Jeanne Niu - Church Visit #3

Church name: Lawndale Community Church
Church address: 3827 W. Ogden Chicago, Illinois 60623
Date attended: March 30, 2014
Church category: Lower Socioeconomic Background

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The Lawndale Community Church service was held in the Christian Health Center gym, with seating in a circular shape around a stage. The musicians were in one corner and there was a choir on one side, while a few singers were in the middle. The community of people in this church was definitely more diverse racially and socioeconomically than my normal church context. Everything about the service felt more free flowing than my normal service, which often feels compressed so that it can fit into the 1.5 hour long time slot we always have. The worship through music was divided into a congregational worship time, then a choir time, and also a special music time rather than singing 4 or 5 songs straight through like we do at my church. Overall, the congregation was more upbeat and celebratory than my service, which can often be more contemplative.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
I loved that the congregation had such energy throughout the whole service, and that it felt so celebratory. Everyone seemed to be reflecting a heart of thankfulness for what God has done, starting from the first worship song “When I Think About the Lord” to the choir’s “I Just Can’t Stop Praising Him.” I especially thought it was interesting when the congregation would continue to sing even after the choir was done singing. The worship service was very free in this way and also in the sermon time when people would often call out “preach” or “okay” or “yes, Lord.” I thought it was very interactive and it showed that the congregation was just as excited about the message of Christ as the preacher was. It was great to see a body that was so engaged throughout the entire service.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
I thought that it was a bit more challenging to worship to the choir singing and the special music because I am used to always participating in the singing along with the band. It was different for me to sit and listen to the words while they sang it versus me participating in singing. I think because people so freely worship and participate throughout the whole service, the choir knows that many people don’t need to be invited to sing along, they will naturally do it. However as I was not used to this kind of worship service, I felt like I needed an invitation to sing before I could participate. Although it was challenging to sit and listen instead of participating, I enjoyed the change and think it is necessary every now and then to be silent.

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

Some aspects of this service reminded me of the “different racial or ethnic background” church visit I did. Lawndale Community Church similarly focused very heavily on the Gospel message in the sermon. Whereas my normal church will focus some weeks on this, many weeks will focus on something more specific such as the fruits of the Spirit, or being good stewards of the Kingdom. I thought it was very interesting that Lawndale focused on the Gospel message. It made me realize that because of the diverse backgrounds everyone in the community comes from, they are probably most united by this Gospel message. Though there may be disagreements on how to be good stewards of the Kingdom, the true, powerful message of God’s love for his people seems to be a strong unifying message that people need to hear often to remind themselves of why they gather together.