Andrew Trump-Vist #3

Church Name: Monroe Street Church of Christ

Church Address: 3300 W Monroe St, Chicago IL

Date Attended:3/22/15

Church Category: Lower Socioeconomic Area (10+miles)

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

Immediately on arrival, Callie and I were greeted with really warm welcomes at Monroe Street Church. I think people were really surprised to see us there, but nearly everyone immediately came over and started greeting us before the service started. We sung about six different songs all acapella, most of which were old hymns. It’s hard for me to describe, but even the way hymns are sung seemed very different from churches I have been to. Throughout the whole service, the congregation would be saying things like “amen” and “c’mon brother” which really makes for an engaging service. The more response the congregation gave, the more the pastor would get animated. I’ve never really been to a service where the pastor and the congregation fed off each other they like did at Monroe.

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

The most appealing part of the worship service was seeing how close this congregation was with each other. Even when praying for people during they’re prayer, you could tell every person in the church really cared about the people they were praying for. One lady handed a piece of paper in with a prayer request that was very vulnerable. It was a testament to how much trust there was in this community of Christians. This attitude of care was also extended to us as visitors, even though they hardly knew us. One thing that I found interesting, but sad, was that the congregation was comprised of mostly women. I think it’s probably a reflection that men just aren’t around, which can be common for low income areas like this one. I also found the sanctuary interesting. It was rounded like an auditorium with slanted floors towards the podium. It was a very old, but it gave it that rustic feel.

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

At the 5pm Sunday service, there were only about 25 people at Monroe Street Church. Because of that, Callie and I definitely stood out as the only two visitors in what seemed to be a pretty intimate congregation. It seemed to awkward at first to be the only two non-black people, but that feeling wore off pretty quickly because everyone was so welcoming and happy to have us there. Supposedly everyone else in the congregation had already taken communion at an earlier service so when they brought out the sacraments, we were the only two to take communion. It was a pretty awkward experience, because they didn’t really tell us how they took communion at their church and there were no other people to follow, so we just walked up to the front by ourselves. It was also a little challenging because the people at the church were pretty curious to why we were there. I doubt they get many visitors from the west suburbs.

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 sermon was on Galatians 6:1-5, which talks about restoring anyone who is caught in transgressions. I appreciated the simplicity of the sermon and you could tell that the congregation really resonated with what the pastor had to say. He emphasized that someone who has “gone overboard” doesn’t need anyone to ask them “what happened?” but rather to just come by their side to help. It’s less about dwelling on the mistakes in the past, but looking towards restoration in the future. This was not just some abstract sermon, but something that could be applied right away. It illuminated that the “down and out” perceptions we have of people that have gotten caught up in bad things is not an appropriate response as Christians. Regardless of who the people are, we as Christians are called to respond in selfless love. It may be something that is taught across many contexts, but it was simplified and driven home in this sermon.