I am a member of Heartland Ringers, a community handbell choir. The group originally came from Stanley Presbyterian, but now practices at Valley View United Methodist, my church. Members are from about six different churches. Every year, usually Epiphany Sunday or sometime in January, we play for the 5:00 Saturday service at Good Shepherd Catholic Church. (Their Director of Music and our director are friends.) I am so uninformed about Catholic ways, although I am getting better. We play four songs, Prelude, Special Music, Communion, Postlude. We are positioned in the choir loft at the very front of the church where everyone can see us, and that is important to this story. The first tme that I played there, after the Prelude, we were standing there during the part of the service where they bring the elements forward and the blessing. Father Old Guy was flinging that incense stuff around and gave a couple of extra flings toward the Presbyterians and Methodists in the bell choir. In a few minutes, I whispered to my neighbor, "Is something burning? Are the lights overheating?" People started discreetly looking around at the lights and sniffing. Finally, our director turned around and said, "Cleta, it is the incense!" Oh.
