Lisa Moore - Church Visit #1

Church name: Second Baptist Church of Wheaton

Church address: 1520 Avery Ave. Wheaton, IL 60187

Date attended: Feb. 9, 2014

Church category: Different racial demographic

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

Second Baptist Church of Wheaton was very different from my typical Sunday experience.  Compared to my predominately white Presbyterian church, SBC (a predominately African American congregation) was full of energy.  The music was full of praises, thanksgiving, shouting, and clapping.  At my Presbyterian church (and at Wheaton's chapels), there are usually more "reflective" songs.  SBC had reflective worship songs; however, these songs still required movement and clapping. I knew and love the songs we sang together, but this time, the songs were more upbeat and loud. Overall, the service followed a similar format to my regular church context; however, everything was manifested differently.  The sermon did not start until 70 minutes after the start of the church service. Similarly to my pastor, Pastor Kevin is going through a book of the Bible, this time Joshua. The sermon required a lot of physical energy of the pastor.  He spoke and shouted (he appeared to lose his voice multiple times!).  The congregation was extremely receptive to everything he said which was apartment due to their shouting, clapping, and standing. 

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

One of the most interesting parts of the worship centered around their treatment of me as their guest.   Early in the service, they invited first time guests to stand.  They passed around a microphone where we introduced ourselves and expressed why we were at SBC.  After we introduced ourselves, they gave us visitor goodie bags! They gave us visitor cards, pamphlets, pens, kleenex tissues, and smarties candy! So kind!  After everyone introduced themselves, we had a greet and meet time. At my usual church, this lasts a couple minutes and requires shaking hands with the couple people around you.  At SBC, this lasted around ten minutes.  Everyone was in the aisles talking for long periods of time.  We received hugs galore from people all around the sanctuary.  They were very welcoming and hoping that we loved their church and would want to come again. Their bold hospitality was inspiring, and their joy was contagious. They definitely knew most people in the church and loved one another dearly. 

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

The most disorienting part of the service was the congregation's reactions to the pastor's message and the pastor's delivery of the message.  I admire their joy and physical expression of thanksgiving to our God. However, I found myself doubting the sincerity at times.  Were the cheering and clapping sincere to the Gospel the pastor was sharing? Would they have still clapped and cheered if the pastor said the same message in a more quiet and less charismatic manner? Was their spirituality measured by physical responses? I am not saying that my standstill Presbyterian church experience is superior or perfect. I loved the joy they expressed, and I loved dancing during the music! However, if I were to continue going to SBC, I would have to continually be giving myself self-checks, making sure my reactions to the sermon, songs, and prayers were sincere and not the required responses. It was also difficult to understand what the pastor was saying when his voice would get raspy and everyone was shouting 'amen'! 

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

I loved their emphasis on the victory of God. They responded to this victory appropriately through lots of time spent in thanksgiving.  Most of this thanksgiving revolved around God's faithful provision.  They thanked God for providing them with basic necessities, aiding them with their obstacles, and blessing them after they conquered their obstacles. They took seriously the call to be thankful and joyful in the Lord. This is not to say that my usual context is not thankful or joyful, but it is manifested in a different way.  Also, more time is dedicated in the SBC service specifically toward giving thanks and expressing joy. Their uninhibited love and enthusiasm for God was inspiring.  It really made me wonder why many people just stand still at church.