Becca Hamilton - Church Visit #3

Church Name: Uptown Baptist Church

Church Address: 1011 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago, IL 60640

Date Attended: October 25, 2015

Church category: Different ethnic or racial demographic 

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

My experience was unique in the fact that I actually apart of the service as a member of the Wheaton College Concert Choir. We sang as the worship music for the service that Sunday. Though we sang mostly classical music and classical gospel style music, which is different from what the church is used to, the church responded very positively. Once we were finished singing, I noticed that the structure of the service was fairly similar to a church with my race as the majority, though they did take a very long section in the service to recognize all of the pastors and their families for their service to the church. Another aspect that was different was that the audience was much more lively and responsive than what I am used to. Even during our classical music and classical gospel songs they would stand, cry, and wave their hands in the air.

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

I really enjoyed the section of the service when the leaders of the church took time to recognize the pastors and their families for all they do. A leader from each group that meets in the church, like the women’s prayer group, the children’s department, the men’s prayer group, and the new member class, all got up to say how the pastors had impacted them. Even the children got up and gave the pastors crafts they had made. To take the time to recognize the hard work of the pastors and their families is something I have never seen, and yet is a real shame because the pastors of churches sacrifice so much for their congregation.  Though pastors are called to be humble, it was refreshing to see a congregation overflowing with gratitude by recognizing the pastors for their hard work.

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

The most challenging part of this service for me was feeling uncomfortable about being an all white choir coming into an almost all black church and singing classical music for a service that is usually rocking and dancing on a Sunday morning. Though I knew the pastors wanted us there and the congregation as incredibly kind, I still felt out of place in a way because we were doing something very out of the ordinary for this church. To be a minority in this situation and then do something out of the ordinary on top of that initially seemed to be asking too much. However, by the end of the service the congregation seemed to have appreciated the experience as much as I had.

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 saw more clearly the unity of the body of Christ through this experience. Though we were groups of different ethnicity and background, we came together to share in a very special time of worshiping the same God together. Even though in the moments leading up to the service I was uncomfortable about how the experience might be received, I learned that the people of Christ are very open and are able to worship together in different styles even if it is unfamiliar at first. I felt so loved as members of the congregation flooded me with hand shakes and hugs as we talked at the conclusion of the service. God truly is a unifying and all-encompassing God.