Church: Napier Parkview Baptist Church
Church Address: 245 W Napier Ave, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Date Attended: 02/23/14
Church Category: Significantly less liturgical; At least 10 miles from Wheaton
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The service was considerably more quiet and reserved than I am used to. Accompanied by organ and piano, traditional hymns were projected on the screen. I felt really out of place a) because I was apparently the only person under age 30 in the congregation and b) because no one looked at each other or made any eye contact. I felt kind of restricted to staring straight ahead and following along with the hymns. There was little/no liturgy present in worship, which is pretty different from my usual context (At church of the rez). It made me more aware of how much I appreciate the process/journey of a worship service - I didn't quite realize the importance I place on taking time to recite different creeds and prayers.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
A considerable portion of the congregation was German and I really enjoyed when they sang a hymn and prayed in German. I started to notice a visible change in the facial expressions of some people around me - they seemed more comfortable and engaged when worshiping in German, and it was important to witness that element of their church family.
Later, when everyone was mingling, an old man came up to welcome me. He told me about how he fought for the Germans in World War II when he was young and ended up running away from Germany. He explained how many of the congregation came from similar situations and the church had been founded by German immigrants. He kept talking about the joy and security he feels within his church family, and it was honestly just an honor to sit there and listen to him. This context kind of made the service make a little more sense to me (the age of the congregation, the nature of worship, etc).
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
I had a really hard time focusing on just standing there and trying to look as stoic as everyone around me. I just really couldn't find a way to be completely engaged. About half way through the service the youth group (presumably) joined the rest of the church and sat together in the front... throughout the service I kept seeing adults getting up to "shush" them for whispering and giggling to each other. It was all a little odd. There just seemed to be this huge disconnection between the older German immigrants - the middle aged couples - and the youth group.
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 pastor spoke on different passages in Acts and Galatians that highlighted the importance of church family. It was really evident, through this sermon and later conversations with church members, that they are pretty dedicated to each other... which was really encouraging considering the diversity in age and cultural background. The pastor gave really specific examples of what it looked like for the elders of the church to carry each others burdens - while also caring for the needs of the youth. I thought that was such an important emphasis - that these members with such a rich cultural experience needed to rely and build on each other, and then feed into the young people.
Church Address: 245 W Napier Ave, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Date Attended: 02/23/14
Church Category: Significantly less liturgical; At least 10 miles from Wheaton
Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
The service was considerably more quiet and reserved than I am used to. Accompanied by organ and piano, traditional hymns were projected on the screen. I felt really out of place a) because I was apparently the only person under age 30 in the congregation and b) because no one looked at each other or made any eye contact. I felt kind of restricted to staring straight ahead and following along with the hymns. There was little/no liturgy present in worship, which is pretty different from my usual context (At church of the rez). It made me more aware of how much I appreciate the process/journey of a worship service - I didn't quite realize the importance I place on taking time to recite different creeds and prayers.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
A considerable portion of the congregation was German and I really enjoyed when they sang a hymn and prayed in German. I started to notice a visible change in the facial expressions of some people around me - they seemed more comfortable and engaged when worshiping in German, and it was important to witness that element of their church family.
Later, when everyone was mingling, an old man came up to welcome me. He told me about how he fought for the Germans in World War II when he was young and ended up running away from Germany. He explained how many of the congregation came from similar situations and the church had been founded by German immigrants. He kept talking about the joy and security he feels within his church family, and it was honestly just an honor to sit there and listen to him. This context kind of made the service make a little more sense to me (the age of the congregation, the nature of worship, etc).
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
I had a really hard time focusing on just standing there and trying to look as stoic as everyone around me. I just really couldn't find a way to be completely engaged. About half way through the service the youth group (presumably) joined the rest of the church and sat together in the front... throughout the service I kept seeing adults getting up to "shush" them for whispering and giggling to each other. It was all a little odd. There just seemed to be this huge disconnection between the older German immigrants - the middle aged couples - and the youth group.
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 pastor spoke on different passages in Acts and Galatians that highlighted the importance of church family. It was really evident, through this sermon and later conversations with church members, that they are pretty dedicated to each other... which was really encouraging considering the diversity in age and cultural background. The pastor gave really specific examples of what it looked like for the elders of the church to carry each others burdens - while also caring for the needs of the youth. I thought that was such an important emphasis - that these members with such a rich cultural experience needed to rely and build on each other, and then feed into the young people.
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