Church name: Lawndale Christian Community Church
Church address: 3827 W. Ogden Ave.
Date attended: 9.25.2016
Church category: Lower socioeconomic
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
I felt instantly welcomed and refreshed the moment I walked in the door. There was something in the air that felt genuine and loving. The gymnasium was set with a square platform in the middle as the stage and the whole congregation was shaped in a layered circle around it. I've never seen a worship service set up that way before. The room was predominantly African American, which for my normal context, that is not the case. At first glance of looking at the service bulletin, it seemed very similarly structured to churches I've always gone to but as the service progressed there were many noticeable differences. After the corporate worship and announcements, the choir sang a few songs as a time of sitting and reflecting. The songs had themes of lamenting but also of hope, with many listening openly expressing a deep connection. In my normal context, people in the church aren't always that expressive. A part I really appreciated and have never seen at a large Sunday service was "Prayer and Praise." Two open mikes were left for any member of the church to share any prayer request or praises. At least 20 people lined up and weren't afraid to be open. There were tears, cheers, and rounds of applause. The love felt in the community couldn't be missed. Another difference was the presence of fifteen to twenty "Hope House" Men attending the service. They're all enrolled in a 9 month intensive program for reentry for drug addiction and felonies The room was full of a wide array of people from different backgrounds with vastly different stories, but all seeking the hope and truth of the gospel.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
As I began to mention above, I loved how genuine and open the congregation felt. I grew up Presbyterian where even raising your hands in worship wasn't common. The transitions and flow of the service wasn't neatly executed, but I loved it because it felt real and easy to relate to. There was a church I went to near Wheaton where the whole service, prayers, everything felt scripted and masked. We're all broken people and the church body should strive to be genuine with one another. A lot of the service was experiential, involving more action and the whole body. For example, when we prayed for one of the church members, everyone across the aisles held hands. There was so much professing of deep thankfulness for the love people felt within the church. There were moments where I couldn't stop smiling.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
There wasn't anything that stands out as particularly challenging in a negative way, but I was challenged in a good way by Coach's message. Coach is fantastic at using imagery and illustrations to illuminate his message. He shared a quick story about "tearing up the place" looking for his keys and how his wife finally found them. He then brought that to Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart." The question was then: are you "tearing up the place" to seek God?
The theology of space through the building was slightly disorienting, but in the best possible way. Because the congregation was shaped in a circle, I was able to make eye contact with other people and feel joined in responding to the worship service with one another. It visually looked like unity.
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 scripture reading was from Psalm 139:13-18, praising God "for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." I felt unified to the body of the church knowing that although we all have such different backgrounds, struggles, talents, etc., we were all "fearfully and wonderfully made" by our Father. Coach spoke from Matthew 7:3-5, which talks about taking the log out of your own eye before you try to take the speck out of your brother's eye. After all the reading I've been doing to understand Chicago history and African American history, this felt particularly important in this context. Racism is a log in people's eyes. The lack of examining your own life and striving to aim at the "right target" is a log in our own lives. I love that it wasn't a pointing of fingers or any bashing on a certain group, but a call to be brought low in humility. A call to be aware of hypocrisy.
I noticed there was a lot more direct prayer or reference to the Holy Spirit. One of the leaders called upon the Holy Spirit before he prayed for those with prayer requests. The acknowledgement of the Trinity was present throughout the service.
The truth of the gospel was living and breathing in Lawndale Christian Community Church.
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