Daniel Phelps - Church Visit #1

Church name: St Michael Catholic Church

Church address: 310 South Wheaton Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: September 12, 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 very different from churches that I grew up in and currently go to now. There was a very strict and rehearsed order to it. Churches that I have gone to and currently go to frequently do not begin on time and no part of the service is viewed as truly "essential" with the exception of perhaps communion. My pastor on several occasions has cancelled his sermon in order to hear people's testimonies or continue praying and worshiping. Interestingly enough, I think that through a loose structure people find engagement in the service. At St Michaels, the rigid structure actually seemed to lead people to more involvement. Everyone would participate in kneeling at certain points in the service, singing and reading were responsive, everyone went up to take communion from the same cup. Altogether, it was a completely different experience than I have had with church.

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

I have always had this strange feeling when reciting things together at chapel or church where I feel like someone caught up in a mob or a cult. I've never truly understood why, but perhaps it is because usually I'm reading words off of a screen I've never seen before. When we recited the Nicene Creed together, due to having an understanding of it from class, I actually felt more of a spirit of unity than I ever have when reading as a body. I felt like I was connected to Christians across time and space, knowing that for more than 1500 years, Christians have been reciting this creed (aside: I also made sure to lower my voice for the filioque clause).

The other part of the service that I really appreciated was how connected the people seemed to be to the outside world. The prayers were not centered on events happening at St. Michaels, but rather broad, national prayers for politicians and global crises.

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

The most disorienting thing was probably going through the communion line and not participating, since I am not a member of the Catholic Church. I was planning on just staying in my seat, but my friend who I went with told me it would be better to go up. Other than that, it was a struggle to keep up with the flow of the service. At what points should I sit, kneel, or stand? Should I cross myself? Why does everyone go up to the fountain? The rituals definitely seemed foreign.

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

As I mentioned previously, I think that I really saw a good picture of what the "communion of the saints" should look like. I really appreciated the dedication to the tradition of Christianity. I did not find my theology by simply reading the Bible and figuring out what it says, rather I came to understand its meaning and significance through tradition. Looking across the time-span of Christianity adds an element of diversity, unity, and faithfulness that I feel like has often been overlooked in churches I regularly attended.

Meagan Jackson - Church Visit #1

Church name: The Faith Community of St. Sabina

Church address: 1210 W 78^th Place, Chicago IL 60620

Date attended: 9/13/2015

Church category: African-American Catholic church

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

St. Sabina is an African-American Catholic church on the South Side of Chicago. The worship service started with worship and praise, followed by readings and responsive prayers from a book of Catholic liturgical readings. The sermon was interspersed with songs, and the service ended with tithing, prayers, and communion.

The praise was different from my regular context in that there were a lot of repetitive songs, and a full band accompanied a small choir. Most people sang standing up with hands raised, although some people were also sitting down.

I really enjoyed the readings and responsive prayers because the outline was the same as the other Catholic masses that I have attended, however, they were read with a lot of enthusiasm. By reading the texts of Scripture slowly and with emphases, it was a lot easier to pay attention and take in all that the texts were saying.

The sermon was very different than what I have experienced up till now. It was based on 2 Cor. 10:3-6, and emphasized how we are victors in a spiritual war.

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

The most interesting part of the service was the type of songs that we sang and the mode in which we sang them. At first I was very surprised by the fact that there were no lyrics posted anywhere, so I did not know the words of the songs. However, after a few minutes, I realized that I could enjoy the praise and truly use it to bring glory to God, because I had to let the words sink in before I could sing them. This took the emphasis away from singing, placing it rather on a response to God’s goodness.

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

The most challenging part was the content of the sermon. Father Michael L. Pfleger centered his sermon on the idea that we are victors, and that we need to live with that as our identity and not let Satan win in our everyday lives. I agree with this statement, but for the first three fourths of the sermon, he did not emphasize where our victory comes from — that it is in Jesus that we are more than conquerors. This challenged me to think of my role in God’s kingdom as a more active participant.

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 worship service taught me that there is not a right way to worship. It was so freeing to see the people around me respond to the Spirit’s presence in whichever way they were comfortable with — by standing, sitting, raising their hands, calling out in agreement, or just sitting and contemplating. By encouraging this diversity among the worshipers, the worship felt more sincere and more corporate. Each member of the Body was expressing themselves in their own way, and this brought a fullness to the worship of the Body as a whole. I had not before applied the idea of each part of the Body having a role in the Church to praise and worship during a service.

Alexa Pontus - Church Visit #1

Church name: St Michael Catholic Church

Church address: 310 South Wheaton Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: September 12, 2015

Church category: More Liturgical 

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

My usual church context is a charismatic non-denominational church so this experience was a lot different.  I've grown up going to Mass several times a year because my mother's entire family is catholic, so nothing was terribly shocking about the service for me.  The service is significantly different in terms of structure - namely that it is so structured.  I'm used to the loose structure of worship songs, announcements, sermon, worship songs that is pretty typical of a lot of non-denominational churches; however, a Catholic service is very structured because they also follow a liturgical calendar that determines the weekly topics.  It's very different to see that determined by a governing body since my church has only lose affiliations with other church bodies.

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

I love that Catholic churches honor tradition as much as they do.  We recited several different creeds, including the Nicene Creed that we just talked about in class. It's nice to see a level of unity within the Catholic church that is not found in the majority of churches that I'm familiar with; the prayer for church leaders including the pope and the local bishop as well as those suffering in the church at large were evidence of this.  Second, I greatly admire the Catholic reverence for the Eucharist.  Catholic believers have a respect for communion that is rarely found outside of Catholic and Orthodox traditions.  This contrasts heavily with my home church where we talk it maybe three times a year, which fails to stress the importance of the sacrament to the Christian life.

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

I very much missed the contemporary Christian worship element in the Catholic service.  Although some Catholic churches I've attended will include contemporary songs, St. Michael's was very traditional in the use of hymns.  It's not that one worship style is better than other - rather, I've become accustomed to singing several songs to position my heart in an attitude to receive from the sermon.  For me, music is a very central part of the experience of Christian worship.  In addition, because this was not my usual context, I felt very out of place trying to recite the liturgy and find the correct places in the hymnal when everyone around seemed to already know the pieces of liturgy by heart.  As someone who does not come from a liturgical context, it is difficult to keep up with the pace and rhythm of the service, but undoubtedly for regular attenders it becomes like second nature.

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 Catholic church has an incredible respect for tradition, as I mentioned above, that illuminates the connection between the Church today and the Church throughout history.  The sense of unity is much more concrete within the Catholic context than in many evangelical situations.  Christians have tended to divide themselves from each other along theological lines, yet the Catholic branch remains steadfastly united to one another under common leadership which I think is something important that  many churches have lost.  Considering the ethnic and socioeconomic make up of the Catholic denomination, there is a lot more respect for diversity; even within St. Michaels I was struck by the difference among many of the congregants.  There is something very holistic about the body of Catholic believers that makes it incredibly appealing and enlightening coming from a non-liturgical background.

KC Gouthro - Church Visit #1

Church name: St Michael Catholic Church

Church address: 310 South Wheaton Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: September 12, 2015

Church category: Significantly More Liturgical 

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

If you would have seen me at St. Michael Catholic Church tonight, it would have been obvious that I was experiencing a service much different than what I am used to. From the moment I entered, I had to follow the lead of those in front of me by dipping my fingers in the Holy Water, grabbing the worship guide from the baptismal fount, and finding a seat. Throughout the entire service, I fumbled through the hymnal trying to find the appropriate Gospel Acclamation or Profession of Faith in time to at least join in for the last few lines. I relied on the people in the pews ahead of me to know when to stand, sit, kneel, or make the sign of the cross. All of these things were new experiences for me, but they were generally similar to the components of the worship I am used to including prayer, singing, and listening to scripture readings and a message with some kind of call to action meant to be applied to the coming weeks. 

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

What I found most appealing was the constant reminder that I was taking part in traditions that have been occurring in the Catholic church for centuries. Everything from the beautiful stained glass windows to the priest's robes made me think of people in the past saying or singing the same words that we were, which is a thought I never have considered during one of my church services (outside of the reading of scripture). I was also intrigued by the manner in which the Eucharist was performed, complete with ringing bells and all. This made me think more deeply about the formality of communion. I feel this formality can be played down in my church where communion seems to be more of a casual family event. After all, we are approaching to the Lord's table, which I feel must be done with a great measure of respect and formality. That being said, I would still like to be able to better connect emotionally while taking part in communion, which was difficult to imagine doing within the formal structure. I would like to find a balance of a family-like and formal approaches in the future.

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

I was very disoriented by the scripted nature of the service as well as the many changes in position the congregation made throughout the hour. I could find no pattern in the timing of kneeling, sitting, or standing and was always a few seconds behind everyone else when it came time to move. I also had a very hard time connecting to the service because of the lack of emotion in the liturgy. Even the priest's small teaching seemed to be detached, making it hard for me to stay focused and take his message to heart. Prayers also appeared to be lines said by memory out of obligation, as very few people in the congregation folded their hands, bowed their heads, or closed their eyes, which are all very common during prayer in my nondenominational context. That being said, I learned a lot about the discipline involved in a Catholic Mass.

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 emphasis of the message was strong and clear: faith without works is dead. Approaching from my nondenominational background, this seemed to be pretty stereotypical of the Catholic church. That being said, it did serve as a good reminder that hypocrisy of those within the church can be very harmful for people who already know Christ as well as for those who do not. My usual context does always include some kind of call to action or life-long homework assignment pulled from scripture, but I cannot recall the topic of faith without works being brought up in the recent years. The priest made a point of saying we should answer Jesus' question of "Who do you say I am?" through actions rather than words, showing the world His character rather than simply talking about it. I found this to be a clear and beautiful illumination.

Amanda Short - Church Visit #1

Church Name: Church of the Resurrection 
Church Address: 935 W. Union Avenue, Wheaton, Il 60187
Date Attended: 9/6/15
Church Category: More Liturgical

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar or different from your regular context?
 One of the first differences that I noticed attending an Anglican church was my own absolute dependence on the bulletin - all 23 pages of it. In my normal context, I interact with the bulletin only as long as it takes me to flip through and find the sermon notes. Having been raised in a nondenominational church, I knew very little of the liturgy that most of the obviously long-term attenders recited from memory. Another major difference that I noticed was the reverence shown toward the Gospel reading from Mark. Not only did we stand and recite a small bit of liturgy, but what stood out especially to me in particular was the "Alleluia" chant sung before and after the reading, with the Deacon's ritualistic handling of the text. Finally, the length of time devoted to communion was much longer than what I am accustomed to. 

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
 I have to admit to being a bit proud of myself for being able to recite The Apostles' Creed from memory with the rest of the congregation, despite never having done so at my home church. Especially after our class lecture touching on the importance of tradition, I appreciated the fact that I was able to participate in the communion of saints with Christians past and present through this creed. It served as a reminder for myself of my position in the larger timeline of the Christian faith. Even more so I loved the prayer of confession immediately following the recitation of the creed. I've recently been bothered by the lack of confession within my own church context, making this my favorite part of the service. 
Overall I think that these two elements added a dimension of humility to the service. 

What did you find most challenging or disorienting about the worship service?
 It was definitely a humbling experience to attend a service during which, try as I might, I couldn't fully blend in. I'm sure that the people nearby me could tell that I wasn't familiar with an Anglican service. One could definitely say that I was disoriented. However, I felt a certain amount of connection and unity with the congregation as we participated in the service synchronously. I enjoyed being able to verbalize my beliefs and agreement with the liturgy. I was also a bit startled by the ritualistic aspect of some of the parts of the service, such as when the Deacon lifted the Bible above her head before and after reading from Mark. My initial reaction was discomfort at the idea of a physical object being shown such piety, but after a minute I considered the fact that this was meant as a recognition of the sanctity of God's word and gospel as opposed to the physical copy itself. 

What aspects of scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context? 
  As I already mentioned, several aspects of the service fostered a sense of humility. The Apostles' Creed emphasized a communion with and respect for past brothers and sisters in the faith. The Confession of Sin obviously exercised acknowledgement of our own insufficiency and brokenness. Even the simple act of standing for the Gospel reading and other portions of the service imparts a self-denying attitude missing in many less liturgical churches, in my opinion. The taking of communion was longer than I am used to, but the longer process helped me to dwell on the significance of the Eucharist in a way that is harder to attain in my normal context. 

Karis Barker-Church visit #1

Church name: Iglesia Cristiana Community Christian Church
Church address: 76 S. LaSalle Street Aurora, IL 60505
Date attended: 9/6/15
Church category: Nondenominational, significantly lower socioeconomic demographic, and primarily Latino-American congregation

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The service was very similar to my regular context in terms of length and structure: 3 songs, announcements, a brief time for greeting people sitting nearby, the message, communion, tithing time, and wrap up with a prayer or benediction. That said, there were several differences that I noticed. One of the most obvious differences was the size of the congregation. I am used to a service with around 500 people and this church had maybe 25. The bilingual English/Spanish emphasis and primarily Latino audience of the service was also a key difference. Although not necessarily an aspect of the the service itself, I noticed quickly the lack of air-conditioning that normally welcomes me as I enter my home church during the hot, summer months. Whether by cultural preference or financial prudence or both, this church was not freezing cold. Financial prudence was also reflected in the building and interior design of the church.  

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
Most of the things that were different between my usual experience and this new experience are the things that interested and appealed to me. I like the idea of a smaller congregation because it tends feel more intimate and more authentic–not that large congregations can't achieve intimacy and authenticity but I think smaller congregations can more easily facilitate that kind of atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere, lack of air conditioning made me feel like I was in a different country. I think the United States boasts the most liberal usage of air conditioning of all the countries in the world. Any way, the temperature and singing/listening in Spanish and English brought me back to my church experiences in Costa Rica and Nicaragua this past summer. The humility of the church building itself was a refreshing reminder that the church is a people, not a just a physical structure. 

The aspect of the service that I think I most appreciated at this church was the transparency about church struggles. The pastor talked about how the children's ministry director and worship leader had left the church to do mission work in Mexico and that he had to improvise until he could find replacements and as consequence, certain plans for the church would have to be postponed. He then invited the congregation to get involved in the church's ministries if they felt so called. 

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
I don't know if this was coincidence or not but I noticed that the Latinos and Caucasians attending the service generally sat on different sides of the sanctuary space. Also, there were two very vocal babies that babbled throughout the service which was kind of distracting. This is very trivial but singing worship songs that I am not used to singing was a bit of a challenge as well. 

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context? 
My biggest takeaway from the message was that prayer is about changing myself as much as it is about changing the situations that I pray for. The pastor referenced Luke 11:5-13 with the persistent friend who finally got his request granted because he wouldn't give up. The pastor made it clear that if something is worth praying for, we should pray for it many times. He used the personal example of his father who finally found Christ after his wife prayed for his salvation for 25 years; that is definitely a persistent prayer.  

Anna Jakubiec - Church Visit #1

Church name: St. Michael Catholic Church

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

Date attended: 9/6/2015

Church category: More liturgical

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

I attended my roommate’s church. She’s Catholic, so it seemed to be the obvious choice. I’ve been in Catholic churches before, but only for funerals and weddings, so it was helpful for me to have someone’s lead to follow. The service was structured quite differently from what I’m used to, which is fairly simple and intuitive. In my church, we have an opening prayer, a handful of songs, a sermon, and a closing song and prayer; at St. Michael, singing, prayer, and Scripture readings were interwoven in a complex liturgy. The style of song was much older and more traditional than the worship I’m accustomed to; unsurprisingly, a lot more tradition and ritual stood behind the format of the service. In some ways, there seemed to be more interaction within the congregation through physical motion and vocal responses in prayer and Scripture reading.

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

As of recently, for various reasons that are not all spiritual in nature, I’ve begun to find liturgy fascinating. In short, everything about the church intrigued me. I loved the way it looked, the stained glass and the crucifix and the hard wooden pews. On the whole, I was aesthetically very drawn to the place. I loved how many children there were. I especially loved how much motion was incorporated into the service. It kept my blood moving to genuflect before entering the pew, to cross myself, to stand and sit and kneel and the appropriate times (even though I didn’t always catch on immediately to when those times were). Everyone was always moving, but they did it together. It really brought home to me the feeling of being part of a body in a way that sitting in a pew to simply hear a sermon does not.

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

Though I loved them, the rituals disoriented me. Everyone around me knew what they were doing and how they fit into this, like cogs in a watch, but it led to me not having any idea what to do or say or when to do and say it. The number of people speaking together also made it hard for me to simply listen in; their voices all blended into each other to some degree, so it was hard at times to pick out what they were saying. Another thing that stood out to me, although it didn’t surprise me, were the number of images of a really pale Jesus. I love stained glass, but in my church we tend to be pretty sparing of iconography; the only pictures we do have in my church at home show him as a darker-skinned man. Since an awareness of Jesus as a Middle Eastern Jewish man is something that’s becoming increasingly important to me, it did make me somewhat uncomfortable.

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

In all honesty, I found it rather difficult to hear a lot of what was being said, for aforementioned reasons. However, one of the things that I got out of the amount of movement during the service was a sense of corporateness and the body of Christ. In my own context, I often feel isolated. Partly because I don’t put the effort in that I should to be in community with those around me, but partly because my church looks at people more as individuals than a body. At St. Michael, the sense that everyone there, including the children, seemed to know what they were doing and what their place was—to me, it seemed like a way of physically embodying the theology about how Christ lives in us. There was talk about Jesus meeting individual needs, but everyone was joined in the act of worship together, too.