Emma Young - Church Visit #1

Church Name: Highland Community Church
Church Address: 1005 N. 28th Avenue, Wausau, WI 
Date Attended: 2/16/2014
Category: Less liturgical 

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context? 
I attended an Evangelical Free service, which felt very informal and relaxed. First, the praise team sang a few songs, one of which was an extremely up-tempo version of Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee. In response to the musical worship, the audience ranged in reactions from kneeling on the ground with arms outstretched, to standing with hands in pockets and eyes intent on the screen. People clearly felt free and comfortable to express their reaction in a personalized way. Then, after a prayer, the sermon began, which had been prerecorded and was played on the projectors. Once it finished, the praise team came back once more to close out the service. I normally attend a very conservative, liturgical Seventh-Day Adventist church, which holds rigidly to tradition, so the Evangelical Free service was very different for me. Every service begins with a formal hymn singing, followed by long communal prayer. A featured musician performs a piece, and then the sermon closes the service. My church would have a problem changing the tempo of the hymns, because they are held in such reverence, and prayer is always held with the congregation on their knees. The kind of personal reaction to praise music seen in the Evangelical Free service has never been a tenet of my church. However, the elements of music and the sermon and that interconnection are clearly prevalent in both services.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
I was very intrigued by the visual displays and technology used in the service. There were roses on stage to symbolize new births, both of Christians and infants, and the stage was otherwise beautifully decorated with crosses and soft lighting. There was clearly an air of reverence in the room. Three projectors were used to display the words, as well as display visuals and texts throughout the service. It was engaging, and easier to follow along than some services I've attended at my church where there are no such visuals. The praise team was clearly practiced and talented, with ages ranging from 14 to 60 involved on stage, which made the worship trans-generational, allowing everyone to feel that it is for them.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service? 
I was taken aback by the tempo of the hymn, and although I was able to keep up because I was familiar with it, did not feel it was an acceptable way to worship the Lord. My church holds hymns in reverence, which is what I believe is God-honoring, so I struggled with finding blessing in that song. I was also disturbed by the fact that the sermon was prerecorded, because it felt like the opposite of what the church is trying to accomplish: it felt distancing. There were numerous errors in the sermon that was given, from the gender of a Greek god discussed, to the meanings of Greek words. I left feeling frustrated because I was not able to let those things go and value the message that was being conveyed.
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 focus of the message was on taking the opportunities that are given to us, for the days are evil. The pastor really emphasized that these opportunities are God-given, and that they look different for everyone, which I felt a stronger response to than I think I would have in my church. My church has many beautiful qualities, but some members have a tendency toward close-mindedness, which unfortunately turns some people off. I really felt in the Evangelical Free service that people are accepted, and are not expected to conform to any path other than God's, which may be one of less traditional caliber, but that it is good, and it is God-breathed. He also wanted to drive home the idea that it is because the days are evil that we must strive to dedicate ourselves to God and thereby opportunities, because without them there is no point in life on earth. 'Opportunities' doesn't mean the big promotion or winning the lottery; it means feeding that homeless guy on your walk home, or volunteering your time for something you're passionate about. Let God speak to you, act for Him, and your days on earth will be blessed.