Kira Dittman -- church visit #2

Church name: Warehouse Church

Church address: 308 E Galena Blvd  Aurora, IL

Date attended: 10/25/15

Church category: lower socioeconomic demographic

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

First and foremost, the worship service setting was quite different from the two contexts I’ve grown used to (a high-ceilinged sanctuary and a high school auditorium) as it was held in some sort of rundown building with narrow staircases, faded murals, and shabby brick walls. The music that was played, though, consisted of songs that it is quite common to hear at the nondenominational church I usually attend—“Oceans,” it appears, is equally loved by many different congregations. The structure of the service was not all that different from my usual experience: we opened with worship, heard announcements, and then listened to a sermon. There was one large anomaly to this rhythm, though: skits! Members of the congregation acted out both the announcement of a baked potato lunch next week and part of the text for the day. I found this quite enjoyable and very engaging, if unusual. Another difference in the flow of the service was that both the pastor and the congregants went about performing and taking part in the service in an extremely informal manner. At moments that weren’t exactly random but were not exactly planned, either, different people came up to the stage to ask for prayer or to give thanks. I found these “interruptions” mildly jarring at first (since I’m quite type A like all good Wheaton students) but after relaxing and simply attempting to take part in the service with the other churchgoers, I found the simply honesty of these breaks very refreshing. 

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

The convivial atmosphere and clear intentionality with which each of the worshippers had chosen to come worship at this church on this very morning stood out to me. Happily, the audience participation was all the more noticed by me because the frequent praises, laughter, and

call-outs gave me opportunities to cough without being too disturbing. Everyone who went up on stage (and there were many people, from the pastors, to the worship team members, to people who needed prayer) was referred to and referred to others by their first names. Rachel and I were recognized and applauded as a show of welcome, and two men who were there for the second time were also given special recognition. Quite honestly, what I liked the most was that this service had almost the exactly opposite feel of the Catholic Mass I attended for my last visit: instead of cool, disengaged, and routine, the service felt warm, relatable, and spontaneous yet natural.

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

When I stepped out of my car, the first thing I inhaled was cigarette smoke, and I realized that one of the (false) stereotypes I have constructed of Christians is that they are non-smokers. From then on I was certainly haunted by the feeling that I didn’t belong at this church. Though I had dressed much more casually than I usually do, I still felt that my purse was too eye-catching and my Bible too fancy. It was humbling and condemning to hear the frequent references to money and income (such as “most of us are lucky to have enough gas to get to work”) that so naturally rose from their lips and to hear the announcers describe the cost of certain events almost apologetically. But after I got over my initial discomfort, I very much enjoyed worshipping with this casual, no-nonsense, joyous crowd of bandana-wearing, mullet-rocking motorcyclists. I realized, however, exactly how the members of Warehouse would feel at my typical churches: anomalous. Why is it that the body of Christ has let socioeconomic standing come between its members?

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

This visit certainly reminded me that if only we took more time to step out of our comfort zones, we would receive a more complete picture of the church and how God is working in it. The message was on the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple and on Saul’s conversion. Ironically, this means I was listening to people in very humble circumstances talk to each other about humility. But there was no sense of bitterness or cynicism. When the long-haired, velvet-jacketed pastor described how we are all just as guilty as Paul (someone who happily presided over the deaths of Christian martyrs!) yet have the hope of Christ to rescue us from the guilt of our sins, I was forcefully reminded of my experience worshipping with inmates at Angola Prison in Louisiana on the Breakaway trip my freshman year at Wheaton. Both those men and the worshippers at Warehouse taught me just how good the grace of God is and how much we all need it. We are saved by faith, not works—how often do we forget this? Our lives are profoundly changed when we follow Christ, not necessarily because of outward blessing but certainly because of inner rebirth. These people had more of an eternal mindset than I usually do, perhaps because I think I’ve found so much security in this life. “All sinners welcome” reads the sign for Warehouse. Yes, they certainly are.