Church Name: Bethany Chapel
Church Address: 404 N. President St. Wheaton Illinois
Date Attended: March 23rd 2013
Church Category: Significantly less Liturgical
The service was a communion service. It began with a man reading from Matthew 18 and then he sat down. Throughout the whole service (one hour) different male congregants would stand as they felt led to read scripture, suggest hymns to be read, share a devotional thought either directly related or not to the original scripture passage that was read. The service was not lead by any one or even any group of people, as services I am accustomed to are. The only unifying quality that everyone who shared had was that they were all men. Women at Bethany Chapel are not permitted to speak in the service. Some women wear head coverings in the service, not all, and remain silent during the service. Though I have been to many church services, including often the Church that I grew up going to at home, where an entire service would go by and not a single woman would speak, however, I noticed this, perhaps, more acutely at Bethany because the service was so communally led.
As I mentioned before, it was very intriguing that the service was communally led. It was quite beautiful. The pianist merely had a hymnal in front of him, and would wait until a community member requested that the congregation sing a song, and then it was sung. It was wonderful to hear thoughts from congregants, not only because it was beautiful to truly have a service not led by one person, but because I got to know a bit more of the character of the Church through the sharing of its congregants. It was a beautiful image of the body working together, and fellowshipping together, and sharing burdens and joys.
I was a definitely disoriented by how communion was received. Throughout the whole service the elements were at a table in the front of the sanctuary. Near the end an elder in the Church signaled to several other men who all got up, passed around the bread, and then the wine, and people took communion when they were ready. There was no passage read, nor words spoke, it was done in silence, perhaps in reverence to the Eucharist, more individually than I am accustomed to. I found this somewhat challenging because what I appreciate so much about communion and the Eucharist is that it is a spiritual practice that we do as a body, together, and remember the sacrifice that Christ made for us all. For me, it is helpful to have words spoken, preferably scripture read during communion to center my mind, and thoughts on Christ.
As I illuminated above, I was really challenged by the commitment to community that this church portrayed. The service was very egalitarian, in that anyone (given he was a man, which for the sake of worship was an issue that I tried to overlook) could contribute whatever he felt led. I was extremely blessed to hear from my brothers in Christ what was on their hearts and minds, and for there to be a free space for congregants to share with one another.
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