Emily Beckman - Church Visit #2

Blog title: Emily Beckman - 2

Church name: Second Baptist Church of Wheaton

Church address: 1520 Avery Ave. Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: 3/30/14

Church category: Different Race/Ethnicity

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

The service began with musical worship where all members of the church were standing and most were moving with the beat and/or clapping. An all-men choir was present on the stage this Sunday, with one leader who had the microphone and mostly stayed within a call and response tradition. No screens were present with words, or hymnals utilized, or lyrics passed out on paper. The majority of people seemed to know the songs already, and the rest caught on quickly. This is different from my own church in that lyrics are always provided on screens in the front and people are very stiff when clapping ensues. A time of greeting followed where handshakes and hugs were shared not only with those around you, but much movement and excitement occurred through the whole church. Next, a speaker other than the main pastor very powerfully and enthusiastically presented a message. Notes were not highly relied upon and certain parts, especially nearing the end, seemed completely extemporaneous, yet very connected to the message and full of passion. Biblical reference was frequent, yet mostly un-cited and assumed to be already identifiable by the audience. During the message, verbal encouragement from the audience was common, and many times members of the congregation would stand in response to a point they deeply agreed with or had personal connection to. In my home congregation, it is common to be quiet and still during the sermon, and for the speaker to be much less animated. A time of prayer followed, where the congregation gathered together at the front of the church, standing with hands linked. After some more worship, offering time began, where each row was dismissed individually to walk up to the front where baskets where held and then back to one’s seat. Envelopes were provided so amounts where not seen, but with the flow of everyone walking up, it was expected that at least something would be given. At my home church baskets are passed through the congregation so that the movement of people is not necessary. Next came a time where the Gospel was preached explicitly and people were given the opportunity to come up to the front of the room with the intent of accepting Christ as their Savior. This explicit alter call is not practiced at my home church. Finally, holding hands and singing one final song, the service came to a close.

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

Since I spent two and a half years during my time at Wheaton as a member of the gospel choir on campus, I have been in an African American church context often. But, this presence was mainly as a ‘performer’ in a certain sense. Even though we worked hard to make it a collaborative worship experience where we fostered an atmosphere of praise and did not ‘perform,’ it was always hard to really feel like a part of the service. In a context separated from a large choir group and individually and clearly part of the congregation, I was struck by the strong sense of community I felt, not only as a clear visitor in the sense that it is a small church and people notice every new individual, but also in a racial sense since I stood out quite clearly. During the time of greeting I was warmly and purposefully welcomed by everyone I made eye contact with, yet there was also a deeper sense of community in the practice of responding verbally and physically during the message. Hearing words of agreement, and especially seeing people leap to their feet as a testimony to God’s work in their own lives, I felt a great sense of solidarity in struggles I am facing. Without having a one-on-one conversation with each congregation member, I could know of and be encouraged by God’s work in other’s lives.

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

One undertone I picked up in the message, which was then made very clear in the offering time, is the emphasis on issues of money. Many of the examples during the sermon revolved around an economic difference among people, even when other kinds of examples could have been utilized. And, the practice of public and compulsory giving at the front of the church definitely emphasized the importance they place on monetary giving. For me, this was a little disorienting because it is very different from my own church. Money is talked about, and giving is definitely expected, but it is more of a personal matter. Also, I think some tension stemmed from another point of emphasis that was hinted at that seemed to perhaps conflict with the messages explicitly stated regarding money: comments about looking good, or looking sharp, and the very clean, professional, and honestly, wealthy look of those on the stage, especially the speaker. As an outsider to both of these dialogues—one about sharing ones wealth or not being jealous of what others have, and the other about admiring physical manifestations of wealth—I felt a little confused.

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

One aspect I really appreciated during the sermon was the clear knowledge and marination in Scripture. We are called to have Scripture present in our hearts—memorized, digested, ready to share in all contexts—and this was exemplified very well. Quotes and references were not forced but flowed naturally and extemporaneously. I believe this deep knowledge of Scripture is present in my own church, but is not so clearly shown because the sermons tend to be more planned out and rigid. I felt that in the unplanned parts of the message and quotations of Scripture, I sensed an even more clear moving of the Holy Spirit both in my own response to the message and in the speaker himself, as he felt lead to say certain points. There is definitely a place for preparation in studying and praying and exploring a topic before speaking to a congregation about it, but I was also reminded of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, and how that is deeply rooted in a prior knowledge of Scripture.