Justin Lovett – Church visit 2

Church Name: Hahn-In Christian Reformed Church

Church address: 2445 28th St SW, Wyoming, MI 49519

Date attended: March 23, 2014

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 the English service of a Korean church. The Korean speaking service was upstairs. Our service was small. There were probably around 60 people in this service. Most of them were young Korean students from Calvin College. The service started with about 4-5 classic contemporary Christian songs, and then the pastor preached. His sermon was exegetical. He finished preaching promptly on time and then we had an offering. After the service, the congregation from the Korean service and our group went into the gym. We set up tables and then ate soup together. Both congregations combined equaled about 360 people.

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

            I found the meal the most interesting and appealing part about the worship service. This is how the meal commenced. Both congregations, the Korean speaking group (about 300 people) and the   It seemed to be a solidifying factor to the community.

   

English speaking group (about 60), entered into a gym. All the young adults set up the tables and chairs. Then we all filed into lines to get soup. The soup was made of some kind of chicken broth with bean sprouts and rice. We then sat together and ate. As we ate the pastor came around and said hello to all the visitors.

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

          Probably being the only white person was a little a bit disorienting, but it was not that bad. People were pretty chill. When we were in the big gym I did find it funny how quickly I noticed other white people who had attended. They must have been in the big service because I did not see them in our group. 

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

            This scripture came to mind, Acts 2:46-47, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” I think sharing a meal together should be as mandatory to the worship service as the worship, preaching, or offering. I think when people share a meal together it is an intersubjective experience, and that is why it builds community. Furthermore it is metaphorical to what the spirits of the congregation are doing during the service. I think churches that share meals together have healthier and stronger communities.