Lindsey Lou Smith--Church Visit #3

Blog title: Lou Smith - Church visit 3

Church name: Lombard  Community Church

Date attended: 4/6/14

Church category: Different Socioeconomic Status

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

Lombard Community church was similar to my own church in the physical set up. The circular format and the way that the four lanes went up to take communion felt just like Jericho Road. The general format of the service was also similar to Jericho Road with initial worship followed by community sharing time, moving then into prayer, sermon, and finally communion. The service was a little longer than Jericho Road. Demographically, it was different because it was predominantly black and held in a poor, urban neighborhood. The worship style was very similar to my home church with a mix of both charismatic and more conservative worship styles present. (I observed a mix of both at least). The sharing time was a lot more real and a lot longer at this church. The people talked a lot about real problems going on in their lives, and there was a strong emphasis on the restorative powers of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

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

I really enjoyed the sharing time. People seemed to genuinely care about others and the hardships experienced by their brothers and sisters. It was cool to see guys from the Hope House there. There was no pretending or putting on of masks that I perceived. The pastor even mentioned weed and alcohol in his sermon, and was directly talking about their use as issues in the Church community. I greatly appreciated the authenticity, the willingness to be vulnerable, and the communal aspect of taking on each others' burdens and bringing those burdens into individual prayer lives. I also liked how I was greeted when I came through the door. People were very warm and friendly. No one asked why I was there which I appreciated as I felt kind of uncomfortable telling them it was for a class. Some guy named "Theo" kept calling me "glue" and saying, "your mama named you glue?" He continued even after I corrected him. It was kind of nice though. I felt brought in by the teasing. 

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

The only challenging aspect of the service was the length. I'm such an impatient white westerner. It's terrible. I had the same problem in Peru with long worship services. It's rough, and I get tired and grumpy. I truly did enjoy every part of the sermon and didn't necessarily want it to end. I was just exhausted when it was over. Another challenging aspect was not being able to take the communion back to my seat. I usually do my little routine where I bring back the little cup and the bread or the bread dipped in wine and I sit and pray, confessing my sins and thanking God for the Cross. But this time, my plan was foiled. I ended up having to "shot-glass" my little communion cup and stuff the bread in my mouth because they wanted the cup back in its little spot. Nothing I couldn't get used to-- just caught me off guard. 

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 greatly appreciated Coach's sermon on Jesus' last words on the Cross. He talked about how Jesus asked God why He had forsaken him. He then went on to point out that in our own lives, we may encounter times in which we feel abandoned by God. First, Coach pointed out that it is okay to ask God, "why." Second, he said that in these times when we feel like a wave is crashing over us and destroying our stability, we should turn to God. I appreciated the sermon because it was both simple but extraordinarily applicable to the tumultuous nature of the Christian life... or just life in general. I appreciated the communal aspect of the church, and it further cemented for me what I am looking for in my future church in North Carolina.