Leya Petrovani- Church Visit #2
Church Name: Harmony Community Church
Church Address: 1908 South Millard, Chicago, IL 60623
Date Attended: April 6, 2014
Church Category: More than 10 miles away from Wheaton, and of a different socioeconomic class.
1. I attended an African American Pentecostal service in Lawndale Chicago. It was different in many ways from the church I normally attend, Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton. The most obvious differences were that Harmony Community Church was an African American church, and Resurrection is not, and though Res considers itself to be a Pentecostal Anglican Church, the representations of the presence of the spirit were quite different at this service than what I am accustomed to. The service was quite long, it was a little over two hours long, and the majority of the service were different representations of worship. Worship through songs, through a spoken word poetry presentation, a mime ministry, and a celebration choir. A very distinctive element to this service was that it was the "Gone too soon" service, remembering the members of their community that had died of violent crimes. There was a video presentation and I counted 19 different people in the video. There was also a candle lighting ceremony, where congregants who have had family members or close friends pass away went forward, named their loved one, and lighted a candle. Though I didn't count the number of people who went forward there were at least 25 or 30 people. I was shocked to see a community so affected by violence, mourning, suffering yet still able to worship God with such overflowing joy and passion.
2. The interspersed music and general creativity was the most appealing thing to me about the service. I absolutely love gospel music, and was so blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the whole service. It was very evident that the congregants were completely focused on the Lord and on being a support to one another, and I was very much encouraged by that. The spoken word was delivered by a girl, about 15 years of age, and she spoke about gun violence (what many of the loved ones had passed from) and how pervasive a problem it is. She talked about the history of the civil rights movement and racism, and how we "cannot merely fight for gun control if we cannot control the man behind the gun". I was blessed by how eloquently, and poetically she spoke on an issue that is so deeply and profoundly painful, and close to home, for everyone in this community, yet still called them to worship God in the midst of their suffering.
3. I would say the candle lighting ceremony was the most challenging. Not because it made me feel particularly uncomfortable, but because it was so difficult. I was crying, and most people around me were crying. Watching people name the names of their brothers, fathers, husbands, boyfriends, best friends who had "gone too soon", because of violence that is pervasive in their community. Violence that we, here in Wheaton, are immune to. We can live so close, and yet completely ignore the violence and injustice that happens in our own city. We can hear about it on the news, and continue to be apathetic. We can know and not care. This is not a representation of the body of Christ. It is not portraying one Catholic church where the suffering of one is the suffering of all. This portion of the service was an example of how this church body is caring for one another. When one person is suffering, the whole community suffers, yet the still worship all together.
4. I saw this church live out the call that we have to be joyful in all things, even in suffering, yet the simultaneous call to be affected by the suffering and injustice of this world and mourn with one another. During this season of lent, I have been contemplating how one can be so overwhelmed and occupied with the suffering of others that we can truly mourn with our suffering brothers and sisters. That we do not eat without praying for and remembering those who do not have food, that we do not sleep without praying for and remembering those who have no place to sleep, that we do not go to school to study without remember and praying for those without access to education. Living in a way that our minds are so occupied with the prayers of others, and the mourning of others that it is constant. However, at the same time being joyful. Knowing that our hope is in Christ, that He is our salvation and that in the midst of injustice, in the midst of unfathomable brokenness of this world that He is still good and sovereign and thus being joyful in God. I still do not know how to live this seemingly dichotomous reality in my own life, but I saw a beautiful glimpse of that at Harmony Community Church on Sunday.
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