Jeanie Choi - Church visit #1

Church name: Lawndale Christian Community Church
Church address: 3827 W. Odgen Ave. Chicago, IL 60623
Date attended: Sept 24, 2014
Church category: "significantly lower socioeconomic demographic"

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

Lawndale Christian Community Church's service was a lot more alive and active than any other church services I had ever attended. The display of the worship hall was very different than how I had it seen it set up before. I was used to going to church services where they have the praise band in the front and the chairs facing the pastor and the praise band. However, LCCC had the stage at the center of the gym. They also had the main vocalist and other singers on the square stage while the instruments were set up in the back, which was different then seeing all the praise band together in one space.It was also multicultural. It was dominant African Americans, but there were still a good percentage of other races as well. Whereas, I grew up in a Korean immigrant church so most of the congregations were all Korean.

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

I love the way LCCC worships. Also the way they greet people, going around the whole gym instead of just staying near their seats, made me feel extremely welcomed even though I looked physically different than most of them. I also enjoyed the choir and their songs that they sang. My church also has a choir and they are great, but there was something different about the interaction between the choir and the audience. People were free to join in by standing up and dancing or just encouraging them throughout the song instead of just clapping at the end. I also found it interesting that the head pastor was a white person while most of the congregation was not. It was also interesting to hear that he was away for 2 months - in Africa and visiting other churches. As a pastor's kid in a Korean church I was surprised that the church allowed him to do that and wished my church would allow my dad to do that as well.

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

The beginning of the pastor's service caught me off guard. I was expecting him to just dive into the message, but he began talking about the purpose of LCCC. I was confused because I did not have the context that he was not there for 2 months nor did I realize he was trying set up the context for his main message. I also felt kind of uncomfortable when he was sharing his stories to illustrate and allow us to realize the racism that still existed. Even though I admire and respect him for being able to stand up to the police for the African American students, I did not necessarily feel comfortable when everyone started to clap for him. It is just my spiritual pride thinking that he should be more humble, but I thought that I should be honest.

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?

The pastor's sermon was about "Kingdom Streets" and what the streets in heaven would look like. I was stunned. The pastor was emphasizing the safety that needed to take place in their own neighborhood. He yearned and called the congregation to action for the streets to be safe. Going out to the streets and worrying that I would get shot, raped, or murdered was not something I had lived with or had to face in my school years. Yet here, the Bible became reality for these people in Lawndale. There were people getting murdered consistently and children not being able to play outside because its too dangerous. Violence and death was reality for these people and that context illuminated the passage so much more. Also, the way the pastor was not afraid to die - and telling his congregation to do likewise - made me realize that they truly believed that death is nothing to be feared since it could not take away their soul. This was their life and reality and I was blessed and privileged to be able to see just a glimpse of the Bible becoming reality.