This afternoon I did something that I have never done before. During my lunch break I slipped into St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, NY and participated in their Ash Wednesday service.
For a few moments I was the only one there. It was so peaceful to sit there in silence surrounded by the vastness of the sanctuary. It truly felt like a sacred moment.
It also made me disappointed that, having been raised in a small evangelical church, I haven’t really attended very many big beautiful churches. There’s just something that feels “organic” about sitting in the midst of a large sanctuary constructed of wood and stone. It’s much nicer to look at stained glass and woodgrain than painted drywall.
Posted in: Faith
Heidi C
February 22, 2012
Oh, i envy you. i wish I had done something like that today since we aren’t having an Ash Wednesday service….I suppose I could go to St John’ s Lutheran tonight, it is right around the corner. St Paul’s looks beautiful. i love dark wood and stained glass and that hushed, holy feeling that comes over me in older churches.
Shane Bertou
February 22, 2012
It really is a beautiful church inside. So much wood!
I had never attended an Ash Wednesday service before. It’s actually only the second time I’ve ever attended an Episcopalian service. The first time I was too young to really remember much of anything. I enjoyed it. I didn’t do the ashes, I still have a ways to go before I’m comfortable with that. But it was nice to participate in the liturgy.