Immaculate Conception Church Kelowna
Address: 839 Sutherland Avenue
Date & Service Attended: July 16th 2006 9AM Service
I have to admit that I was late here - I thought that the service started at 9:30, and arrived just after 9:20. Most of the church services I've gone to over the years, the sermon usually starts about 20 minutes in, so I thought I'd get most of it. However, those Catholics - judging by this service anyway - are an efficient bunch because by the time I got there, the sermon was mostly complete.
This was the first time that I'd been to a Catholic service, but I have several more to go to before completion of my experience, so I can live with being late in this instance.
Sermon: What I caught related to criticism. Take it seriously, but not personally.
Other parts of the service: Singing, various prayers, etc. People going up to the front of the church for something or other. Priest "snacking" as part of the service. (OK I know it's got some meaning, I just don't know what!)
My feelings/thoughts: A very traditional type of service; felt ritualistic - you were either on the inside of the club or not - and as a non-Catholic, I definitely was on the outside looking in. Everyone else "knew the code", but not me.
If you like a ceremony-filled type service, then this might be for you. I've never particularly enjoyed ceremonies of most sorts, and rituals and traditions don't hold that much appeal to me, so it wasn't really my sort of service.
Other things: No modern multi-media like many churches these days, but a much more traditional church building.
My own very personal ranking on the service and sermon overall: [Not Really for Me]
Religion: Christian
Denomination: Catholic
Size of Congregation: [Medium]
Primary demographic appearance: [Mix (above & below 40)to somewhat older ]
Was greeted/welcomed, made to feel welcome: I was late, but there was welcoming within the service itself.
Service Started: I'm going to assume that it was 9AM on the nose.
Service Finished: 10:05AM
Contact this church:
Phone: 762-3910
Web-links: Main church: http://www.catholic-church.org/icc/
Faiths Faces Kelowna
posted by Jay Walker @ 11:41 AM
2 Comments:
I have gone to Immaculate Conception a few times, and yes the first time seems weird if you've never been to a Catholic church. I went to a Lutheran church only untill I was seven years old and then nothing and I always enjoyed going. This church if you go regularly, you will notice is very routine and similar to Lutheran in the sense that the priest talks about the bible and you sing from the song book and the priest eats the communion bread with the wine(which is not snacking) and then everyone lines up to do the same. I really like this church. I find that most churches are very superficial, with the songs on the screen in front of you with the words popping up and the people holding up their hands while they sing. Not enough prayer time with the pastor just basicly talking about his own life and not the scriptor written in the bible and how to put that passage to use in eveyday life. The Immaculate Conception church is a traditional church with songbooks and teachings from the bible
Hi Jay, thanks for your blog on the Immaculate conception church. My wife and I went there this morning for the first time. We are considering switching to the Catholic church since so many of the protestant churches are allowing openly gay ministers, and watering down the teachings of Christ. The Catholic Church gave us the bible for one thing. The holy Eucharist is not snacking, but is one of the holiest parts of the mass, and Catholics believe that the wine and the bread actually become the blood and body of Christ, and not just a symbol of it. As a Christian, your comments about "Snacking" are a sign of your ignorance of Christianity as a whole. Christ said "do this in remembrance of me" which is a commandment, not a suggestion.
I was disappointed in the music at this church. There was a mediocre song leader, who hadn't done his preparation. He strummed acoustic guitar like a beginning guitar student, on songs that should have complex and beautiful organ or piano accompaniment. There was no choir. All of the Churches I've been to have some of the worst church music I've heard in North America. I am a full time professional musician, so perhaps I judge that part of the service more critically. There were people of all ages there, and I was impressed with the amount of young people, and the number of children present. I've been part of the music ministry in various churches, in the USA, Classical, contemporary and Black Gospel, and it's sad to see the low quality of church music in Canada. But all that aside, I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will guide this church and make it grow. Our mission is for the salvation souls and not to conform to the evil ways of this world, May God be glorified.
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