Church Visit #1 - Significantly More Liturgical
Paek, Philip– Church Visit #1
Church name: College Church
Church address: 332 E. Seminary Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187
Date attended: February 9, 2014
Church category: More liturgical than the Churches I attend/grew up in
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
I attended a worship service that was a lot more conservative than what I expect out of a church. It stuck more to hymns than the contemporary worship services than I am normally used to and was led by organ rather than a praise team. I walked in and was ushered in towards an open seat by some ushers and the service began. Normally being able to walk into service to praise led by a praise band of guitars, keyboards, and drums, I walked in awkwardly and looking at the program, opened up the hymnal provided and proceeded to find the right verse we were singing. The rest of the service was filled with scripture readings and a lot more call and response style readings and prayers than I was used to. While the scripture readings at my current church is read by one representative, it was interesting to be expected to stand and read along with the congregation.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
The thing I found most interesting was the organ which led the congregation to worship in a church sanctuary. I found it very different from the almost laid-back style of modern churches which sometimes meet in college auditoriums or gymnasiums or such which I have been limited to in one of the churches I visited in the past year due to lack of venue and was reminded of the tradition and rituals that some churches abide by. It felt very traditional as the entire room reverberated because of the organ and you felt the hollow tunes ring through your body as you sang in unison with the congregation. The sights and sounds were all more traditional and conservative and I was reminded of the importance of even the venue in reminding me of the role of the building that I wasn't just in some room but was at church to worship.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
The words recited were a bit challenging for me to follow in the sense that it just seemed dry and monotonous in some ways. I felt that I was being limited to the rules of the church and my hands were bound to the hymnal I was holding instead of being able to raise them towards God and sing praises. A part of me felt bound even by the very melody that was restricted to the words of the hymns as I wasn't able to sing freely and harmonize in ways that I liked to worship naturally. The church for me was also very white, and despite the Korean couple that walked up front with their child during the infant dedication portion, it still felt very monotonous even in the racial makeup of the church and made me feel more bound to trying to fit into a tradition as well as a churc that was not my own.
What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?
As much as the monotony of the entire service was a bit challenging for me. This service illuminated it in a way that was simultaneously eye opening as much as it was challenging and uncomfortable. In times where I felt that I didn't have the right words of prayer or expression, it was nice to be able to say and really mean the words that were being said in the room. In addition, it made me think more about the words being said, as I carefully thought about the statements of faith I was making as I was reciting scripture or singing songs, giving me a whole new dimension of both scripture and worship. It made me view scripture and the Bible as a book more sincerely as well as approach worship with more regard to the lyrics than just the emotion and the relationship with God.
Church name: College Church
Church address: 332 E. Seminary Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187
Date attended: February 9, 2014
Church category: More liturgical than the Churches I attend/grew up in
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
I attended a worship service that was a lot more conservative than what I expect out of a church. It stuck more to hymns than the contemporary worship services than I am normally used to and was led by organ rather than a praise team. I walked in and was ushered in towards an open seat by some ushers and the service began. Normally being able to walk into service to praise led by a praise band of guitars, keyboards, and drums, I walked in awkwardly and looking at the program, opened up the hymnal provided and proceeded to find the right verse we were singing. The rest of the service was filled with scripture readings and a lot more call and response style readings and prayers than I was used to. While the scripture readings at my current church is read by one representative, it was interesting to be expected to stand and read along with the congregation.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
The thing I found most interesting was the organ which led the congregation to worship in a church sanctuary. I found it very different from the almost laid-back style of modern churches which sometimes meet in college auditoriums or gymnasiums or such which I have been limited to in one of the churches I visited in the past year due to lack of venue and was reminded of the tradition and rituals that some churches abide by. It felt very traditional as the entire room reverberated because of the organ and you felt the hollow tunes ring through your body as you sang in unison with the congregation. The sights and sounds were all more traditional and conservative and I was reminded of the importance of even the venue in reminding me of the role of the building that I wasn't just in some room but was at church to worship.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
The words recited were a bit challenging for me to follow in the sense that it just seemed dry and monotonous in some ways. I felt that I was being limited to the rules of the church and my hands were bound to the hymnal I was holding instead of being able to raise them towards God and sing praises. A part of me felt bound even by the very melody that was restricted to the words of the hymns as I wasn't able to sing freely and harmonize in ways that I liked to worship naturally. The church for me was also very white, and despite the Korean couple that walked up front with their child during the infant dedication portion, it still felt very monotonous even in the racial makeup of the church and made me feel more bound to trying to fit into a tradition as well as a churc that was not my own.
What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?
As much as the monotony of the entire service was a bit challenging for me. This service illuminated it in a way that was simultaneously eye opening as much as it was challenging and uncomfortable. In times where I felt that I didn't have the right words of prayer or expression, it was nice to be able to say and really mean the words that were being said in the room. In addition, it made me think more about the words being said, as I carefully thought about the statements of faith I was making as I was reciting scripture or singing songs, giving me a whole new dimension of both scripture and worship. It made me view scripture and the Bible as a book more sincerely as well as approach worship with more regard to the lyrics than just the emotion and the relationship with God.
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