfortable (and very weirded-out) for not understanding any of the symbolism.
The minister asked everyone to greet those sitting around them. When people shook my hand, I made the mistake of saying "hello." The word of these people was "peace." I began to stick out.
The minister's sermon was on the ascension of Christ which takes place in Acts Ch. 1, but aside from reading the passage, he didn't use any scripture to support his lesson. His message was that Christ meets you regardless of how strong your faith is. (My faith is nil, so I'm curious how far Jesus has to stretch to reach me considering that I don't believe him to be divine.) He wanted everyone in attendance to act in a manner which is "countercultural and foolish for your faith." To some extent, I can agree. He wanted the people to practice peace. Peace is certainly counter cultural, but it is not foolish, and peace is good whether it is done in the name of your faith or not.
Near the end of the service, the minister prepared the communion with a series of elaborate actions involving two cups sitting on a table. All of these actions had a symbolic meaning but it was all lost on on me. Like the Presbyterian service, communion was served by everyone coming to the front of the auditorium to receive it from the minister. Again, I felt like an oddball for being the only person who remained in the pew during communion. In a group of 50, it was not hard to spot the new guy.
The service concluded when the minister asked everyone to go outside for a group picture. Everyone was dismissed and began talking in the front of the church. I stood on the front lawn for about five minutes wondering if anyone would at least greet the new guy, but no student did. The minister spoke up, "We have a visitor!" He just might be the nicest guy in the world. He asked me, "So which parish are you from?" I told him how I was visiting in order to experience an Episcopal church service and he told me about the church website and invited me to the group dinner for all students after the service.
Aside from conducting a very peculiar service and being forced to work with college students who are too scared to say "hello", the minister made me feel welcome.
Tags: Oxford, Mississippi, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Episcopal, college students, bible, church, atheist, communion, minister
I attended the 5:30 PM service of the Holy Eucharist, which is designated to fit into the busy schedules of local college students. There were about 50 people in attendance. Nearly all were college students wearing typical college student garb. The music was the best that I've heard in any church visit yet. The music at The Orchard was good, but felt mass produced. The music at First Free Will Baptist was country folk singing at the top of their lungs. Here we had a small band of mostly acoustic guitars and a violinist playing a set of honest and beautiful songs. If I could get a CD of this small band, I would.
Most of the service was foreign to me. The services began with a procession of people in white robes holding various holy relics like a Bible or a Cross. I did not understand a single action of the minister. He had a metal ball that produced smoke that he started swinging at a candle. There is a deeper symbolic reference here I'm sure, but I've read the Bible from cover to cover and must have missed the references to a metal ball, the smoke, and the candle. There was part of the service where everyone recited a prayer while staring at a stain glass window of Jesus . There were parts where we were requested to kneel during a prayer. At another point, the assistants brought all of the holy relics to the center of the auditorium while the minister produced a lot of smoke from his metal ball and began reading from the Bible. Like the Presbyterian service, the congregation recited the Nicene Creed, and many did it from memory. I felt uncomfortable (and very weirded-out) for not understanding any of the symbolism.
The minister asked everyone to greet those sitting around them. When people shook my hand, I made the mistake of saying "hello." The word of these people was "peace." I began to stick out.
The minister's sermon was on the ascension of Christ which takes place in Acts Ch. 1, but aside from reading the passage, he didn't use any scripture to support his lesson. His message was that Christ meets you regardless of how strong your faith is. (My faith is nil, so I'm curious how far Jesus has to stretch to reach me considering that I don't believe him to be divine.) He wanted everyone in attendance to act in a manner which is "countercultural and foolish for your faith." To some extent, I can agree. He wanted the people to practice peace. Peace is certainly counter cultural, but it is not foolish, and peace is good whether it is done in the name of your faith or not.
Near the end of the service, the minister prepared the communion with a series of elaborate actions involving two cups sitting on a table. All of these actions had a symbolic meaning but it was all lost on on me. Like the Presbyterian service, communion was served by everyone coming to the front of the auditorium to receive it from the minister. Again, I felt like an oddball for being the only person who remained in the pew during communion. In a group of 50, it was not hard to spot the new guy.
The service concluded when the minister asked everyone to go outside for a group picture. Everyone was dismissed and began talking in the front of the church. I stood on the front lawn for about five minutes wondering if anyone would at least greet the new guy, but no student did. The minister spoke up, "We have a visitor!" He just might be the nicest guy in the world. He asked me, "So which parish are you from?" I told him how I was visiting in order to experience an Episcopal church service and he told me about the church website and invited me to the group dinner for all students after the service.
Aside from conducting a very peculiar service and being forced to work with college students who are too scared to say "hello", the minister made me feel welcome.
Tags: Oxford, Mississippi, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Episcopal, college students, bible, church, atheist, communion, minister
12 comments:
Sounds like an interesting experience. I think I would have been thrown by the college student crowd, simply because I would not have been expecting that.
I know fairly little about the various denominations, but what you describe sounds more Catholic than Protestant.
An Episcopalian friend of mine once described his church as "Catholic Lite" due to the ability of the clergy to marry and other aspects.
Cool stuff. The Wife is an Episcopalian so I’m somewhat familiar with their services having gone with her on a few special occasions. One thing to note is that every Anglican church I’ve ever heard of is basically as liberal and open minded as you can get. I, as an out-of-the-closet-atheist, have never felt uncomfortable or out of place there. In fact, you can just sit during the whole service if you like. No one will take a second glance if you don’t kneel or recite or take communion. At least no one has ever made a big deal about me not joining in. My wife’s priest even signed the Clergy Letter Project supporting evolution.
I know about some of the relics you described. The smoking ball is incense. No Biblical significance that I know of, just tradition. I forget the name of it, but the big staff that the guy who walks in front of the priest carries was originally used to literally beat the teaming masses out of the way so the priest could get by.
You’re experiences are just what I’ve had and not unexpected. In fact, I personally know a few atheists and agnostics who are members of Episcopalian churches just for the fellowship and community. Plus, as you mentioned, the music and symbolism really is beautiful. If you get a chance, I highly recommend going on Good Friday and Easter Morning. The Good Friday (when Jesus was "killed") service is all somber and dark. Everything in the church draped in gray and black with slow, mournful music and dirges. Then you go into the Easter service, often held right at sunrise, and it’s all bright colors and the procession is lead by trumpets blasting victory music. Powerful stuff.
I was raised Episcopalian and all of this sounds like what I remember. The churches I went to as a kid only did the incense on special days (christmas eve). Your description sounds very familiar and comfortable to me, but hearing it described by someone who this is foreign to was fascinating.
I agree with Butch in that if you don't actively participate, most people won't say anything. The last time I went to church with my mother (in the church I grew up in and where she is the church administrator), no one said anything when I didn't take communion or recite the passages in the prayer book.
"I've read the Bible from cover to cover and must have missed the references to a metal ball, the smoke, and the candle."
Really? You must have missed this;
Exodux 30:- 7 "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come."
and maybe,
Revelation 5: - 8 "And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
and perhaps,
Revelation 8: - 3 "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake."
See, these passages are within the covers of bibles, and they mention censers (the little balls) and candles, and incense, etc.
Some on down to Atlanta and I'll take you to a Catholic Latin Mass - lots of fun!
Aquinas Dad-
Hello. Thanks for enlightening me with those verses. If I had known what a censer was, I would have not made those ignorant statements in my post. After that service, I spent some time googling "episcopalian metal ball" and "catholic metal ball" and turning up nothing. Your post definitely sheds some light on what I saw during that service.
Next time I pass through Atlanta, I'll look you up.
Anglicanism, as the "Via Media" (middle way) between Puritanism and Catholicism, enjoys broad latitude in its worship. The church you attended was a High church: smells and bells, capes and drapes, chants and chimes.
I'm an atheist Episcopalian; I continue to attend for social reasons. I've been something of a liturgist in my time, so I think I can explain a few of the things you saw.
The procession goes back to Roman times. Everybody loves a parade, particularly hierarchies. There's a crucifer carrying a large cross, a couple torchbearers with candles, a thurifer carrying the thurible (the incense ball you mentioned), choir, subdeacon, deacon (holding the book of the Gospels), and last and most importantly, the celebrant (priest).
The big candle is the Pascal Candle. It's a special candle consecrated for use at the Great Easter Vigil, and represents Christ, the Light of the World. Note the Alpha and Omega symbols.
I'm surprised no one opened a Book of Common Prayer for you. All of the principal liturgies of the Episcopal church are found in there, along with historic documents such as the various creeds, the 39 Articles, and others that describe what Episcopalians believe.
"Hello" and a handshake are perfectly valid during the passing of the Peace.
The elaborate actions involving two cups are a stylized recital of Jesus' Seder, his Last Supper. Bread and wine are prepared, a blessing invoked, prayers are said, and the Communion is distributed. The Episcopal church celebrates an open Communion - all baptized Christians are welcome. There's a movement in some liberal circles that it should be made available to all without exception, and in practice no one checks, but strictly speaking a non-believer should refrain out of respect to believers. Just stand or kneel until Communion is distributed.
It is said that, while it is not necessary to be an Anglican to be saved, no gentleman would want to do it any other way. I'm glad you found it an enjoyable experience.
Nice description of the "bells and smells" of a "high church" Episcopal mass. They are often more ritualistic than the Roman Catholic Church. A knowledge of the symbolic meaning is useful but not required. Anglicans jump up and down a lot - they stand to praise, sit to be instructed , and kneel to pray.
"the assistants brought all of the holy relics to the center of the auditorium while the minister produced a lot of smoke from his metal ball and began reading from the Bible" --This is where a portion of the Gospel is read, and the procession into the congregation is symbolic of bringing the word of God to the people and not just locking it up behind the alter rail.
The sameness of the ritual is a counterbalance to the variability of the sermon. If the sermon is bad you can always meditate your way through the ritual.
I know this an old post, but I was so tickled by it . . . Understanding the symbolism makes a big difference, doesn't it? If the "faith" thing doesn't come easily or isn't there at all, understanding the service on a symbolic level can bring meaning to the experience whether you believe in the divinity of Christ or not. If you take a psychoanlytic perspective, Christ represents the archetype of the self - the ideal self that we all strive to become. This is true whether we see Christ as the Son of God, or as a son of god (if you will), so communion, where we are becoming one (communing) with the blood and body of Christ, which is what the wine and wafer symbolize, is just a symbolic gesture of our desire to become more like our best selves.
The "big staff" - isn't that the crozier, or is o the bishop the only one who can carry that? How horrifying that it ended up getting used to whack people out of the way, but dsiscouragingly typical, people being all too human . . . here's the symbolism: it's basically like the crook a shepherd carried to keep his sheep from going astray. get it? But especially when you couldn't just kind of edge them back in with the rest . . . think about when you have to use the hook because a jackal is going to eat them or has fallen into the river and you can't just reach in a grab a sheep or lamb and pull them to safety. So the crozier is the symbol of the bishop's responsibility for leadership and safety of his flock; yes there's some paternalism there, but I've always felt that the sense of community could be permitted to outweigh that if I let it. The crozier is kind of a personal symbol for me, for whatever reason and it conveys a sense that we're all in this together as well, since the guy or woman holding the crozier is clearly not substantially different from the rest of us - just has been given a big job or maybe holding that crozier for someone else. Depends on how you look at it, I guess. So others might see it as paternalistic, but I always saw it as actually levelling the playing field, which is probably blasphemy, but that seems to be how my unconscious mind works.
So that's a different way to look at what happens during the a church service. And of course there's more . . . Don't even get me started on the symbolism of Baptism and the whole Fishing thing - Some people go to church because they want to experience the Divine (as an agnostic, I have no idea whether there is such a thing!), others because they want deeply personal or numinous experiences. The latter is within everyone's reach.
Lady Aberlin
P.S. It's possible that you just didn't murmur softly enough during the sign of peace and that was why people looked at you funny during the sign of peace. That can happen and is the source of numerous Episcopalian jokes. I must say it's sounded rather tactless of the priest to ask what parish you were from, because it's usually pretty obvious when somebody who isn't Episcopalian or is, but hasn't been to Church in a while come is because it's hard to fake knowing where you are in the service; I've been there myself. Not what I would expect in an Episcopalian Church, actually. Quite a disappointment.
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