Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: NYer
My husband's very first encounter with a Very High Anglican church involved incense . . .

This was many years ago, when we were just married. He had been raised Methodist although his mom is Catholic (she married a Methodist minister's son), but there was a Very High Anglican church just around the corner from our little apartment in Virginia Highlands, and I persuaded him to walk over for Easter.

He was already in shock from his encounter with the holy water font and the Lady Chapel . . . then the processional hymn started, and here came the thurifer amid clouds of smoke. As an additional wrinkle the thurifer/altar server was blind and was being led by another altar server with one hand on his shoulder, the other swinging this large smoking thurible . . . the congregation sort of flinched on every swing.

I was surprised that my husband ever darkened the door of an Episcopal church again . . . and now here he is Catholic.

Our church uses incense on high holy days - especially during the Easter Triduum, you can't see across the sanctuary.

12 posted on 07/22/2004 6:12:07 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother (. . . Ministrix of ye Chace (recess appointment), TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies ]


To: AnAmericanMother

My Anglo-Catholic parish uses incense during Holy Week and the other usual notable Sundays, and we've got one altar server who fires it up whenever he serves because, frankly, he likes it. Swings that thurifer around, too. The choir keeps egging him on to try a 360 when he incenses the congregation, but he hasn't gone for it yet. When Charlie gets the incense going, we in the choir are thankful that the new windows (that open a lot easier and wider than the old ones) were put in behind us.


13 posted on 07/22/2004 6:41:22 AM PDT by RonF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson