Lover of the penitent
Show your mercy in our day.
This pure incense, Lord, accept,
that these priestly hands now raise,
as gifts by the faithful of your Church
to atone and praise.
And as you received the ram
sacrificed by Abraham,
And from Aaron's hands
Sweet perfume from distant lands.
Lord, receive this incense, which, we pray may win,
mercy and release from sin.
Maronite Incense Qolo
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.