Church address: 2840 W. Logan Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647
Date attended: March 23rd, 2014
Church category: Socioeconomically Different Church
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The best way that I can think to describe the service in general was casual and inviting. The worship service was very contemporary filled with uptempo songs that encouraged you to get right into them but also introspective songs that challenged us to connect on a personal level with God. The level of dress was casual for the most part, which is definitely different then my church background back home, where it's not uncommon to find people in blazers or suits and ties. After worship the pastor came up and spoke his sermon completely extemporaneously without notes. While this is a minor difference then my home pastor who utilizes a pulpit and notes, it was something that I definitely noted. That being said, the length of the sermon as well as the order of the service was largely the same as what I'm used to back home. The diversity of the congregation was another big difference, with people from all walks of life present in the congregation.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
One thing that I really found initially surprising but also very awesome was just how fired up the lead pastor was in his message. From about two minutes into his sermon he was passionately speaking as if he was just reaching the climax of his message, and he kept up this intensity for the duration of his talk. Also I really did enjoy the ethnic diversity that was present in the church. Coming from a "suburban" upbringing in central Illinois, my church back home is overwhelmingly homogeneous with a few people of different racial backgrounds sprinkled in here and there. Having people with such a wide range of nationalities and incomes present really made a case for the true body of Christ and the unity that must be present. As much as I love my church back home, this diversity of people from all walks of life is something that is lacking from it; it really is something that provides an insight into a different aspect of Christianity.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
There were a couple things that challenged me, one that I mentioned above and one that I'll get into more detail in the next question. As Dr. Lee has talked about in class a couple times, it can be easy for us to settle into a comfort zone of going to a nice quiet church filled with people from our same racial and socioeconomic background. This seems natural, as surrounding ourselves with people similar to us is easy and convenient. With this though, we are missing out on some of the most vital work of the body of Christ. It's often so easy to watch from a distance and give at our home church towards various missions projects. While this is good, the keeps a level of detachment from our daily lives, and allows us to push it to the back of our minds almost as soon as it presents itself. Having these racially and economically diverse churches really forces us to be present in the daily work of the church and Christ, and this is definitely something that I feel me and the church at large could improve upon.
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 Biblical passage that the passage was using was Mark 1:14-20. This is the passage where Jesus initially recruits the disciples for his ministry. The pastor then used this as a platform to talk about how we can often form this "designer Jesus" in our heads to fit our own personal beliefs. This is a problem because Jesus wasn't someone who came to fulfill our specific lists of needs. The phrase that stood out most to me was one that he stated early on, "The only God who can overcome the condemnation of your own heart is a God who is not a product of your own heart." This was profound but it was also very indicting of my own heart. I find that it can often be easy to try and fit God/Jesus to my own personal wants and needs, as opposed to letting him work in my life. That phrase stuck with me and it's one I hope to carry with me for a long time.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
One thing that I really found initially surprising but also very awesome was just how fired up the lead pastor was in his message. From about two minutes into his sermon he was passionately speaking as if he was just reaching the climax of his message, and he kept up this intensity for the duration of his talk. Also I really did enjoy the ethnic diversity that was present in the church. Coming from a "suburban" upbringing in central Illinois, my church back home is overwhelmingly homogeneous with a few people of different racial backgrounds sprinkled in here and there. Having people with such a wide range of nationalities and incomes present really made a case for the true body of Christ and the unity that must be present. As much as I love my church back home, this diversity of people from all walks of life is something that is lacking from it; it really is something that provides an insight into a different aspect of Christianity.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
There were a couple things that challenged me, one that I mentioned above and one that I'll get into more detail in the next question. As Dr. Lee has talked about in class a couple times, it can be easy for us to settle into a comfort zone of going to a nice quiet church filled with people from our same racial and socioeconomic background. This seems natural, as surrounding ourselves with people similar to us is easy and convenient. With this though, we are missing out on some of the most vital work of the body of Christ. It's often so easy to watch from a distance and give at our home church towards various missions projects. While this is good, the keeps a level of detachment from our daily lives, and allows us to push it to the back of our minds almost as soon as it presents itself. Having these racially and economically diverse churches really forces us to be present in the daily work of the church and Christ, and this is definitely something that I feel me and the church at large could improve upon.
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 Biblical passage that the passage was using was Mark 1:14-20. This is the passage where Jesus initially recruits the disciples for his ministry. The pastor then used this as a platform to talk about how we can often form this "designer Jesus" in our heads to fit our own personal beliefs. This is a problem because Jesus wasn't someone who came to fulfill our specific lists of needs. The phrase that stood out most to me was one that he stated early on, "The only God who can overcome the condemnation of your own heart is a God who is not a product of your own heart." This was profound but it was also very indicting of my own heart. I find that it can often be easy to try and fit God/Jesus to my own personal wants and needs, as opposed to letting him work in my life. That phrase stuck with me and it's one I hope to carry with me for a long time.
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