Anca Varvara

Anca Varvara – Church Visit

Church name: St. Sabina

Church address: West 78^th Place, Chicago IL

Date attended: October 30, 2016

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

            What was most uniquely different from my experience at my own church compared with my church visit was that St. Sabina is a Catholic church with the dominant demographic being African American. I really loved the service and found it refreshing. I have gone to Catholic churches and attended mass many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Catholic church shaped so deeply by the congregation. Even though I was new and felt different, I can describe how I felt as warm and inviting. I loved their painting of Jesus in the front as a black man. It was powerful and conveyed to me victory. What was similar to my regular church context was the worship. What struck me was that it is a Catholic church, but the worship style is charismatic. It was a really fun time.

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

            I enjoyed worshiping there and was refreshed in God’s presence. I think it was overall a blessing to be there. I also felt very welcomed, and I loved holding hands with the congregation at the last prayer of the service. I felt loved even though I was not known among the congregation. I received many hugs and sayings of peace as we departed. I was encouraged by their love for one another, for their community, and for myself, a stranger. I think compared to my church, it can be hard to feel known and loved by a congregation when it is so huge (my church being 5,000 on a weekend).  This was a very appealing aspect of my visit there. The change in church decoration and arrangement was also a switch from my regular church, but I found all the stain glass windows and art to be beautiful and captivating, especially, as I’ve mentioned, the painting of Jesus as black in the front.

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

            I had a great experience this morning, but I did find it challenging to think of this church and it’s community as one that I could also enter and join regularly. I feel like I would be welcomed, but I started to think and wonder what good it would be for me to go there. I’m also not Catholic so that is also a difference, but I wondered this morning what it means to be a vessel of love sent from this church into its community. I also was thinking of the ways I’m doing that now at my own church. I would say that it was a reflective experience for me this morning, dwelling on the concept of church and community and neighborhood. Since my church is so big, a lot of us are dispersed in the area, a heavy amount living in spaces that are wealthy. I was thinking a lot this morning about church and how it reflects community and the community that it brings and creates. I am wondering if my church is doing this, knowing that in many ways it does not. These were a few of my thoughts this morning.

How did the service help you to reflect on questions of wealth and poverty?

            The service was deeply tied to the daily life of the people. I found that they took a noticeable emphasis on the tithe and the congregation gave generously. Economics definitely shaped the service. I found it interesting that the announcements included sales going on at local grocery stores and different potlucks the church was hosting, inviting the church to a free meal. This definitely helped me reflect on the questions of wealth and poverty, because the nature of the service was affected by poverty and need. I found the church trying to fill the gap of need through their announcements and special ministries, including giving meals and different health related services. From my own church, this was very different, and it definitely has to do with the wealth spectrum. Wealth and poverty affects the church because it has to do so intimately with the people themselves and the lives they are living.

            

Kurt Pazdra II

Lawndale Christian Community Church
3827 W. Ogden Chicago, IL 60623
23, October 2016

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The worship service I attended had a greater focus on prayer than my usual church context. This focus on prayer seemed to directly relate to the violence in the community of Lawndale. While the violence in this community is unfortunate, there was a beauty about the way the Church responded; the Church was realistic about its circumstances yet hopeful, going to their heavenly Father with expectant, fervent prayer. The family at LCCC seemed to encourage one another to live amidst such dire circumstances in a way that reflects Christ’s love, to break the expectations for their community with selfless love. This is a tall order, yet I saw this Church as sincere in their desire to live as such. Even the lyrics in the songs they selected were shaped by the pain of their circumstances contrasted with hope in Christ, depending upon God to love when it is hard.


What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
In this service I found the practicality of the sermon uniquely appealing. The sermon clearly intended to meet the congregants in practical, tangible ways rather than merely be intellectually stimulating. My home church is like LCCC in this regard, and after having been to Church services in Wheaton which devote more time to theological speculation over practical application, I find the latter more appealing. The Pastor specifically spent great lengths of time teaching his congregation the Soul Shalom prayer and focusing on how to be peaceable when people cross you. Once again, the focus on prayer and love, reliance on God to thrive and not just survive, was reflective of the violence in the community of Lawndale at large. While there is definitely a time for theological speculation, the lack of need, urgency, and responsiveness among some privileged Churches probably does them more harm than good.


What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
The most disorienting part of the worship service was sitting in a round. This was not necessarily challenging in an uncomfortable way, but it made it hard to focus at times when I was easily distracted by people I saw in each direction. Usually I focus on the band during worship or the pastor during the sermon; at this service I had to crank my neck to see the band from where I was sitting. While the pastor taught from the center of the round, the remarks offered by the congregants were particularly distracting as I could see who was interjecting. I enjoyed this change because it helped me reflect on the importance of community, of a Church family. Having to see the gathered alongside you makes you feel closer to them. These are the people you have gathered to worship with today, who you call sister and brother.

How did the service help you to reflect on questions of wealth and poverty?The main question I reflected upon in regards to wealth and poverty is this: “How does socioeconomic privilege or lack thereof shape the praxis of a Church body? Reminiscent of Gutierrez, the focus of the teaching from this service primarily addressed praxis. Relevant Biblical advice was given clearly and repetitively because the pastor urgently desired for the congregants to thrive despite the challenges present in Lawndale. While all protestant Churches which I have visited address Church praxis to some degree, there is definitely a spectrum of difference between those Churches which tag brief application at the end of a long-winded theological oration and those which are more down to earth with a focus on daily living. A Church like LCCC may fit into the latter camp as a function of responding to poverty and violence in its community. Perceived needs in society directly shape a Church’s theology. 

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Joey Miser

Joey Miser

Church name: Lawndale Community Church

Church address: 3827 W Ogden, Chicago, IL 60623

Date attended: October 16, 2016

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

Before setting foot in Lawndale Community Church, I was already exposed to an unfamiliar setting. This urban church is situated in a primarily African-American community, standing in contrast to my normal suburban experience. Inside the church itself, more differences stood out. First, the platform stood in the middle of the large gym rather than at the end of a long chapel. Second, the worship itself lasted longer than I am accustomed, as a worship band, choir, and individual singer all took turns. Third, the call to welcome and shake hands with those around me lasted for minutes rather than my normal fifteen seconds. Fourth, the congregation was more vocal and interactive during the message.Throughout my visit, however, I noticed not only differences but also similarities to my regular context. First and foremost, an air of familiarity pervaded the building as I stood beside my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Second, the general structure was similar, though varying in length. Third, the sermon was more practical than simply theological–incorporating a deep desire to know God with an equally deep desire to have our lives shaped by the message.

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

The most appealing aspect of the worship service, to me, was the strong sense of community. From the central stage to the long greeting time, Lawndale was palpably focused on developing relationship. Even as an outsider, I felt welcomed by gracious smiles and kind hellos. Before the sermon, the pastor called winning members from a previous church activity to come up, giving them gifts. He also remembered a late member of the church, giving a lengthy description of his life, love of Jesus Christ, and continual impact on the community. In these ways the church communicated a deep longing for community. In addition, the pastor addressed the pain of the congregation and rehearsed tools to recite Scripture and overcome stress in difficult situation in order to rest in the peace of God. Overall, I found Lawndale to be an amazing church that not only made me feel welcome, but also showed me how passionately they seek meaningful relationship.

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

The most disorienting factors of the worship service were the difference in race and the different contextual sense of time. By no means were these  negative aspects of the church that I needed to overcome, they were simply different than my normal context, and I welcomed them with open arms. Yet I still found myself distracted by being a minority, excitedly wondering how to clearly communicate and love those around me. In addition, there was less emphasis placed on time. I did not think the service was taking too long, I just noticed every part was taking longer that I had apparently been used to experiencing at church. The greeting time was long enough that I felt awkward standing in my row, so I decided to venture out farther. But after this happened two or three times, I wished I had actually taken the time to go meet more people. Once again, even in the little things, Lawndale was faithful in building a culture that encouraged relationship.

How did the service help you to reflect on questions of wealth and poverty?

Even before we got to the church, the poverty of the city of Lawndale was more noticeable. The buildings, even though they had beautiful architecture, looked cracked, run-down, and neglected. In a lot of ways, however, it was incredibly refreshing and not scary as the culture I grew up in would have me believe. In essence, spending time in a culture different than mine and being in close proximity with those who are more poor was enlightening. From the moment we stepped in the church, we were met with genuine kindness. I do not know why, but this stood out against the backdrop of my normal experience, making the people at Lawndale seem more real and relatable. I think the lower level of comfort made the people in this church and community stronger. In Lawndale, I did not notice the same lack of zeal that I sometimes sense in my own church, and I did not get the impression that people came to church merely to check it off. The people genuinely wanted to connect. They were not as distracted, and I think this is a direct result of living in poverty rather than living in wealth. In short, my time at Lawndale felt like it really mattered, like I was deeply connected to the body of Christ in ways I usually am not. 

Erik Veker

Church name: Lawndale Community Church

Church address: 3827 W Ogden, Chicago, IL 60623

Date attended: October 16, 2016

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

At Lawndale Community Church, we were greeted warmly and welcomed easily. The worship service paralleled a lot of other protestant services that I have been to in a lot of ways, but was different in many other ways. For starters, the focal point of the service was the preaching. Secondly, there was an emphasis on singing praise songs. Thirdly, there was a segmented time where pastor Gordon had a “family gathering” so to speak where he shared his thoughts on the series that they had been in. It was more of a practical teaching than an expositor message on a passage. What made Lawndale different from my usual experience was the different styles of worship. At one point there was a female soloist who sang a worship song while the congregation engaged listening. Another song was sung by the choir, a more informal looking choir in the sense that they were wearing their normal clothes instead of robes or the like. The sound they produced was by no means informal. They performed a gospel song that blew the roof off of the place. It was one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard. Lastly, they sang a worship song as a community. The words were on the screens and everyone was participating. This was more like the experience I have had.

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

There were several things that I really took interest in. as you walked into the sanctuary, you notice that the stage is at the center of the room so that whoever is speaking or singing would be required to turn quite frequently if they wanted to engage the whole congregation. So, although you might only see the pastor face to face for about a quarter of the service, it requires them to engage with the whole church. I think this made it a more relaxed and yet personal experience. I took interest in the laissez-faire atmosphere that was shared. There is only one service per weekend and so the whole body is gathered at once. You wont miss anyone so long as you are there every Sunday. Also, the service didn’t seem to have time constraints. The service ended when it ended, not when the next service was pressing to start as in some other churches.

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

The toughest thing for me during the worship service was to be confronted with the segregation that still exists within churches. The churches that I have been apart of in the past have been almost entirely white. The congregation at Lawndale was much more diverse and primarily black. It was easy to see myself going back to Lawndale to experience something that was so different from a Wheaton context, but I had to check myself because I don’t want to view participating in a church like Lawndale as a check off the list of diversity participation. What we really need is to challenge the way things are in our churches and ask ourselves how we can build more diverse communities of believers in every city.

How did the service help you to reflect on questions of wealth and poverty?

Even driving to Lawndale, you’re confronted with the reality that there are huge divides in wealth across communities, but even streets. As we drove, I would be in a wealthy-looking neighborhood with well kept lawns and modern houses and within the span of the next block the reality was broken down homes and what appeared to be a much poorer standard. As I thought about it in Lawndale’s church context, it was interesting to have the new president for Northern Seminary preaching that day. Because he held a prestigious role at a nearby higher education center, I’m sure he makes a lot more money than some of the people at Lawndale, not necessarily all of them. This made for an interesting reflection for me and the guys I went with. I wonder how much a lower income family can take or relate to when someone who clearly lives in more wealth is bringing the word of God. Overall, my experience was one that I will cherish, reflect upon and grow to incorporate for a long time to come.

Abby Burgdorf

Church name: Lawndale Christian Community Church
Church address: 3827 W. Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL
Date attended: 23 October 2016

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular church context?
The church service was in a gym, and it was really unique because the stage was in the center of the audience, and multiple rows of chairs encircled it. A band played instruments along one of the far-side walls. The worship style was upbeat, gospel music. Flocks of people were coming into the worship service 10-20 minutes after it already started, but you never got the impression that the congregation judged other people's tardiness. About half of the congregation was singing along while the other half was hugging, kissing, and greeting one another. The emphasis seemed to be more on fellowshipping rather than participating in worship. Following the songs of praise, they had scripture readings from Psalm 56:3-4 and Romans 12:14-19, the choir came up to sing, they welcomed new members, they had a call to pray, and Pastor Wayne or "Coach" gave a sermon.
This church service was similar to my regular church context regarding the liturgy. At my church, we sing songs, have a scripture reading, do announcements, and have a sermon. What is also similar is that my church usually does a series for a number of weeks, which is what Lawndale was doing as well. Other than these similarities, however, my church is much different from Lawndale. I attend a predominately white, middle class church. This church has a mostly black, lower income congregation. During the service at my church, most of the congregation is not visiting with one another during worship, rather fellowshipping takes place outside the church service. Also, the call to prayer at Lawndale addressed the crime, violence, and suffering taking place in their community. Two boys who were members of the church were shot and killed the morning of and night prior to Sunday's service. The congregation was in mourning for these deaths because most of them knew the boys, and the church leaders on stage offered highly emotional prayers for the senseless violence that threatens to destroy the communities of Chicago. I have never experienced such a passionate and intimate call to prayer in a church service.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
What I found most appealing about the worship service was how much they emphasized the needs of the community. In a typical Western church service to a more affluent audience, the worship songs tend to be very individualistic, and the sermon addresses the needs of the individual without discussing how to apply the message to one's community. Because Lawndale's congregation lives in an area surrounded by senseless violence, killing, and petty crime, they have a stronger calling to live out the church's message by being missionaries in their own community. Thus, the call to prayer was very powerful because you could see how hardship binds the people together in a way that would not be possible in a "safer" social context. The congregation was in mourning over the violence that recently struck their community, but they recognize that they have a calling to participate in and promote God's restoration of these spiritually dead communities.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
This worship service definitely convicted and challenged me. Coach had the congregation practice the "Soul Shalom" where we named our anxieties and stresses and prayed Proverbs 3:5-6 to trust in the Lord during hard times. Even though the church recently had two boys murdered, I found myself praying for God to help me and guide me through the stresses and anxieties of personal relationships. Whereas the people of Lawndale presumably had heavier burdens that they were praying to God about. I was focused on my own needs rather than the troubles that my own community might be facing. Through this exercise, I saw how the community that I live in is immensely different from the community of Lawndale. For example, I do not have to worry about one of my friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers, etc. getting killed from a drive-by, unlike Lawndale's congregation. This challenged me to get outside the Wheaton bubble and interact with believers who live in different communities, so that I can seek to understand and participate in their hardships.

How did the service help you to reflect on questions of wealth and poverty?
This service helped me see how those who are impoverished are better able to understand and apply the Beatitudes, as opposed to a wealthier community, because they are constantly confronted with these challenges: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." This community is in mourning over the recent murders and violence that is infiltrating Chicago's neighborhoods. They are also mourning over the spiritual darkness that permeates these criminals' hearts. But because they are actively mourning and crying out to God for intervention, Jesus promises that they will be comforted. This comfort can come in any form: peace, justice, etc.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." One of the leaders prayed for the church to be able to forgive their enemies, and she prayed that God would restore life to these dead communities and break into the lives of those committing senseless violence. This congregation is facing the seemingly impossible task of forgiving those who could potentially murder one of their children, friends, or fellow church member. But because they are seeking to show mercy to their enemies, they are in the right posture of humility to receive God's mercy, which is something all Christians should be hungering after. I believe that living in an impoverished community, rather than living among the wealthy, allows people to better understand and live out Jesus' commands in the Beatitudes as well as Romans 12:14-19: Blessed are those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'”