Tessa Larsen - Church Visit #2

Church Name: Lawndale Christian Community Church

Church Address: 3827 W. Ogden Chicago, Illinois 60623

Date Attended: 3/30/14

Church Category: Significantly lower socioeconomic demographic

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

Lawndale is somewhat similar to the church I grew up in while living in Florida. We met in the cafeteria of a middle school and not a church building, like Lawndale does. Another similarity is the focus on community. I found that both my home church growing up and Lawndale prioritize living life in community with one another and not so much on the aesthetics of the service or meeting in a church building. This seems to create a real sense of community and family. The important factor is that the congregation is together - not where they are together.

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

I very much enjoyed the worship. It was beautiful to watch the choir sing with complete abandonment to their God. The passion they had created an environment of worship that was incredibly authentic. The community of Lawndale seems to be one of its most precious characteristics. Immediately upon walking into the church I felt welcomed and cared for, which, I believe, is how church ought to operate.

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

I think what was most disorienting was just how different the worship was from my church. Though I loved the style of worship because it was different from what I was used to it was easy for me to feel uncomfortable at time. However, I think it was just what I needed. Sometimes the uncomfortable is what we need. God doesn’t call us to a life of comfort and I think we should be actively seeking the uncomfortable as to avoid a stagnant life.

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

What I most appreciated about this service was its community. It felt, to me, to be a good model of what the church should be, namely; a community that represented a diverse body of individuals. I was actually surprised by the number of Wheaton students that were there, but being a part of a community of people that was so diverse was great experience. I think it is often too easy to associate with those most similar to us and avoid reaching beyond the comfortable to the unknown, but this is a great danger. There is so much joy to be found in interacting in a community composed of people from all different places and walks of life.