Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?
PCC was different than my home church in almost every surface-level, external way. We walked five blocks from the apartment, under the rail road bridge, past ornate graffiti, down streets with far fewer trees, and arrived at what looked like a storefront with a metal grate, unlocked, and left open. About thirty miscellaneous chairs and benches formed eight haphazard looking rows and a baby was being bounced on his mother's knee as she sat on the floor in the back. The food spread was the first thing I noticed, a full continental breakfast and yet the place was so run down. There were few men there, and most of the kids belonged to the pastor.
What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?
When the service was over we were immediately surrounded and taken care of. They talked and talked, asked questions, told jokes, and then invited us to have lunch with them. The chili smelled so good I couldn't resist. I realized I wanted to resist because I knew how limited their resources were. Their hospitality was the most appealing, my reservations were the most interesting and concerning. The worship service itself had similar songs to the ones that we sing but when they referenced need I was acutely aware of these being financial and maybe physical whereas sometimes when we sing about "valleys" we are strictly referring to emotional, spiritual, and maybe physical afflictions.
What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?
I was disoriented by the way they didn't serve communion. It was made available, the table was brought out and blessed, but as we came up to the table there was a cup of juice and a cup of wine placed on the table on either side of a basket of bread chunks. I knew what to do, but I've never taken it on my own, apart from another person proclaiming for each person "the Body of Christ", and "the Blood of Christ".
What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?
A young boy read the Scripture passage and as he stumbled through his words and I winced, I was immediately reminded that empowering him in this way did not, in the least, impair my receipt of the word's fullness. The sermon was incredibly long and difficult to follow. The intern was preaching, and he obviously cared, but his lack of experience was obvious. People acted upon a theology of community rather than talking about its intricacies. The informal nature of the entire service was very warm and inviting. They announcements that were listed by the pastors wife after the last song made it obvious that there is a great deal of community service that goes on there. They are currently preparing to be a water station for the Chicago Marathon, their worship continues in their week through service.
No comments:
Post a Comment