Anna Relph- Church Visit 2

Church name: Lawndale Community Church
Church address: 3827 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60623
Date attended: Oct. 4
Church category: Significantly lower socioeconomic demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

            The worship service I attended was similar to my regular context because of its emphasis on worship through music, prayer for people in the congregation, communion, and strong Bible teaching. It was obvious as well that this church intentionally fostered a familial atmosphere, which I am thankful to say is also very similar to the church context I come from. Prayer was one of the main avenues through which they did that, which was familiar to me. In my home church people also shared personal prayer requests in the service that were immediately prayer for out loud. This creates an environment where people are treated as they truly are; significant, and part of a community that loves them.

            Different from my context was the demographic of the church. The church context I come from is one from a higher socio-economic background. Here the church was more diverse, whereas I am from a church that was about half Caucasian and half Indian. Lawndale seems to have more of a mix of ethnicities, and primarily African American.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

            Most interesting about the worship service was the preaching. I am not comfortable in environments that are significantly different than the ones I’m used to. Honestly, I’m selfish and want to know I’m accepted BEFORE I enter in to a place that is new, particularly into a low socio-economic area when I come from so much privilege. Because of this, I find church to be more meaningful and truthful when I am in that context. When I am uncomfortable, or starting to learn of struggles of people from a different neighborhood, understanding who God is and how to work well in his kingdom with other believers is right in my face. If I’m happy, and safe, and feel loved, I don’t feel the urgency as much. Being somewhere new and challenging motivates me to pursue God’s truth with more fervor, and with more need.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

            Most challenging about the worship service for me was probably the context of the worship service. At one point the person doing announcements described the process of paying in installments for the upcoming Men’s retreat. In the church I grew up in, most people would probably have no problem paying that same cost out of their pocket, some of them with no blink of an eye. It was this small example, as well as the church being in Lawndale Community health Center, that was most challenging for me to think through. No, money shouldn’t be important, but in our current society, no having money makes for severe hardships. Being in such a loving and inclusive community, I obviously wish that no one in the church would have to deal with hardships that come from money not being there, or being in a neighborhood that involves extreme risks, particularly for little ones who can’t even escape the cycle.

           

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

            In the service, Dr. Darryl Saffore discussed the passage, along with many others to the same theme, “whoever wants to be my discipline must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.” This was especially salient in light of the CCDA conference being so close to the day I attended. The conference was still fresh on my mind, only being a couple weeks prior, to being at Lawndale Community Church and seeing the community from which CCDA began. At CCDA I was completely overwhelmed by the undertakings of believers who were facing huge, seemingly insurmountable social issues with humility and courage. Being in the gym and hearing Dr. Saffore talk about denying ourselves started to make some more puzzles pieces come together. If I’m actually serious about denying myself to the mission of Christ, if the church claims it’s dedicated to this work, then maybe it will not be so surprising to me when Christians take on the work like the work they do at CCDA.

Anna Relph- Church Visit 1

Church name: Faith Community of Saint Sabina
Church address: 1210 W 78th Place
Date attended: September 28^th
Church category: Different ethnic or racial demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

The worship service I attended was most similar to my regular context in its format. It began with music, followed with announcements, a special musical number was done, and then the preaching began. After the preaching was communion, which is similar to church contexts I’ve spent the most time in. This emphasizes its importance and is influenced and moved by the worship before it. Similar to the church I’d grown up in and similar to several music teams I’ve worked with, music was obviously very meaningful to this congregation. There was time, talent, and preparation put into it, symbolizing its ability to be a strong spiritual connector between congregants and God himself.

Several points were different than the environment I grew up in. Congregants at St. Sabina were primarily African American, which is different from my context. What stood out to me the most though was the female preacher we heard. In the church I grew up in, women were not at all allowed to participate in preaching, and not permitted to lead anything from the stage, certainly not the pulpit.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

            Most appealing was the passion that led each person leading the service, and the passion that was evident in the reactions of those sitting in the pews. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever hear a better rendition of “It Is Well” in my entire life. The atmosphere is one of energy and motion, and people are responsive to their leaders. When the preacher began, the passion behind her words was seen in the way she delivered what she had to say and the drive behind why she thought it was important. The service as a whole felt purposeful, and like it was a place people desired to be. If a church is welcoming in that way, and it feels like people are engaged in its mission, curiosity forms as to the message they are presenting.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

            A disorienting point about the worship service was the way that people worshipped. Challenging not because I thought it was wrong, but challenging because it was different than the environment that I was used to. As people worshipped, they seemed to be less self-aware, and more open than the seemingly emotion-less church context that I grew up in. I desire to feel more freedom and openness, but it makes me uncomfortable even still.

            In contexts where I am the minority, which don’t occur very often, I am constantly worried about how others perceive me. Imaginary questions arise; does she think she’s better than us? etc. It is hard to try to join sometimes a context like, as we’ve talked about in class before, you weren’t invited to. Wrapping my mind around the fact that solidarity as believers is more powerful than racial lines takes some work.

           

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

            In the service, the preacher talked about Proverbs 27:19, which ends with “so the heart of man reflects the man.” She spoke on honesty, and challenged the congregation to really think on whether or not we were actually engaged with the will of God. Her line that struck me the hardest was “God has already spoken”, which is true. The word is filled with commandments and promises of God; we really have no excuse not to follow them. Most interesting was that she spoke on this in reference to the education system, because she herself was an administrator in this context. She said “Children toady need hope, need that truth”, referencing God’s truth, salvation he gives through Jesus. This service illuminated the challenge to be honest about where I’m at following God’s truth, especially in the face of something as difficult as the public school system. So many places in our lives need truth and hope, and what am I actually doing about that?

Carter Harms- Reflection 2

Church Name: Rock of Our Salvation                     

Church Address: Austin

Church Category: Different Racial Demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

The worship service was fairly small and predominately African-American. Additionally, it started at 10:00am and went to 12:30.  As we walked to find our seats, I noticed that most of the people leading the service were black, except for a man who was sitting on stage and a woman who was singing. The service took place in a gym, with fluorescent lighting, and a banner hanging off the clear podium with the picture of the world. The musically portion of the worship was very different than my church background as it included corporate dancing, ten minute periods of repetition, and a faulty slideshow. However, the sermon was similar as it focused on the authority of scripture and the need to share the gospel with those around us.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

The most meaningful part for me was the conversation we had after the service in the cafeteria. The pastor spoke to us about the importance of breaking down barriers in our lives and principle of racial reconciliation that Rock was founded on. For me the most impactful part was the pastor telling us that we are all called to kingdom work and that brokenness exists everywhere, including the suburbs. This thought was not necessarily new to me, but his articulation of it gave words to something I had felt for a while. I look around the place I grew up and the town I go to college in and I long for racial reconciliation that goes beyond paying lip service to diversity.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

The length of the service was very challenging for me. My prior church experience was mainly services that would be somewhere between 50 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. In fact, people consider the church I attend now as having long services at 90 minutes. However, at Rock the service lasted from 2 hours and 30 minutes. I found myself a couple of times wondering when it would end. Additionally, the entire service was very unlike the neatly polished productions I am used to. The service had multiple songs and periods of praise that would last over ten minutes, and we were constantly making noise and standing up.

What aspects of scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

Rock church really illuminated the theology of diversity. Even though Rock was predominately black, about 20% of the audience was non-black. This was proportionally represented in who was on stage as well.  It was clear that diversity is a big part of what Rock is about from the pastor talking with us after and one of the white deacon’s prayers during the service. Both talked about the eschatological vision of all people and all tongues worshiping the one true God. However, the pastor also talked about how the need for diversity in the church comes down to love and the need for unity in the body. This was particularly impactful for me because this church in the middle of Austin has a lot of pressing need. However, they make diversity a priority, while my church seems not to care.  

Carter Harms- Reflection 1

Church Name: Lawndale Community Church

Church Address: Lawndale

Date Attended: October 5^th

Church Category: Lower socioeconomic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

After going to CCDA, a couple of us students wanted to go and visit the church that started the movement. We went to the second service and walking in I knew that it would a different experience than my home church, even apart from the fact that the majority of the congregation was African-American. First, the fact that it was in gym and not a manicured sanctuary was different. Second, to borrow a term from theatre, it was church in the round with the stage in the middle. Third, there was no light show/rock concert vibe like my church back home. Finally, there was a time for people to come to a mic and give either praise or a prayer. However, it shared some similarities with my church back home in Texas. Particularly, the service followed the same format with worship, prayer, and then the message. Also, the communion was served in the same way that my church serves it. 

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

I really loved the corporate time for prayer or praise. It was just so edifying to hear real stories of how God had meet people where they were at or how people were seeking Him in the midst of a rough period. I also really liked how it was done in the middle of the service. It reminded me about how church is not just pastors and worship leaders putting on a production for my spiritual benefit, but rather the church is the body of Christ that is called to support each other. I think the reason I liked it some much is because I think that it pulls of the mask of normalness that people can put on and reminds us of our need to be mutually dependent on God. At my home church, it can feel like people are always acting like everything is fine, or have to go to a dark room and whisper about any problems they have.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

I found the preaching was the most challenging part of the service. The week I went, the head pastor Coach was guest preaching at a different church in the city, so the message was given from another pastor. I found it hard to keep a receptive posture towards the message, because to me it felt like this pastor was putting on a show. He spent the first ten minutes just trying to get laughs out of the audience and talking about himself. While the crowd was receptive, I grew impatient with the theatrics and just wanted to hear a sermon. I started to realize that this was my type A personality rearing its head and I just needed to practice a little patience.

What aspects of scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

The aspect of theology that was brought out more clearly than my regular context was a theology of the church. Back at my home church in Texas the worship service is very one sided, with the worship leaders and pastor driving the worship. It reinforces an very individualistic approach to church as the service does not ask anything of the congregation. However, at Lawndale the service included a lot of participation by the congregation, especially during the time of corporate sharing. This highlighted the communal aspect of the church and how we are all to be members of the body, not just passive churchgoers

Christine Navin - Church visit #2

Church name: The Faith Community of St. Sabina

Church address: 1210 W 78th Place Chicago, IL 60620

Date attended: September 21st

Church category: Different Socioeconomic Demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

The mennonite church is fairly different from the catholic church in general. My church is also not a black church and does not have an especially charismatic pastor. However, this church wasn’t as structured as catholic churches generally are, and so perhaps in this way it was more like my own church. While there was variety in the dress of the attendees, many of them were dressed exceptional well, far better than my home church or even Uptown Baptist. This left me really unsure of where the members would fit on a socioeconomic scale. I understand that some cultures really stress dressing up for church, but with this being such a unique church, I also wondered if people perhaps commuted into the church. It should also be noted that according to a ‘hardship index’ released by the ‘City of Chicago’ website and based on census data, Uptown is placed at 20 and Auburn Gresham, home to St. Sabina, is at 74. Perhaps the quality of ‘sunday best’ is related more to denomination.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

I really did appreciate how active this church is, though I have no idea how effective they are. One thing that really stood out to me was that the worship truly seemed like a celebratory in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced before. They had a dance team helping to lead worship with the musical-worship team and it was beautiful. I also appreciated the enthusiasm with which Rev. Pfleger preached. I loved the beauty of the building, and though I appreciated the black depiction of Christ and the emphasis on the power of the name of Jesus shown in a neon sign, they did not fit aesthetically with the church building at all.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

The volume of the service was very distracting. If I attended St. Sabina’s regularly, I would wear earbuds. Catholic and high church services are often a bit disorienting to me, I never know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. This is less so since attending Wheaton, but it’s still fairly foreign. St. Sabina had some of these elements, but was actually less structured that Catholic churches are in general, and perhaps less than they are supposed to be.

There was also a very brief point in Rev. Pfleger’s sermon that left me very confused. His sermon was centered around Chicago and the conflicts in the middle east. He made a comment about how Christians don’t need to fear Muslims or Allah, and Muslims don’t need to fear Christians or Jesus, for it’s just Allah and it’s just Jesus. His theology might be okay, but after talking with Hayley afterwards, she too felt that he made it sound like Jesus isn’t the one true way. So, this was a very disorienting moment, but he moved on from it quickly. In the moment, I reassured myself that the catholic church wouldn’t allow him to stay if his sermons included heresies. I still am really interested to know what he’s full intentions were with that statement.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

His sermon was based on John 20:19, in which the disciples are described as hiding due to fear of crucifixion. He preached about how Christians shouldn’t be afraid and acting out of fear, but to act out of the courage of their beliefs and the power of the Holy Spirit. I thought this message worked really well in their context. He owned their place as part of God’s creation and kingdom; “this is God’s neighborhood,” he said. He encouraged his congregation to be a light in the darkness. I’m certain I’ve heard messages with similar themes before, but in this context, it held more meaning.

He also referenced problems in Chicago, Ferguson, the Middle East, and around the world, and said that we are to care about all of these issues. As the members of one family of God from Adam, “it’s all our problem.” While, I don’t think my church would say otherwise, it’s never been stated with such urgency. We might pray for some of these issues, but we would do little to actually change them. The mennonites, including my home church, are wonderful at providing “disaster services”. The mennonites in general do great work towards peacebuilding, but I’m not aware of my church ever working truly working towards peace in lasting, personal, hands-on way. St. Sabina at least addresses these problems, cares for victims, and is trying to take steps to fix our broken system.

Shyanne Bennett- Church Blog 2

Church Name: St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Missionary Church

Church Address: 2618 N Talman Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Date Attended: 10/5/14

Church Category: Ethnic

1.Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

            I attended a Coptic Church, which is Egyptian Orthodox. The vast majority of attendees were either Egyptian or Egyptian American. This is in stark contrast to the African-American church I grew up in. When I came into the service there was a baptism taking place. It was for a baby. The rest of the service centered on the Eucharist. Throughout the service the bread and wine that was on the altar was blessed. Incense was burned and liturgy was spoken. The congregation mainly participated in the service by standing up or sitting down at the appropriate times. Most people didn’t even read the liturgy aloud, that seemed to be the role of the twelve the bishops and the priest. This service couldn’t be more different from the church I grew up in, where there was minimal liturgy, charismatic praise and worship, plenty of call and response ,and an energetic sermon at the end.

2. What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

            I was surprised by how much I enjoyed taking communion at St. Paul. The entire service was centered on the Eucharist whereas in evangelical churches the service builds up to the sermon.  Throughout the service the bread and wine was blessed. In the last portion of the service we took communion. At first, I wasn’t sure if I could take communion since I am not a Coptic Christian, but the women next to me said I could as she handed me a white scarf to place over my head.  Barefoot, we approached the altar and let the priest feed us a piece of bread. As we turned away and chewed we held a white cloth up to our lips. I’m not sure what was the significance of the cloth, but it helped me to remember the importance of the sacrament as I chewed. We went back to our seats, more liturgy was read, and then got up to take the wine. This time as we went up a woman sang. It was the only time a woman’s voice was part of the worship service. It was such a beautiful experience taking communion at St. Paul, because even though I am not Egyptian or Coptic it reminded me that the blood of Christ has united us. They are all my brothers and sisters in Christ.

3. What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service? 

            Though this is fairly insignificant, I was disoriented by the heavy use of incense. At one point I felt like I could’ve gone into a coughing fit. It was so disorienting that I cannot remember what was the significance of the incense. I think they said something about it representing intercessions and casting out evil Spirits. However, I am not sure. Something that was more challenging for me was accepting the limited, almost non-existent role women played in the service. Only the priest and his twelve Bishops spoke throughout the service.  The Bishops ranged in age from young boys to middle-aged men. There were absolutely no women among them. The men had memorized some parts of the liturgy. This is good for them, but it seems sad that the women will not have the opportunity to be involved in the service to that capacity.

4. What aspects of scripture and theology did the worship service illuminate for you?

            First, I realized how much reverence taking communion demands. It is a holy sacrament. It is so important that Jesus himself instituted it.  In communion we are reminded of the price Christ paid to cover our sins, the unity we now have in Him, and the promise of his coming. It’s a ritual that demands that we reflect, repent, hope, and praise. It is central to our faith. I understand more why the Coptic Church would have the Eucharist as the center of their service. Second, the first passage of Scripture read during the service was 2 Cor. 1:1-14. It was about the afflictions and suffering Christians had suffered and how God will comfort them. Though it was not talked about explicitly, it was interesting reading those versus in the Coptic church since it has such a long history of persecution in Egypt. It is because of the persecution St. Paul exists in America. Third, it was interesting to see how much of the liturgy and the sermon explicitly referenced early Christian Fathers. It helped me to see how their thoughts and foundational philosophies still have a lot of relevance to my faith now.

Christine Navin - Church Visit #1

Church name: Uptown Baptist Church

Church address: 1011 W Wilson Ave Chicago, IL 60640

Date attended: September 7th 2014

Church category: Different Racial Demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

I actually visited this church during Urban Passage back in 2011, but remembering very little it, I decided to visit it again. The structure of the service was similar to my church back home. Obviously, the population was different. This church is majority black, but with a good number of whites and asians. This church is larger than my home church and the building is more elaborate. The worship team was larger. I’d say people were more physically into the music than my regular context, however I was surprised by the number of people who were just standing. Race and movement during worship were not at all connected. The sermon was definitely more of a ‘conversation’ than my church’s ‘monologue’. This church is also much more focused on embracing the diversity of the global church found, which is fairly well represented in Uptown.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

The one thing I remembered from the service I attended three years ago was the benediction. I suppose the churches I’ve attended do usually have them, but they were never called ‘benedictions’. But why UBC's stood out to me is that the head pastor sings the benediction. It's foreign to me, but still beautiful.

I loved the visual picture of the global church and the emphasis on the power of the name of Jesus. On the walls of the sanctuary are covered with banners, each with ‘Jesus’ written in a different language. They had four pillars in the front with words on them, representing pillars for the faith and this church, including prayer and discipleship. They look tacky, but as a visual person I still appreciated them.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

While felt very comfortable during the worship, perhaps more at home than I normally feel, when we sat down for the sermon, I felt a bit disoriented. This was primarily because of the ‘dialogue’ of the sermon. I sort of expected it, but I still felt out of place when it began. I found it especially interesting considering they had a guest speaker, a white southerner with a speech impediment. But this speaker expected a response from the congregation and the congregation gave it naturally.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

I really appreciate diversity in churches, I find it to be a refreshing glimpse of heaven. There just isn’t that much my home church can do about that in a rural area of a county that is 90% white. This isn’t new to me, but this church portrayed that better than most churches I’ve attended.

Uptown Baptist has a very clear neighborhood, my church does not. People travel to ‘Hope’, my home church, from all directions. The church was a 30 minute drive for me and I know people who had a similar drive from the opposite direction. We didn’t have common neighbors except for each other. So our understanding of loving our neighbors is very different than it is for UBC. We all come together and then go out into our various communities. While we should care for our neighbors in our individual communities, there’s something special caring of your common neighbors communally.