T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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454.3 | | LEZAH::QUIRIY | | Mon Feb 20 1989 10:27 | 19 |
|
On Christmas eve, I like to go to midnight mass at Church of the
Advent in Boston. I'm sure I'd enjoy some of the (fancier) masses
held on other holy days throughout the year. I was raised RC and
lost faith round about the time they started to "modernize" -- this
coincided with adolescence, so who knows what the cause? Anyway,
Church of the Advent is Episcopal, of the type that is big on ritual
-- I feel like I'm being disrespectful in the way I'm talking about
this but I don't mean to be, I just don't know what the divisions
within the faith might be called -- and their celebration is familiar
to me, remeniscent of the old RC masses. I go for the ritual. I go
for the glitter. I go for the music, for the beauty of the church
and the flowers decorating it. It still feels mysterious to me, even
though these services are in English, and I think I loved that as a
child. It feels HOLY. I love the smell of the incense. There's
something calming about a church.
Christine
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454.4 | | GERBIL::IRLBACHER | Another I is beginning... | Mon Feb 20 1989 11:56 | 25 |
| RE:.3
Church of the Advent (I have yet to attend) is probably what is
referred to as "high church" since there is incense and the ritual
that goes with its use. That is only one of the things which sets
it apart from, say, Trinity at Copley. Both are Episcopal.
It has only been recently that at the 6 PM Sunday services at Trinity
that we "give the peace" to each other. It still isn't done in
the morning services because many simply think it annoying. Episcopal
churches run the course of very low--almost similar to a Methodist
service, to ultra high such as St. Stephen of the Incarnation in
D.C. where there are statutes of the Virgin and they have the
consecrated host on side alters at all times, and use rosary beads.
I agree with .3 that the ritual of the church has its own mystery
and beauty. And that, in part, is why I also attend. But as another
noter stated, it does give that short period of time where one can
concentrate on being with God and in"his house". And although I
know that one can be with God anywhere, it seems really special
to be amongst all that beauty and music.
Marilyn
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454.5 | because it makes my heart rejoice | CIVIC::JOHNSTON | OK, _why_ is it illegal? | Mon Feb 20 1989 12:03 | 17 |
| re.3 I think 'high church' is the term you seek for Church of the
Advent [irreverently dubbed 'Church of the Holy Smoke' by
the EDS seminarians in Cambridge]
I mourned when CofA stopped with midnight mass on Easter. Somehow
the Return of the Light isn't the same at sunrise...
For me the music, the ritual, and the discipline of mass is a Mystery
of affirmation.
I was born an Anglican, bred half Anglican half Roman, and remain
happy to call myself Catholic.
The rules and hierachies are, for me, dross. The message and the
mystery remain sublime.
Ann
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454.6 | they're everywhere | NOETIC::KOLBE | The dilettante debutante | Thu Feb 23 1989 19:05 | 23 |
|
Geese, another half anglican/roman catholic here. There must be a
bunch of us. I am not very religious in that I usually only go to
church when my quintet is playing but I am held by the religion
none the less for it.
I too was raised in a "high mass" Anglican church. The service is
almost indentical to the Catholic service. I perfer the ritual of
high mass, maybe it's cause my Father kidnapped me as a baby and
baptised me himself so that I would be baptised Roman Catholic.
It acutally acknowleges that on my Episcopal confirmation papers.
I hate so much of what the church/religions have done to
perpetrate hatered in this world but I find myself bound to it
regardless. I believe somewhat in an afterworld and the
possiblity of evil/good spirits. Of the Christian religions only
Catholic religions seem to give that validity with things like
exorcism and belief in saints.
I've looked at any number of belief systems and while I like Tao
intellectually my upbringing seems to keep me from it
emotionally. This may just mean that I've been well
indoctrinated. liesl
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