Jon Gibson - Church Visit #2

Lawndale Christian Community Church
3860 W. Ogden Ave. Chicago, IL 60623
Attended on September 14, 2014
Significantly Lower Socioeconomic Demographic

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

     The service at Lawndale took place in the gym of a health center.  I'm used to elaborate and ornately decorated sanctuaries in my normal church context, so this was a significant change for me.  On the one hand I missed a lot of the Christian themed decorations that in some way point to Jesus such as the wall banners my church has back in Kansas City.  But at the same time, I appreciated the simplicity of the context.  There seemed to be less distractions this way and it was easier to focus on the proceedings and the people around me.

     The layout of the service was also different.  I've never been in a service where the stage has been in the center of the seating.  I'm used to the stage being at the front of a sanctuary.  I don't know why they did this, it could simply be that they needed to maximize seating given the venue they had.  I've never experienced that kind of layout before in a church service and found it very interesting.

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

     I found the behaviors of the individuals in the worship service to be very interesting.  All of the individuals seemed to be very passionate and intent on the proceedings.  This contradicts what I'm used to in a predominantly white, suburban church where people tend to be reserved.  I really appreciated all the zeal they brought to the service.  I think they appreciate church in a way that my societal context usually doesn't.  This could especially be observed in the singing and praise music during the service.  I also saw this during the sermon as the congregation would interact with the pastor in a way that I'm not used to.  For example, they would shout affirmations after the pastor made a significant point.  I enjoyed this sort of interaction between pastor and congregation and wish more of it were done in my church setting.  So maybe I'll give a hearty "AMEN" next time I go to College Church.

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

     First of all, I found the geographic area of the worship service to be alarming.  Lawndale isn't located in the best part of town.  At first, I wasn't sure where to park so I left my car in the parking lot of a retail store about 2 blocks away.  Looking around at the area made me concerned that my car might be broken into.  I later moved my car closer to the church and wasn't as concerned with a break in, but the neighborhood still worried me.

     I learned in the church service that not only did the area look dangerous it actually is dangerous.  The pastor talked about the number of murders that have been committed in the area over the last few years and the numbers were staggering.  He talked about the church's desire to redeem this broken community.  So while these facts disoriented me, I was really challenged by this message.  I realized that I had taken a safe community for granted in my other church contexts.  This made me so much more thankful for the geographic context I live in.  It also inspired me to help those that don't have that safe environment.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

     After the service was over, I had a few moments to think to myself.  During this time, I realized just how big of an impact Lawndale has on its community.  It's not just a church.  It is also a health center, a fitness center, and many other things beside.  Lawndale is in itself a community.  This concept of community embodied by Lawndale reminded me of Acts 4:32 which says, "All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had."  I think we sometimes forget about what a Christian community can really look like when this verse is lived out.  I feel inspired by Lawndale and want to be a part of the same kind of Christian community that God has blessed them with.