Ben Norton - Church Visit #2

Church name: St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church 

Church address: 455 79th Street, Burr Ridge, IL

Date attended: 11/1/15

Church category: Different racial demographic (Egyptian)

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

Upon entering the church sanctuary, members gave the sign of the cross. The worship service opened with burning of incense and a blessing. As a regular attendee of Rez, this was nothing unfamiliar. The service was given in three languages--English, Coptic, and Arabic--by the priest, Abuna (Father) Samuel. Languages were used interchangeably with no apparent pattern. While the liturgical style presented was familiar, they sang or chanted the liturgy rather than reading it communally. This replaced the typical congregational singing. Vocals (performed by the priests) were accompanied by the clanging of symbols. While the service was conducted in a rigid manner, at several points the priest interrupted the ceremony, at one time during the Eucharist. Commotion in the foyer caused him to pause communion and scold the congregation for disrespecting the Eucharist. This is something I have never once seen in a church setting. The sermon was about Halloween--the Celtic history, the change to All Saints Eve, and the return to "demonic" practices. Father Samuel condemned Christian celebration of Halloween. In our culture, it is highly unlikely the church would take this stance, as Halloween has become a part of American culture. He raised fair points, and I am inclined to believe most of what he said. The length of the service was another fundamental difference. While the sermon was brief--probably no more than twenty minutes--the orthodox mass was about four hours.

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

I really enjoyed the use of liturgy--they drew a lot from Basil of Caesarea. Reading of the Orthodox Creed, which largely resembled the Nicene Creed, was repeatedly performed. I also really appreciated the symbolism. As expected in an Eastern orthodox church, symbolism was critical in everything they did. For instance, while reading liturgy, actions near the center altar took place, such as covering the bread with a cloth and placing a smaller cloth on the top. This was representative of Christ's body being separated from us upon crucifixion, and the seal being placed on His tomb. Toward the end of the mass, the cloth was removed, representing His resurrection. Numbers were also key: three alters = Trinity, five holes in bread = Gospel of Luke, seven loaves of bread = Gospel of Matthew, yeast in the bread = pervasiveness of sin. I really appreciated the traditional aspects of the service. It all pointed to God's Divinity and Sovereignty. 

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

The language barrier and deep rooted Orthodox traditions and practices were very disorienting. Thankfully, a woman named Sally approached us within five minutes (we stuck out) and offered to interpret for us. She brought us to the front row and walked us through everything. Still, a lack of understanding limited what I could take away from the liturgy, which lasted about two hours. The liturgy also had no apparent rhythm, so even when parts were read in English, I could not follow along. It was also confusing as to when one should stand and sit. Even with some direction from Sally, it did not seem obvious. Throughout the service, men and children of the congregation were on the stage near the alter, but women were not allowed. Similarly, women were required to wear head coverings during the Eucharist. This seems more backwards than it does traditional. chanting liturgy. Throughout the service incense was burned and spread throughout the church. While I am accustomed to some incense at Rez, this was intoxicating. At times it was nauseating and very disorienting. Also, their use of Theotokos and use of Marry as an intermediary at times was alarming. 

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

Unquestionably, all aspects of the service stressed God's Divinity and Sovereignty. The white garb and standing of the congregation as the priest stepped away from the alter toward the pews stressed God's holiness. The gorgeous stained glass, solid gold plate for bread, immaculate carvings, and liberal use of incense honored God's Divinity. The congregation clearly realized that our God is worth our seemingly exorbitant charities. During the Eucharist, the women's covered heads revealed a reverance for God that is absent in most Protestant churches. Similarly, men and women bowed--faces, hands, and knees on the ground during prayer. This experience also revealed that churches which I have attended often get things right, most notably the humanity of Christ. Christ would not require such ritualistic worship. He would probably appreciate the lavish gifts like incense, but condemn the teaching that some of the altar rituals were necessary. The Halloween message was also elucidated in this context. Our culture is so caught up in being politically correct and giving everyone the freedom to act as they please, that we miss out on what God has commanded us to do. He calls us to condone actions that promote love, and condemn actions that promote evil and violence. 

Rachel Thomson - Church Visit #3

Church name: Second Baptist Church - Wheaton 

Church address:  1520 Avery Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: November 1, 2015

Church category: Different Ethic or Racial Demographic 

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

For starters, the worship service was significantly longer than what I am used to.  Kira and I arrived for service at 10:15 only to emerge three hours later surprised by the liveliness and constant movement required of us throughout the entirety of the service.  The service began with gospel worship led by six talented women and carried into scripture readings, an alter call for the needy and sick, further worship and announcements, a sermon, and finally an offering and benediction.  Throughout every aspect if the service, the speakers, whether congregation members or pastors, spoke and prayed with vigor and expectation, calling on the almighty God whom they so evidently believed would come through for them.  Something definitely different than my normal church context was the introduction of each guest to the congregation.

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

The most appealing aspect of the worship service was the emphasis on welcoming and loving fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Although I was initially uncomfortable sharing my name and reason for coming to Second Baptist with the entire congregation, I realized the purpose in the exercise as I was greeted and welcomed by more than 15 church members throughout my time at Second Baptist.  Although I obviously stood out among my African American brothers and sisters, I left feeling welcomed and loved.  Another thing I appreciated about the service was the exclamations of joy and recognition of God’s power and work I heard spoken and sung during worship, prayer, and preaching.  Praise of God’s power, provision, and faithfulness was an undercurrent of the entire service, providing a platform for many challenges to be given to church members regarding how they spent their money, time, etc.

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

The most challenging part of the service was the worship, prayer, and preaching style.  Although I found it refreshing to listen to and observe the joy they found in the Lord, I found myself wishing multiple times that there could be a more quiet time where I could personally approach God or reflect on what was being sung or taught.  Another challenging thing, more so than the first, was the feeling of being the “other.”  The message was on the appropriate response to the problem of African American murders by police in American.  Although the preacher addressed the issue well and challenged the congregation with sound Biblical truth that in no was meant to target white people, I nonetheless felt a sense of being “the 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?

The content of the message given by the preacher reminded me of the power of the devil and our place as Christians in continual spiritual battle.  At one point in the service, the preacher said,  “The greatest trick the devil played was convincing the world that he didn’t exist.”  This struck me because I realized in how many situations I have seen the truth of this in my life.  How often do we mask the actions of the devil by just saying, “that’s just how the world is.”  The preacher at Second Baptist reminded me firstly that the devil is the ruler over this fallen world and has power, but secondly that the devils power is simply laughable in comparison to our almighty God who is always for us.  Just because we are on God’s side, however, does not mean that we should not be alert to the attempts of the devil.

Kira Dittman – Church Visit #3

Church name: Second Baptist Church—Wheaton

Church address: 1520 Avery Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: 11/1/15

Church category: Different racial demographic

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

Liturgically, this worship service was very similar to the order of service at my childhood Lutheran church. We opened with a few worship songs and then proceeded through a scripture reading, announcements, greetings, the sermon, communion, and the benediction, all interspersed with more times of worship. What stood out at the service was the time they took to welcome us as visitors along with a few other guests and the long stretch of time allowed for people to walk around and greet one another. I greeted at least a dozen people and still felt rather anti-social compared to the rest of the congregants. The main difference was, of course, that this church’s congregation is virtually entirely African American while my regular church contexts are mostly white. The service’s mood, music selections, and length all reflected the racial demographic of the congregation and made them stand out from my usual experience. 

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

What I liked most about the service was the engaged attitude of the congregation. I have always loved sitting in services with lots of what I call response-style listening (such as yelling “preach!”) going on even though I would be extremely conspicuous if I did such a thing in my regular churches. I loved the shared love and experience that I could sense flowing from the choir to the pastor to the old woman in the pew in front of me. The constant proclamations of blessedness and songs of thanksgiving also touched me. So easily, I think, white Protestant church services can take the tone of a bunch of naughty children having been gathered to realize what they did wrong, to repent, and to walk out feeling mildly assured and hopeful. But at Second Baptist, you can tell the primary reason for gathering is simply to worship God, and that includes giving thanks for things most people take for granted like a roof over your head and clothes on your back. Forgiveness is, miraculously, part of the deal, but God is due his glory no matter what he chooses to do or not do for us.

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

The worship and prayer style was a little beyond my potential for enjoyment, simply in terms of volume and unfamiliarity, though obviously the second factor would change over time. The simple, repetitive lyrics of African-style worship songs can be powerful, but I will admit that I prefer the well-formed lyrics of classic hymns and more “white” melody lines. The loud, exclamatory preaching style also disoriented me a bit though I did really enjoy the pastor’s line of thought and how he made Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians come alive to the congregation. Also, since the message was geared towards convincing Christians to rise up and tackle the evil principalities of our contemporary America, I felt myself being implicitly included in the “other” group of our society. This feeling was certainly due more to my cultural preconceptions about racial communities than anything the pastor said, but it was hard to overcome nonetheless.

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 first aspect of theology that I saw more clearly today than I ever did growing up was the communal nature God intends our faith to have. Israel was not just a bunch of chosen individuals, but a chosen nation. Similarly, the body of Christ as a whole are now chosen for faith together. I think that the long greeting time at the church and the team-led worship really illuminated this for me. So much emphasis is put on developing a personal relationship with God in my typical settings that it is easy to forget how God wills for us to live and share the gospel in community and how much easier it is to do so when you are not walking alone. Second, the sermon and songs identified God as provider and defender in a very concrete way. Hearing worshippers exclaim their blessedness for having things like a house and a job was really refreshing and reminded me that all good gifts really are from God, not things we have secured for ourselves. Also, the message that if we fight for justice, we will surely win in the end because God is on our side clearly struck a chord in the audience, and I wish I lived out this belief more wholeheartedly in my own life.

Karis Barker - Church Visit #2

Church name: Wheaton Chinese Alliance Church
Church Address: 1748 S Blanchard St, Wheaton, IL 60189
Date attended: 9/13/15
Church category: Different ethnic or racial demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The largest difference between my home church and the Wheaton Chinese Alliance Church was definitely the size, both in terms of the congregation and the sanctuary space. Each of the three worship services at my home church draws about 600 attenders, though the space can hold about 1,000 easily whereas the WCAC service that I attended had about 70 people in sanctuary that could seat about 150. I found the size difference refreshing: its easy to feel like more of a number than a brother or sister in Christ at a really large church.

To be honest, I was quite surprised at the amount of Caucasians at WCAC. I realize now that attending the English worship service probably had something to do with that. I would say that the ratio of Asians to Caucasians was about 50:50. In that respect, the demographic was similar to my home church. The Cantonese and Mandarin services, I assume, have many more Asian attendees.

Another aspect of the service that contrasted my home church experience was the modest worship ensemble. My home church has a large worship team with a hired worship leader and a fancy tech. booth (drums, guitars, multiple singers, piano/keyboards, etc.) whereas the WCAC had a few student/volunteer musicians with basic equipment. While I'd admit that it's nice to sing along with professional-sounding worship music, I think there is a fine line between worship and concert that my home church has occasionally come close to crossing.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
The size of WCAC was appealing to me, but also the sermon topic of creation care. As a biology major, this subject is particularly meaningful to me. I don't think many Christians realize that being stewards of creation is not just the job of tree-huggers and the Environmental Protection Agency. It is something that all Christians can participate in, even if that means just decreasing shower time by two minutes or using cloth grocery bags.

Though it wasn't actually a part of the worship service, an announcement was made for small group meetings after the service to discuss creation care over lunch or coffee. I wish my home church was better at promoting fellowship opportunities like this; I suppose it's easier with a smaller congregation.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
Overall, the worship service wasn't too far out of my comfort zone. If I had to choose something, I would say that the most disorienting or challenging thing about the experience was probably the technical difficulties that occurred when the church leaders tried to project a brief video presentation as well as the modest sound of the musicians.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?
Ben Lowe was the guest speaker for the service that I attended and he spoke on Creation Care. I remember hearing a similar message from him when he spoke at Wheaton College chapel a while back so nothing was brand new but the following quote was an interest nuance to his message from this WCAC service that has stuck with me:"worry more about genetically modified church, not genetically modified food". I don't remember exactly the context of this quote, but it is an interesting point. Sometimes we are more (or less) concerned about things than we should be. And creation is indeed something the body of Christ should be concerned about.

Madeline Baltzer - Church Visit #3

Church name: DrPage African Methodist Episcopal Church

Church address: 4300 Yackley Ave, Lisle, IL 60532

Date attended: 11/1/15

Church category: Church of a different ethnic demographic

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

I attended the 8:15 service at the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Located in Lisle, the congregation was very well-to-do and dressed to the nines for Sunday worship. It was Communion Sunday, so the service was more tame according to one member who welcomed me. Still, the AME church was energetic. The worship band, which included piano, saxophone, keyboard, and percussion felt like a jazzy version of a traditional sound. They played throughout the service, helping to build the emotion of the service and bringing it to crescendo at certain points. I thought this was really cool and added a lot to the service. There was significant participation by the congregation in call-and-response speaking by the reverends. 

Of course, a very unique characteristic of this church is their welcome of visitors. They sang to me which was a very gracious welcome. In general, I felt like the church really cared about who was there, an interesting contrast to the church I attended last week. There was not only a greeting time in the middle of the service, but we all hugged those around us and held hands at the end.

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

I really enjoyed the worship band and found that very appealing. I also found the sense of unity in the church wonderful. People did not shy away from greeting each other, and I thought our holding hands and singing at the end was an outward expression of the connection we all have in Christ. When communion was served, we double-checked that it was ok for us to take communion and were told that "There's a place for everyone at the Lord's table." I really like this philosophy.

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

The thing that concerns me the most when I visit a church that is predominantly people from a different ethnic group is that they don't really want me there. The AME Church was founded to be a community of black Christians and the name of the church includes "African" in it. Clearly, they were hoping to minister specifically to blacks in the area; they wanted to create a community of Christians to support each other that is strengthened by ethnic ties. Racism definitely exists in the U.S. and the people at AME all understand what it feels like. I don't. There is also tradition of the type of energetic service I described earlier. For me, it almost feels like a cultural appropriation when I attend. I wonder if I'm taking something from them. However, several members specifically welcomed me to come again so I don't think I'm correct in thinking they feel this way.

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

Things were definitely not perfect at the service. The reverend speaking for the sermon was somewhat ill, but he humbly offered what he could. He spoke on how God can use us as small and imperfect people, and I felt that was true in the congregation.  The people singing were talented, but were by no means rockstars. Everyone was encouraged to join the choir or other church ministries even if they didn't have experience in. I really connected with this and found it to be something I don't often see in my normal context. Often we only participate in areas of the church in which we are "gifted." While I agree with that philosophy to some extent, I think we need to offer our weaknesses to God as well because He can use those too.

Denise Garcia- Church Visit #3

Church Name: St. Michael Catholic Church

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

Date Attended: October 29, 2015

Church Category: Liturgical (higher)

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

I attended a morning mass at 8 a.m. on Thursday. The church holds mass twice daily, one at 6:30 a.m. and another at 8 a.m. aside from their services on Saturday and Sunday.  The service was different from my regular context in many ways. Upon entering the church sanctuary, there is a pool of water, which I later learned was the baptismal pool to remind Catholics that they come to the Eucharist and are able to partake of the body and blood of Christ through baptism. Before each person sat in their pew, they knelt and made the sign of the cross (we did not do this, so it was very obvious we weren’t catholic). The mass also did not start with a time of worship; rather songs were inserted in between the liturgy. The mass ended at 8:30 a.m., and I was surprised by how short it was, especially the priest’s message. I think he took less than 10 minutes to preach that morning.

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

I found having to kneel at certain parts of the mass appealing, as it helped me recognize that I am approaching a holy God in prayer and worship. While God is personal and is my friend, it is also important to realize that God is the Almighty God and deserves utmost respect and reverence. He is to be elevated and glorified, and the act of kneeling down before God aided in fostering an attitude of humility, as well as remaining present in all aspects during the service. When the members took part in the Eucharist, I found it interesting that they all drank from the same cup. It highlighted the significance  of coming together as a community and as a body of believers to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

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

I was bothered by the slightly rushed atmosphere of the mass. At the end of the service, the priest leading the mass was standing outside the sanctuary to greet people, and I overheard him explaining to one lady that he was having issues with his back and was not feeling very well. I think this explained the urgent atmosphere of the entire mass, especially when he was preaching. It was also hard to figure out what was going on--when to pray, stand, sit, or kneel--because we did not have the booklet that contained the liturgy which guided the service.

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 worship service illuminated the rich roots of the faith to me. Though St. Michael was renovated fairly recently, when I stepped into the parish it was clear that it still resembled the earliest European churches built centuries ago. Some other things that pointed to the historical roots of the Catholic tradition included the special robe worn by the priest and children who also performed special rituals, statues and paintings of saints, and stained glass panels that depicted particular events in the Bible, as well as other spiritual images like the dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit.

Denise Garcia- Church Visit #2

Church Name: Lawndale Community Church

Church Address: 3827 W Ogden, Chicago, IL 60623

Date Attended: October 25, 2015

Church Category: Lower socioeconomic demographic

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

On Sunday I attended Lawndale Community Church whose members are mostly from the nearby low-income neighborhoods. Overall, the worship service I attended was similar to my regular context. We were welcomed by enthusiastic greeters, and the service included a call to worship, announcements, worship, and ended with a benediction. One of the differences included having the police commander of the district introduce himself and address the congregation asking them to pray for his work and help keep the community safe. Another difference is that before Pastor Wayne Gordon preached, he asked the children to come up on stage not only to pray for them and dismiss them to sunday school, but he also taught a short lesson to them as a way to connect the adult congregation with the children.

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

In their website, Lawndale Community Church states their mission is “to redeem the “Lawndale Community”... to bring holistic revitalization to the lives and environment of its residents.” The most appealing aspect of the worship service was Prayer and Praise where people stand and tell the congregation about things they’re grateful for and for those things they would want prayer for. I felt that the Prayer and Praise part was really powerful because it testified to the work God is continuing to do in Lawndale through the church and the other resources it provides. Prayer and Praise also allowed the people to be known by the community on a more personal level, and it also had a way of deepening the bond among the people in the church. I specifically remember when Pastor Gordon welcomed back a church member whose prayer request was answered through his restored health.

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

In his message that Sunday about emotions and the power of the tongue, Pastor Gordon used examples about crime and violence. It was hard to hear and realize that similar events of crime and violence happen on a regular basis in Lawndale and are very real and can even be considered part of what is normal for the church 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?

The worship service illuminated the power of Christ to me, especially His power to truly set people free. In Lawndale, having Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior means being able to live victoriously through Christ--free from things like drug addiction, participating in violent crimes, murder, and harmful and abusive relationships. Church members come without pretense; they come just as they are and testify openly about serious personal struggles. I don’t think I have ever heard so many personal testimonies about real and ongoing struggles in a regular Sunday service.