Church name: Glen Ellyn Evangelical Covenant Church 

Church address: 277 Hawthorne Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Date attended: 13 September 2015

Church category: Evangelical Covenant

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

Last week I attended Glen Ellyn Evangelical Covenant Church with a friend of mine that goes to Wheaton.  The worship style was very interesting at this church because it was a balanced combination of a more orthodox style mixed in with some contemporary songs.  There were a lot of hymns but there were also a lot of songs played by a band which gave it a good mix.  In addition, at the end of the service the whole congregation held hands and sang a song inspired by a psalm.  It was very interactive which I found very interesting and I was not used to it.  I liked the fact that there was a good mix of more orthodox hymns mixed with some contemporary music to appeal to all ages throughout the service.  I would say that this service was on the similar side to my regular service because there was a mixed style of worship.  The different portions were when there would be scripture readings and after each reading we would sing a portion of a song that would reflect on that scripture reading.  Other than that I thought that many of the songs played were very similar to my normal tradition.

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

I would say that one of the things that I found most interesting or appealing about the worship service was that everyone at the church felt very connected.  By that I mean that there were a lot of families and friends there that seemed like they had known each other for a long time.  This was similar to my church because it is on the smaller side and many of the people in the congregation know each other. In addition, I also liked the sermon which was on the fruits of the spirit.  The pastor emphasized seeing the Lord's blessings in our lives and also talked about setting goals in your life to become more like Christ.  This was especially impactful to me because I have felt that I need to set more goals in my life lately.  Another thing that I liked about the church was that they had a cool college ministry led by a youth pastor that attended Wheaton.  I talked to him after the service and he seemed like a very cool guy that could speak into my life as a college student.

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

One thing that I found disorienting or challenging about the service was how long it was.  I felt like the service lost my attention at times because it was very long.  I also didn't like how the service was split up into actual worship, the sermon, and and announcements.  I am used to the announcements at the beginning and worship at the beginning at end and this service was split up very oddly.  Another thing that I found challenging was that the pastor was not a very good public speaker which made it hard for me to pay attention.  I retained most of his main points but some of the minor stuff I did not retain.  I also thought that worship was a little bit dull and I wished that they had played a few more up beat songs.

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 sermon was on the fruits of the spirit which hadn't been addressed for a while in my regular church.  One aspect of theology that the worship service illuminated for me was seeing the blessings of God in your and auditing yourself down the road in your life to see how much progress you had made spiritually and otherwise.  In addition, the pastor had many stories that gave me real life examples of the fruits of the spirit, which made the service more relatable to me.  I plan on keeping track of the progress I make in my life because I thought that this was a very good idea that the pastor presented.  One other thing that the worship service illuminated for me was that different types of worship can be very affective even if it something that I am not used to.  I think that visiting this church allowed me to realize that other traditions are very insightful and can add to my spiritual life.

Samantha Frank - Church Visit 1

Church Name: St. Michael Catholic Church

Church Address: 310 S. Wheaton Ave, Wheaton, IL

Date Attended: September 17, 2015

Church Category: More Liturgical

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

The worship service was significantly more liturgical than the services I usually attend. During the school year I attend a nondenominational church which is not very liturgical. When I am at home with my family I attend an ELCA Lutheran Church. Although some of our services are liturgical, they were not nearly as liturgy focused as the service I attended at St. Michael’s. I attended mass on a Thursday at 8 in the morning. I am sure this had some impact on the way the service went and was somewhat different than a Sunday Mass at St. Michael’s. The sanctuary was not full and there were no musicians. The service involved readings, some prayer, a short sermon, and communion. It lasted a total of thirty minutes. We sang a short song before the Gospel reading and before communion. The service was given by a middle aged male priest and he was assisted by a young boy and girl. The priest was dressed in formal white robes and followed along with the liturgy of a traditional Catholic mass.

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

One thing I found interesting about the service was the fact that it was on a weekday. It was clear that for some of the people there probably attended mass most weekday mornings. I admire the disciple of attending corporate worship every day. Routines can help us see God in new ways and it was evident that attending mass regularly throughout the week was a disciple of faith for some of the people in attendance. I also found communion appealing. From attending just one short service, it was clear that communion held a deep significance in the Catholic tradition. I thought the fact that communion took up the largest portion of the service was representative of the significance the sacrament. The liturgy leading up to communion was very lengthy and involved lots of kneeling and praying. It served as a reminder to me about the reverence and seriousness one should have when they take communion.

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

One of the most challenging things about the service was that it felt very formal and somewhat unwelcoming. Throughout the service I felt a heightened awareness of the fact that I was an outsider.  Once the service began I realized that I didn’t have one of the books, containing the liturgy, readings, and songs, to follow along with. I looked in the pews and around the back of the church, unable to find one. Despite the fact that many people saw me looking for a book and it was very evident I was a newcomer, no one offered to help me or greet me. Because I didn’t have the book, it was hard for me to feel like I was fully participating in the service. Additionally, the service felt very formal and somewhat forced. The priest giving the mass spoke very quickly and it sounded rushed. The people in attendance knew exactly how and when to respond. Their responses were almost mechanical. I think these things struck me as challenging due to their stark differences from my church experience. As much as I wanted to appreciate the liturgy and tradition, I was uncomfortable because it felt rehearsed and formal.

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 most illuminating part of the service was communion. I was really impacted by the amount of reverence and significance that was placed on communion. As we prepared to take communion at many point we were on our knees praying. There is something powerful about the physical act of getting down on your knees to pray. It was very humbling and also reminded me about the importance and significance of taking communion. I think it can become easy to simply go through the motions when taking communion and to forget what it is we are supposed to be remembering and reflecting on as we partake in it. As I was on my knees I really was reminded that I was to remember what it was Jesus had done for me when he shed his blood. It reminded me that I need to come to the table humbly to be refreshed and renewed in Christ.

Abbie Holaway-Church Visit #1

Church name: Temple Baptist Church
Church Address: 2501 Northshore Blvd., Flower Mound, TX 75208
Date Attended: September 20th, 2015
Church Category: Different Ethnic/Cultural Background

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar or different from your regular context?
I was in Texas last weekend for my cousin's wedding. The wedding was on Saturday, so the next morning I went to the church of my extended relatives who live in Texas. Being from the North, this Southern style baptist church was different from what I was used to, but similar in some ways, too. The church was big and there were a lot of different ministries where people can get involved and serve in, which is similar to my own church. The style of the church was more contemporary and relaxed than my home church, and the people of the church were mainly caucasian people who grew up in the South. Generally, the people of Temple Baptist Church were friendlier and louder than the conservative church that I attend in Wheaton. There were also a lot of young families at the church. 

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

I found the music of the service to be very interesting. The style was contemporary and the music was loud, which I liked. More importantly, the people of the church seemed to be very passionate about the worship, and it looked like they generally liked singing and rejoicing as a group. 

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
The service was great overall--good preaching and good worship--so the most challenging part of the worship service was being someone from a different region and being unfamiliar with the church style. The church was big, so my family and I did not necessarily stand out too much, but I think it was obvious to the people we did talk to by our accents that we were not from Texas. Overall, everyone was very nice, though.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?
Temple Bible Church really emphasized the importance of joining a bible study when I attended last Sunday. It was neat to be reminded that not only should we be reading the bible, but we should study the bible with other people so that we are in community with one another. It is easy to only be in communion with other believers on Sunday morning, but I think the Pastor had a great point when he emphasized the importance of committing to a weekly bible study and the benefits that it would bring to the church as a whole. 

Allie McDonald- Church Visit #1

Church name: Grace Haitian Alliance Church 

Church address: 8200 South Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60617

Date attended:  Sunday, September 13

Church category: Different Ethnic/Racial Demographic 

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

I attended a very small Haitian church with a congregation of about 40 people. The service was almost completely in Creole, a language I have heard some when I visited Haiti last January but not one I would say I understand. I could pick up little pieces here and there but overall, I was the one white girl just observing their worship and trying to participate as much as I could. The service started with very upbeat songs for worship and the congregation was very charismatic in their worship with much clapping and enthusiastic singing. Interspersed in the singing were three different prayer times which where lead by a pastor who would pray in the front while all the members prayed quietly but out loud in the pews. There was a performance by the mens choir and then the service started. The teaching was on a particular passage and had about 6 points which is similar to the teaching I am used to. What was different was the responsiveness of the congregation. They would verbalized when they agreed with the pastor and laughter at a funny point ( which I usually didn't catch on to) was common. The service was also longer than I was used to and the kids stayed in the service and sat in the first couple rows, most without their parents. This is different than I am used to as well. I feel like they stressed the importance of being together as one body rather than taking the kids to their own service. It was funny though to see mothers either on the stage or a couple rows back give their kids the evil eye when they were goofing off. The congregation was also very dressed up, more than I was used to. I was underdressed in my sundress and denim jacket. 

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

I loved the more  charismatic and upbeat worship. One thing I fell in love with while I was in Haiti was how they worship with their whole being. They are also much more confident in their worship than I feel members of American congregations are. While we only put someone with a voice that could be on the radio on our stages to lead worship, they confidently sing praises even if they don't have a jaw dropping voice. I think this is neat because to me it shows they understand that the Lord wants our hearts and not our perfection. They confidently and joyfully praise Him and because of their joy it sounds beautiful. I also thought it was interesting how there was a lot of participation from different people leading the service. Three different men who I believe were pastors lead different prayer times before the head pastor gave the sermon. This isn't that different than what I'm used to but I thought it was neat to see many people take part in ownership of the service. 

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

It was defiantly difficult being the only white person and not understanding the language. I had found this church online last  semester and wanted to visit but never did. When this assignment rolled around I thought I would use it to finally visit. I kind of just decided the night before I would go by myself and didn't put much thought into it. I woke up that morning and prayed about if it was the right decision, particularly if it would be respectful to their congregation. The Lord told me that I need to feel outside of my comfort zone, that I needed to feel like the other, that I needed to feel what it feels like to be singled out. When I arrived at the church I realized how tiny it was. There wasn't even a parking lot and there was probably 10 cars total parked a long the street. It also was not in the best neighborhood and everything in my wanted to keep driving. I was also about 10 minutes late so that didn't help the disrespect I thought I might communicate. I forced myself to park and went in where I was asked "did someone invite you?". However after I explained I had visited Haiti and just found them online, a nice lady in her 20s greeted me and made me feel welcome while they found a place for me to sit- right in the front where everyone could see me. I never really got completely comfortable- I felt the expectation on me to be able to at least speak Creole since I had just showed up here but I couldn't even meet that expectation. I definitely felt like the other and am still wrestling with if it was respectful for me to go or not. However, after the service, I feel like half the church hugged me and welcomed me to come back again and I got to talk with the pastor who went to Wheaton for his masters. 

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 three prayer times that I described really stood out to me as being a more Biblical way to approach prayer that I have experienced. I can't remember exactly but I think there was a time of Worship, Thanksgiving, and Confession. I think prayer has been minimized in some Worship settings to a mere transition from worship to the sermon, or in its best sense a preparation of our hearts to hear the word or to worship but this congregation took it seriously. They set aside somewhere between 5-10 minutes for each of these categories and prayed fervently. The pastor lead but everyone was praying out loud, very different than what I am used to. It was almost like a guided Korean style prayer. For 10 minutes, we adored and worshiped God with our prayers, for 10 minutes, we thanked Him for all He has done, and for 10 minutes we confessed our sin before Him. Prayer was not merely viewed as something to squeeze in or to use as a easy transition but as a huge and essential part of the worship service. I gained a better picture of the importance of prayer, and specifically channelled prayers through worshiping with this Haitian congregation. 

Leah Michelsen - Church Visit #1

Church name: St Joseph Orthodox Church

Church address: 412 Crescent St

Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: September 20, 2015

Church category: More liturgical

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

            The worship service I attended at St Joseph Orthodox was much more liturgical and traditional than Church of the Resurrection. When we walked in, the sanctuary was silent and the icons on the wall in front of us were quite prominent. We got there right on time for the service, but people were walking in for about 20 minutes while a lady up front chanted the Great Litany. During this time, a man up front lit many candles. We stood almost the entire service and chanted/sang a series of bible passages and hymns the whole way through. In one family, the two daughters and wife were wearing headscarves. There didn’t seem to be a separate room for children, or parents with children, because there were many of them and they were very loud. Sometimes they would run in the aisle and cry so much I couldn’t hear the rector. Nobody seemed to mind the distraction though. Afterwards, the rector asked if there were any anniversaries or birthdays in the audience and he said congratulations to each individual person.

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

            I thought it was interesting that there was no distinction between the different parts of the service. Instead of addressing the people like most church leaders do during services, he led by reading the content in the books we all had, and we joined in with him. The books did indicate each changing part of the service, but there weren’t any pauses to show it aurally. We went straight through the whole booklet singing, chanting and saying scripture. Since the book didn’t say when to stand up and sit down, we had to follow everyone else who seemed to know what they were doing. It’s neat that they go through the same liturgy that other orthodox churches use, so the services are mostly the same and you could attend a very similar service if you were traveling. I wanted to know if other people felt engaged by this type of service.

  

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

            I never felt like I was connecting with God. After saying a bunch of scripture with the same chant over and over, it just became a pattern of meaningless words. For me it was very unengaging and I had to keep reminding myself to pay attention and try to think or meditate on what we were saying. It seemed like because we were saying a lot of important scripture and hymns without any pause for interpretation or consideration, I wasn’t able to digest the material very well. Once I got used to the type of service and knew what to expect, I may be able to find it more engaging and meaningful, but at the moment it wasn’t ministering to me like I would have wanted. I left feeling unfulfilled and in need of a service at my home church.

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

            It was neat to know that the service was set up to reflect the content and traditions of the early church. I was entering into the lives, in a way, of the early Christians and participating in their worship of God. Because there wasn’t much interpretation of the scripture we were reciting, it emphasized the actual scripture as the ministering agent, instead of the rector/pastor’s words. Although I didn’t really notice this and engage in it during the service, afterwards it was clear that this was a unique and special type of worship. Just meditating on the actual Word of God is enough to work in our hearts and change us. The sermon wasn’t a necessary part of the service. Now, I want to focus more on the scripture readings and liturgy at my church, instead of just getting through it so I can hear the bishop speak.

Noah Anthony - Church Visit #1

Buckhead Church

3336 Peachtree Road

Atlanta, GA 30326

9/13/15

Megachurch

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

            The service I attended was very simple and modern. The church itself was very wealthy and well put together. It was massive! It was about 4 stories tall and even had different themed levels for youth and adult ministries. Their sanctuary had a very large auditorium feel. It was dark with lots of modern lights behind the stage. Their music and worship was fantastic. When they did their worship I felt like I was at a concert which can be a good and a bad thing. There were a few things different about this church that I attended. The church was located in the middle of downtown Atlanta whereas my church is located in the suburbs. The size of the church and the sanctuary was much larger than the church I go to. It was a bit more of a modern style, which I liked. The service was very relatable and useful to everyone there.

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

            The one thing that was very interesting to me was that the pastor wasn’t actually there on stage for the service. What they did was they had a very large screen that had him on video preaching from another campus. It was very weird because at first it seemed like he was actually there but then we realized that it was just a large screen and that he was at another campus. This is different from my church, which has two campuses. My church has different pastors and messages at both campuses. I later found out that Buckhead Church is one of six churches that is a part of North Point Ministries, Inc. I had never seen a ministry that was incorporated before. I also found that 30,000 people attend North Point Churches each week and that their sermons are accessed over one million times each month via their North Point websites. I thought it was very cool that they are able to reach that many people to share the good news.

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

            I personally liked the service a lot but at the same time the church was almost too much. The building was so big it felt like a mini skyscraper and did not really have a church feel to it. I thought that the themed floors were cool but at the same time it’s like do you really need all that? The sanctuary was a very large auditorium and felt like a small stadium. It also was a bit too dark in there. There were some things that I liked about it though. It was casual, modern, and the message was relatable. The modern feel of the church I think is what makes it so appealing to a lot of people. It makes them feel more comfortable. I understand that but at the same time, it did not feel like I was at a church. Maybe, this is how more churches will be in the future and I did appreciate their willingness to make people feel comfortable at church.

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

            This service to be honest did not contain a lot of scripture. This is part of how I said earlier that the service was simple. The pastor focused on John 10:10-11 and Romans 6:16. The series that they were in was called “What Makes You Happy.” He talked about the difference between happiness and pleasure and how we in our lives struggle with pleasure. This topic is very relatable as we deal with these types of problems all the time. I liked how the message was relatable, but at the same time there wasn't a lot of scripture provided. The message was good but I felt that it did not dive deep enough into God’s word. I am used to seeing more scripture in sermons when I go to church. Using more scripture helps us learn more about God and how we should live as Christians. I personally thought that the service could have used a bit more of that. But this goes to show that you can have a good sermon without a ton of scripture.

Abby Spencer - Church Visit #1

Church Name: St. Joseph Orthodox Church
Church address: 412 Crescent St. Wheaton, IL 60187
Date Attended: September 20, 2015
Church Category: Significantly More Liturgical

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
I went to the Divine Liturgy service in England. The whole time was call and response. Most of what we said was sung or chanted. We were given books to follow along. Different priests would rotate when they were leading the liturgy, and they mostly stayed behind the iconostasis. It was extremely liturgical and there were a lot of times where we kneeled, sat and stood up. The priests and bishops wore these very elaborate robes and there was a lot of iconography inside. There was a lot of participation by the congregation. This is different from my regular church because church usually takes about an hour and a half, for everything but here the call and response took 1.5 hours and then the priest gave announcements and then there was a sermon, so everything took longer than I was used to. 

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
The most appealing part was the participation by the congregation. It was nice to all be reciting the same words and hymns and praying to God. Part of the call and response was praying for others and praying for those in the world that need help and I liked that. I thought it was interesting that the liturgy was mostly sung because I felt like it makes you pay more attention to the words because you have to pay attention to singing the right thing. I also liked how they did the sign of the cross whenever the Trinity was mentioned, which was frequent. At the beginning of the service a woman read a long piece of liturgy in the same singing/chanting voice and I thought that was very interesting and I wondered what the purpose was of that. And at the end the priest acknowledged birthdays and anniversaries and then people of the congregation raised their hand and added birthdays and anniversaries to the list.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
Many times they referenced Mary as being highly revered and I thought that was interesting and unexpected. I know Mary is very important in Catholic traditions, but I didn't realize it would be in the Orthodox church and that made me a little bit uncomfortable because of my very evangelical upbringing. At the end of the service, the priest stood by the door with a little cross and when people passed by him they kissed it which was very disorienting and confusing and I wasn't sure if we were supposed to or what it was even for, so that was challenging. At the end they also sung a prayer that talked about the Orthodox church in America or something and this was challenging to me because I didn't know what they were praying and to an outsider it seemed somewhat heretical and since I'm not Orthodox I didn't know whether I should say the words.

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 Trinity was something they mentioned many many times throughout the service and everyone did the sign of the cross when it was mentioned. In my regular contexts the Trinity doesn't get as much attention and recognition. The recited the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed which talks about the Trinity and its relationship to us and to each other. The service illuminated for me the participatory aspect of church that I don't usually see because we don't do long extended liturgies and worship is only a small part of the service. During the announcements, as I said they talked about things happening in people's lives and afterwards they had a fellowship hour with food and everything and this emphasized that the church was a community, even if it is a small one. 

Beth Yan-Church Visit #1

Church name: St. Peter's Church

Church address: 110 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60602

Date attended: September 6, 2015 

Church category: Liturgical

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

I attended a Sunday Morning mass service held at a Catholic Church in Downtown Chicago. In comparison to my regular worship context, the differences began immediately with the facade. From an architectural standpoint, this worship space was significantly less modern than what I was used to. The interior displayed large biblical scenes in marble, a grandiose gilt altar space in the front, and stained glass panels near the entrance of the church. Additionally, the atmosphere of St. Peter's was significantly more reverent than my regular context. There were hardly any pre-service conversations taking place, with individuals tending to sit quietly by themselves. Once the service started, I began to recognize some of the components of the service. Singing from hymnals, listening to the reading of scripture and a short message, responsive readings, and communion were all elements of church services that I was familiar with. However, many of the things that accompanied these actions--crossing oneself, rising and sitting and kneeling at appointed times, and dipping one's hand in the baptismal pool--were quite foreign to me. 

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

Although the intricacies of the worship flow were foreign to me, I greatly appreciated the attention to detail that was paid throughout the service. This could be seen in the order in which the church leaders walked out carrying their respective items such as incense or the Holy Bible. It was also very apparent in the careful way communion was presented, prayed over, wafted with incense, and served. The enormous attention to detail and the overall pageantry of the experience communicated a high level of respect and intentionality. I deeply felt that many aspects of this service were rooted in tradition and that gave a sense of weight and authority to each action.

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

I found some of the more ritualistic parts of the service confusing at times. For example, the use of incense throughout the service was very disorienting to me. In my mind, incense was something that had always been linked with other religions, namely Buddhism and ancestral worship. Thus, seeing incense in the context of a Christian worship service was very strange. Additionally, my general lack of knowledge concerning the order in which to perform certain tasks (i.e. kneeling, crossing, etc) made the entire experience a bit disorienting. It was difficult to like a unified church under Christ when my ignorance made me feel like an outsider. 

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

Overall, I feel that this experience highlighted for me the majesty of our God. In my regular worship context, the messages, songs, scripture, and call to communion often emphasize the less daunting attributes of God--his grace, compassion, unconditional love, and mercy. Worshipping at St. Peter's really illustrated the fact that we worship a supreme and all-powerful God. While the other attributes of God were also mentioned throughout the service, the general attitude of the church leaders and attendees conveyed a deep sense of respect for God. While God does love us intimately, he is also to be feared and held in awe. 

Caleb Luk - Church Visit #1

Caleb Luk – Church visit 1

Church of the Resurrection

935 W. Union Ave. Wheaton, IL 60187

September 20, 2015

Significantly more liturgical

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

The worship service began with the hymn, Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise, praising the Lord for who He is. Afterwards, there was then a person who led the congregation to response titled the Celebrant. Inside the handout given, the words to respond with were printed out. In the church I regularly attend, there isn’t much within the handouts. The handouts of my church are more of an outline of the service rather than the detailed pamphlets that this church gave. The worship service also had multiple readings of Scripture from various passages of the Old and New Testament, not just the passage on which the sermon was based on. During Communion, there was the choice of either grape juice or wine. Also, there was gluten-free bread available for participants as well. In my regular church service, there is only grape juice and a wafer. At the end of the service, the Celebrant gave a blessing and dismissed the congregation.

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

The diversity in the way that the service used the gifts present was truly incredible. For example, the music group did not only consist of the contemporary style – guitarist, bass, drums, and singers, but also had a choir of various age as well. What made the choir even more interesting was the fact that the conductor of the choir was a college student. To see that the church was willing to allow someone who was fairly young lead the choir group was great to see. Another aspect that diversity was seen was that the leaders of the service had both genders helping out. There was a woman deacon as well as a man deacon. I thought this symbolized well the fact that God has given gifts to all people. To see that the church allowed men and women to serve with the gifts that God had given them was a great testimony to God’s work within the church.

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

There honestly wasn’t much about the worship service that made me disoriented. Having visited another Anglican church, I was aware of the liturgical aspect. What I still was adapting to was the fact that it wasn’t the head pastor who was giving the sermon. From a participant’s perspective, the Celebrant with the robes that he wore seemed to deem him as the one leading the congregation in the service. To have one of the deacons give the sermon was a bit of a surprise to me.

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

I think that by not having the head pastor give the sermon alluded to me that the sermon was not the focal point of the service. Communion was the main focus in the service. The head pastor lead the service in this point of the service, and the choices in song during this time pointed to the importance of this action. I was reminded that the Christian life is not about amassing knowledge of who God is, but rather it is a relationship with Him. Communion reminded me that I am utterly dependent on God to live a life that is bringing me closer into His likeness. If it was not for His sustenance, I would not be able to go through life. By partaking in the Lord’s supper, I am strengthened and nourished to travel on the journey.

Krista Schuh- Church Visit #1

Krista Schuh- Church Visit #1

Church name: Karen Baptist Church

Church address: 2001 Lakeview Dr. Wheaton, IL

Date attended: Sep 13^th, 2015

Church category: Different ethnic or racial demographic

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

I attended a worship service at a Karen Baptist church with the family that I tutor in ESL. It was very different than my regular context on the surface, but still unexpectedly similar in many ways. The congregation used another church’s facility after their service was over, and started the service around 1:30pm (much later than any church I’ve attended). The 40-person congregation was seemingly wholly comprised of Karen people, similar to my family of Burmese refugees who had been living in Thailand before moving to the States. Though I couldn’t understand the words being spoken (the entire service was in Karen), the structure of the service was very familiar. First, there was worship (about 7 songs, a mix of hymns and other lively, contemporary worship), then the children were dismissed, the offering was taken, and then the sermon was preached (which was also slightly longer than sermons I’m accustomed to). After the sermon, the kids came back in and many sang a worship song together, then the whole congregation sang the doxology (again, in Karen) and was dismissed to help tear down.

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

The intensely communal aspect of the church was something very appealing and awe-inspiring to me. About half of the non-child congregation was up at the front as they sang worship songs. Even during the service itself, members would occasionally speak up and say something. Whether it was a page reference or a comment of great depth, I’ll never know, but the ability for church members to do that was very interesting and encouraging to me. It was clear that this is a tight-knit community of believers who care deeply about each other. After the service, nearly the entire congregation stuck around to eat McDonald’s together in honor of one of the member’s birthdays. Even though I was very clearly an outsider as the only white American there, they welcomed me in and insisted that I eat with them. A meal from McDonald’s has never seemed so appealing as it did in the company of those incredibly hospitable brothers and sisters.

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

Though simple and probably fairly obvious, the most challenging part about the service was that I could not understand the specifics of it as a result of the language difference. Though I understood the gist of the service, it was impossible for me to enter in at a level of depth with the brothers and sisters standing near me because of my inability to understand the service.

Apart from that obvious challenge, it was disorienting to see a group of people so culturally different from our society’s norm worshipping in largely the same way as the surrounding majority society. Though this was encouraging to me in some ways, it also brought many questions as to why they were choosing to follow the model of typical western churches. Of course this isn’t wrong, but it disoriented me nonetheless as I think of their experiences and unity as refugees.

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

Though this is a common theme when around believers who are unlike yourself, I was nonetheless struck by how amazing it is to be a part of the global Church. If the other members of the church are anything like the refugee family that I spend time with, the people I had the honor of worshiping alongside are some of the most persistent and loving people I’ve ever met. Though I could not understand the words they were speaking, about half of the songs sung were familiar melodies, including the doxology. It’s incredible to think of the incredibly strong bond we have in Christ with people that we often don’t even know exist. Though I did not directly hear or understand this from the message of the church itself, experiencing their church service with them led me to a better understanding of and excitement for the time when every tribe, tongue, and nation comes before the throne of the Lamb of God and worships him.

Chris Kil - Church Visit #1

Church name: Iglesia del Pueblo (Wheaton Bible Church)

Church address: 27W500 North Ave, West Chicago, IL 60185

Date attended: September 20, 2015

Church category: Different racial/ethnic background

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

The structure of the worship service at Wheaton Bible Church was very similar to that of the church service I regularly attend at Restoration Community Church (in Naperville.) The praise team leader welcomed the congregation (children and adults together) and said a few words before leading us in worship. In between the praise songs, the leader asked for us to greet each other and we did so by shaking hands and saying "hello." After praise, the younger children were dismissed to their classes. This was followed by a time for offering/tithing in which the ushers would pass the offering plates aisle by aisle. Then the service transitioned into the sermon; the pastor came to the podium and preached, continuing his series on Jesus and the ten commandments. After the sermon, the praise band came up once again for the closing praise and the pastor led the congregation in a short time of confession before ending the service with the benediction. The only major difference that I could point out was the benediction. At Wheaton Bible Church, the pastor prayed the benediction over us while at Restoration Community Church, the pastor first sings the benediction (Numbers 6:24-26) a capella then the whole congregation sings it to one another.

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

I found the time of praise most appealing. Most of the songs were new to me but I was able to sing along with the rest of the congregation. I love how energetic and passionate the praise band sounded. In addition, I really appreciated the intentionality of the church members. When we were greeting each other, a few members came to me first to firmly shake my hand with a smile; some were sitting either on the opposite side of the pew or were in a different aisle and had walked up to greet me.

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

Perhaps what was most challenging and disorienting about the worship service was that it was entirely in Spanish. It had urged me to take all of the Spanish that I had learned in middle and high school out of my memory to piece together what the praise team leader was saying, let alone figure out what I was singing. By the time I had mentally translated one sentence, there was another full paragraph of words that I had to decipher. Thankfully, a friend who is a member of the church and speaks Spanish was sitting next to me to translate the majority of the sermon.

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

A mental image of Acts 2:2-4 immediately popped into my head as I was singing; this had never happened before. ("Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.") Through this service, I was able to really feel the Holy Spirit kindling a spiritual fire within the congregation as people would sing their hearts out in a language I am not nearly as familiar with compared to my native languages, English and Korean. The service really showed me that the church is global yet unified.

Jonathan Griffin - Church Visit 1

Church name: St. Michael Catholic Church

Church address: 310 S Wheaton Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: 13-Sep-2015

Church category: Significantly more liturgical

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

Upon entering the church, there were many things that seemed normal to my typical church service I have attended growing up. There were greeters, bulletins, and even a couple signs offering donuts in attempt to get more involvement from the church body. Other similarities included the congregation rising and reading the Bible together and worship through singing hymns (although there was no “worship band”). Surprisingly, many of the people around me were very casually dressed displaying many outfits of jeans, t-shirts, and even some hoodies. Apart from these similarities, there were many differences when compared to my typical Sunday morning service. This was the first time reciting a creed during a church service (and I was one of few in the room using the hymnal to remember the words). Many common phrases were recited throughout the service, many of which I was unfamiliar with. It was also very interesting to see genuflection before people entered their respective pew.

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

To me, the incorporation of long standing was strikingly fascinating. In a sense, this experience reminded me of God’s holiness. Often times at my regular church, it is not uncommon to see people drinking coffee, whispering to their neighbors, or eating their breakfast. The seriousness of tradition at this church reminded me of the respect God deserves and it stirred feelings of shame as so often I view church as a casual meeting. I enjoyed seeing and experiencing the long-standing traditions and liturgy of this church. The most interesting part of my experience was when the entire congregation knelt to pray. Overall, the aura of respect through tradition stuck me as an aspect of my faith I need to take more seriously.

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

Although all of the traditions and liturgy foreign to me were fascinating, it was difficult to grasp the meaning within many of the rituals and to understand what was happening when. Many of the short phrases that were repeated throughout the entirety of the service affirmed biblical truths I was familiar with, but the entire congregation recited them easily as if they had been doing the same thing for their entire lives. I attempted to follow closely the order of the service by following the bulletin and watching the people around, but I was inevitably lost with the lack instruction of when to kneel, when to stand, when to sit, and when to kneel again. Overall, the majority of my experience was very pleasant and enjoyable. Despite not knowing what exactly to do and why it is done, there is much value to be found in experiences outside of one’s comfort zone. This particular visit pushed me outside of the bubble I have grown up in.

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

Interestingly, the passage of scripture came from James 2:14-26 talking about how faith without works is dead. Specifically, the primary emphasis of the sermon was about the necessity of works and how crucial they are to one’s faith. Alternatively, this illuminated how important faith plays into the equation as well. The entire service was filled with traditions and rituals. Very easily, one could fall into the trap of going through the motions. James 2 needs to be coupled with Ephesians 2:5; although faith without works is dead; we are still saved by grace – not by any of our own actions. Being raised in a church where “saved by grace” is incorporated into a majority of sermons, its absence was evident in comparison to my personal church upbringing. Particularly, the contrast between this service and the tone of sermons I have heard growing up shed light on the importance of both faith and works.