Krista Schuh- Church Visit #3

Krista Schuh- Church Visit #3

Church name: Lifeline Church

Church address: 1321 S Austin Blvd. Cicero, IL

Date attended: 10/25/15

Church Category: Socioeconomic

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

As most church services, there were many similarities and also some stark differences. Though I attend a PCA near Wheaton now, I grew up in a nondenominational church that grew in charismatic emphasis. So when I walked into the building, greeted by many hugs, and immediately heard a woman loudly praying and speaking in tongues, I was a bit thrown off but not completely disoriented. The structure of the church was similar to most I have attended: prayer, a few contemporary worship songs, tithe/offering, sermon, and more worship. There were some very distinct aspects though, including the bold outward expressions of members of the congregation (standing, verbal agreement, cheering, etc), the content itself of the sermon, and the planned “Deliverance Dance” following the sermon.

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

The sense of community, warmth, and passion at Lifeline was incredible. During my couple hours there, I was hugged more than I am in an ordinary couple days at Wheaton. There was so much freedom in expression of worship, with a dance team and 5 or so worship singers up front, and spontaneous singing and music. Whereas at my current church, lifted hands are distracting to those around, basically anything went during worship at Lifeline, which was incredibly refreshing and relieving for me. I spoke with a woman after who talked about how this church has been such a blessing to her and holds true to the fact that Jesus is their only lifeline. In thinking about the reality of the gospel, I really enjoyed such outward expression of gratitude and expectation.

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

Though it is something I really enjoyed and appreciated, there were times when such intense outward expression became a distraction, as it can be easy for me to be caught up in the spirit of performance in similar settings. Also, as was the case in my first church visit in the racially different category, I was the only person who looked like me. I went to this church by myself, so I felt pretty self-conscious when they asked the visitors to stand and I was one of two visitors, and the only white person in the entire congregation of about 100 people. Especially with the intense unity of the church, and mention of struggles and realities that aren’t the same for me, I felt as though I was intruding on sacred space. The members of the congregation were incredibly welcoming though, with many approaching me afterwards and warmly inviting me to come back. On another more trivial note, I was also pretty aware of my “whiteness” when it came time for the deliverance dance and I had grandmas around me who could dance significantly better. Again, the members of the church were incredibly welcoming, and even with my awful dancing, we were able to rejoice in worship together.

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 there were some aspects, as mentioned previously, that were challenging and disorienting, I am so thankful to have been a part of that church for a Sunday. The reality of spiritual warfare was something mentioned in the service, which was a good reminder for me. It reminded me that I have Christian brothers and sisters who are living and seeing that reality daily, which leads me to want to enter into prayer for and with them. Another thing that was incredibly illuminating was the way the congregation held onto the promises of God and maintained high expectations in the midst of difficult situations. The struggles the congregation mentioned facing (“where my next pair of shoes or job will come from”) were vastly different than those my typical churches are apt to discuss. The fact that this congregation holds on so tightly to Jesus as their “lifeline” is so encouraging and challenging to me.