Church Visit #2 - Anna George

Church Visit #2 - Anna George

Church name: Lawndale Christian Community Church

Church address: 3827 W. Ogden Ave. Chicago, IL 60623

Date attended: Sunday 3.30.14

Church category: Different socioeconomic status

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

Lawndale Community Church was very different from my regular church context. The church met in a gymnasium, which is different from the mega-church giant sanctuary of my family's church (a large Southern Baptist Church) and different from the small, decorated nave of my church in Wheaton (All Souls' Anglican Church). One of my favorite parts of the service, also somewhat different from my regular context, was that the chairs were situated in a square, with all of the congregants facing each other. The biggest difference was in the character of the worship and sermon, and in the nature of the congregants. The worship, gospel-style worship, was much more energetic and upbeat than All Souls' (more of a quiet vibrance with hymns and an organ), and the repetition and spontaneous nature of it was very different as well. The church body was diverse - I believe it is primarily African-American, and the church body was of a lower socioeconomic status than my home church comprised mainly of white, suburban families.

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

I found the church layout to be very powerful - it was challenging to look at the congregation and see who I am worshiping with. This was challenging because it seemed impossible to "hide" in this type of layout, especially as I was different than most of the congregation and obviously (I am guessing) a visitor. It was especially challenging in worship, because I am not used to gospel-style worship, and I usually feel pretty stiff and unenthusiastic compared to others worshiping. So, the layout provided a level of transparency in worship as I could not "hide" in the back of the church. Also, I was directly facing the members of the Hope House during worship. I am not exactly sure what the Hope House is, but it sounds like it is a group of current convicts or ex-convicts living together in conjunction with the church. It was very powerful to be directly aware of the presence of these men in a vibrant body of Christ.

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

I found the style of worship to be disorienting for me, but I loved it all the same. It was good for me to see a different manifestation of the joy of the Lord in worship than my normal context, even if it would take me a few months or weeks to get used to it (also, I don't think that it's a bad thing that I'm "not used to it"). I also found the length of the sermon to be challenging - at my home church, the sermon is probably 20 minutes long at the most, and the bulk of the service is comprised of liturgy, Scripture readings, music, and (especially) communion. So, my attention span was very challenged as I tried to engage in a 45-minute or hour-long sermon. Also, the sermon seemed to be packed with references (Scriptural, experiential, etc.) and different lessons, and this amount of material was very difficult for my brain to process as I listened. It might be a different type of listening and attention that is required, and I think I am a bit out of practice with that.

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 nature of the congregation was very illuminating. It was so humbling to participate in a church body that encounters such different, deeper struggles than I do. When the pastor was speaking about his drug and alcohol addictions, his 10 or 15-year struggle with them, and the impact this had on his walk with the Lord, I was very humbled in that these are struggles I have rarely considered and certainly never faced. The same is true of my perception of those in the Hope House - to know that these men are facing significant, life-altering struggles gives a different perspective on what the Christian walk can mean. I was very encouraged and challenged to see the transformational power of the Gospel in this tangible way as the pastor shared his testimony and encouraged others with it.