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.