Manny Baker - Church Visit #3

Church Visited: 

Church Address: Iowa City, IA

Date Visited: 

Category: Greater than 10 miles from Wheaton, lower socio-economic status

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

Wow. This church was so interesting. It was so different from any church I had ever been to. It was a predominately poor black congregation. The pastor was a woman (this first church with a woman pastor I'd ever attended). She also sang lead in the very small choir and was very exclamatory in everything she said. The service was very, very long. I am sure we were in the church for at least three hours. The music took about an hour on its own. I have been to black churches. I went to one in high school. This was a totally different experience. The music was a quintet of voices, a guitar, and drums. The songs were really just a line or two reiterated many times. Attending this church was so enlightening.

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

I loved the fact that everyone in the room was okay with staying as long as it took for them to worship. Nothing was scheduled. Had people not had prior engagements with family or friends, I am sure they would have gone on all day long. I really appreciated the genuine, heartfelt emotion that the people expressed. 

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

I found that the intensity of the congregation's emotions toward us visitors very disorienting. I am used to being able to slip out if necessary or observe quietly. This did not happen. The congregation were very happy to see new people, especially black people (sort of). Maybe minorities is a better words. As a much more privileged Black-Filipina, it was disorienting to be around black people who had so much less than me. The people I came with felt the same. It was very challenging to get through the entire service without feeling slightly uncomfortable and emotional.

4. 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 do not know if this was particularly illuminating for me because I had heard this message many times before. God will fix your problems immediately if you pray for it and continue to worship him. This congregation was made up of people who were going through rough times. This is a very common message for churches such as this one. However, it did make me think more about those who have less than me and how that affects their relationship with God.