Kylie Marble- Church Visit #2: Lawndale

Kylie Marble- Church Visit #2: Lawndale

Church name: Lawndale Community Church

Church address: 3827 W Ogden, Chicago, IL 60623

Date attended: March 22, 2015

Church category: Lower Socio-economic demographic

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

I immediately noticed that the chairs were arranged in a similar way to my home church, Jericho Road. This made me feel comfortable, because it meant we would all be facing each other, not just blankly staring at the front. It certainly felt much more familiar than the Tridentine mass that I attended a month ago. Another similar element was the friendliness of people. Everyone was welcoming and smiled and asked how we were doing, and that felt like Jericho Road to me. The music was familiar to me, though it all had a gospel-twist to it, which was great. There was Scripture reading and a special song, which was normal to me. There was no liturgy, though. I wasn't raised in a liturgical church setting, but Jericho has some liturgy. I'm also used to the Eucharist every Sunday, which they did not have at this service.

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

Perhaps it's peculiar, but I felt right at home at Lawndale. The people were warm and welcoming, the congregation was actually getting into the music, and the message was very pertinent. I was drawn in by the joy that was present there. I also really appreciated the music, and how the worship team was spread out... Singers were on the middle stage, with the drums, keyboard, guitar and bass on the side. It was cool to see the community choir, as well. On a broader note, Lawndale Community Church really seemed to serve a transformative function in the community. On the drive over, when we were actually in Lawndale, I noticed that their was a big change in appearance. Buildings were generally more run down, their was a lot of garbage on the streets. But when we went to park by the church, their seemed to be a shift. The sidewalks were cleaner, and the buildings looked taken care of. There was even a healthcare facility there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not equating economic prosperity or community cleanliness with the gospel. Yet I think that this noted shift can be seen as evidence of the transformative power of the Good News. The gospel takes a community by storm and eventually seeps into every aspect of the life of the community. To me, that shows that Lawndale Community Church is a powerful force of the gospel in that neighborhood. 

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

There wasn't too much that was disorienting, per se. I guess that I'm not used to so much call and response, but I could get used to that. There really wasn't a whole lot that seemed different from my normal church experience.

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

There was a larger focus on suffering than I'm used to, which I think is a reflection of the congregation. Many of them have seen extremely difficult circumstances in their lives. I appreciated this because so many times we fail to acknowledge the pain. At least I do. I look for redemption immediately. But redemption takes time. There is an amazing hope in Jesus Christ, and we are to cling to that, but that does not mean that we cannot lament. We are called to bring our whole selves before the Lord, both our joy and our suffering. Lawndale Community Church sets the tone for this kind of honest, raw worship.