Church Address: 3827 W. Ogden, Chicago, IL 60623
Date Attended: March 30, 2014
Church Category: Significantly lower socioeconomic demographic.
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
This church starkly contrasted my home church in a number of ways. It was in a more urban setting, just outside of the city, whereas my church is in the center of suburbian Wheaton. This lead to a congregation that was racially, socioeconomically and culturally different. The church was over 90% African American, with a rare Caucasian person here and there. I definitely felt like I stood out. The area and makeup of this church led to different practices and priorities such as prayer. The low socioeconomic status was evident in the nature of the prayers from the public--drug addiction, bankruptcy, eviction were all very real to these people.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
I enjoyed the incorporation of music and prayer in the service. There was a time for public prayer, where the congregation shared intimate details of their lives with the rest of the church. I enjoyed the genuine vulnerability that accompanied this tradition. My favorite part was when people would respond vocally to each person's prayer. That affirmation was felt throughout the congregation and demonstrated the authenticity of the church and its sentiments. I could really feel a familial bond between people that was extremely powerful. There is no public prayer at my church, and things aren't vulnerable many times, thus the appeal of this church.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
It was a very unique environment to worship in. The urban aspect of the church brought in a congregation that was very different from my own. I enjoyed that element, yet at the same time it was distracting to me. Instead of focusing on the sermon, I felt myself observing certain rituals and traditions the church did as a whole throughout the service. The public prayer was one element that was vastly different from my church that was also very challenging for me. My church is usually very private in personal affairs, and this church seemed to lay it all out in the open, like an exposed wound. I find it hard enough to prayer aloud before dinner in front of my family let alone an entire church. I felt very out of place during this part of the service.
It was a very unique environment to worship in. The urban aspect of the church brought in a congregation that was very different from my own. I enjoyed that element, yet at the same time it was distracting to me. Instead of focusing on the sermon, I felt myself observing certain rituals and traditions the church did as a whole throughout the service. The public prayer was one element that was vastly different from my church that was also very challenging for me. My church is usually very private in personal affairs, and this church seemed to lay it all out in the open, like an exposed wound. I find it hard enough to prayer aloud before dinner in front of my family let alone an entire church. I felt very out of place during this part of the service.
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 urban nature of the church led to a greater amount of people suffering from poverty, thus the lower socioeconomic status of the congregation. This led to a different approach in teaching the works of Jesus. The sermon emphasized many of the sufferings of Jesus, which I felt that the congregation felt very closely connected to. The public prayer exposed many open wounds such as drug addiction or poverty, which in turn made suffering a point of poignancy. I could really feel the deep understanding and appreciation this congregation had for the work of Jesus Christ that differs from my group at home. Instead of the usual apathy, there was empathy. It was an incredible experience to witness.
The urban nature of the church led to a greater amount of people suffering from poverty, thus the lower socioeconomic status of the congregation. This led to a different approach in teaching the works of Jesus. The sermon emphasized many of the sufferings of Jesus, which I felt that the congregation felt very closely connected to. The public prayer exposed many open wounds such as drug addiction or poverty, which in turn made suffering a point of poignancy. I could really feel the deep understanding and appreciation this congregation had for the work of Jesus Christ that differs from my group at home. Instead of the usual apathy, there was empathy. It was an incredible experience to witness.
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