Sarah O'Connell - 2#

Church name: Hope Fellowship

Church address: PO Box 103, Lombard, IL 60148

Date attended: 3/23/2014

Church category: Significantly more or less liturgical

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

The worship service at Hope Fellowship was very inviting and simple. This church was definitely less liturgical than Church of the Resurrection. The service included worship, an offering, more worship, the dismissal of the kids, a sermon, and ended with more worship songs. The band onstage was very simplistic including only a lead vocalist with a guitar, a woman singing harmony, a piano player, and a guy on the box drum. One of the songs included the word hallelujah, which I thought more traditional and liturgical churches did not use during lent.

Although this follows a relatively similar pattern to my own worship service, the lack of liturgy and not having communion made the service seem very short and simple. This service also involved less members of leadership since the man preaching also dismissed the kids and gave announcements. The small congregation and single service were also very different from the large and multi-service church I usually attend. 

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

            The smaller congregation felt more like a community of people that had relationships with one another. Although Church of the Resurrection is good at reaching out to new comers, the large sanctuary and congregation often leads me to feel lost in the crowd sometimes. This congregation all knew one another and could recognize the new people. We were greeted by at least three people when entering the service and a member of the church met every new person, including my roommate and me. I love this aspect of Hope Fellowship. The congregation was genuinely interested in connecting with us, which created a very warm and welcoming environment.

Even though this community met in a rented, high school auditorium, their members still showed the love and bond of Christ followers making the space feel more like their space and not a rented space. I am not sure whether this intentionality comes from not having a space of their own or is a innate part of the congregation, but it would be interesting to see whether this quality is intensified or lessened when and if they get their own building.

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

            Nothing was particularly challenging for me during this worship service. However by attending Church of the Resurrection, I have grown accustomed to having communion every week and miss not taking part in this particular part of liturgy when in other services.

Although I grew up in nondenominational churches, I am used to having more liturgy in my worship service now. I feel much more engaged in the service and a part of the worship experience when repeating the Lord’s Prayer and Nicene Creed with my fellow brothers and sisters. The simplicity and bare structure of Hope Fellowship service was not necessarily disorienting, but made me appreciate and miss the liturgy of my normal service.

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 message focused on Acts 1: 1-5; however, the pastor spent a decent amount of talking about the intention of Acts and how it was the second volume of Luke. He focused on the connection between Luke and Acts and how Acts recaps and expands on what is taking place in Luke. This emphasis on the author and his intentions was interesting to me and I always enjoy when connections and back-stories are given for Scripture since I am not good at remembering details like that.

            The message also talked about the Trinity, focusing on the power the Holy Spirit. Although this is often mentioned in worship services, the way in which this pastor spoke it and began his new sermon series called “Advance” focusing on the book of Acts brought about a renewed sense of appreciation for the Holy Spirit in my life. He mentioned in his sermon how we often wish we could talk to Jesus in person and if we could, everything would be easier. He argued with that wish saying that Christ himself said it would be better if he left so the Holy Spirit, the helper, could come and dwell within us.