Kylie Marble--Church Visit #3: LWAC

Kylie Marble--Church Visit #3: LWAC

Church name: Living Water Alliance Church

Church address: 27W344 Galusha Ave., Warrenville, IL 60555

Date attended: March 23rd, 2015

Church category: Different Race/Ethnicity

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

The structure of the service was closely similar to what I am used to. The setting seemed a little more formal (my church back home is a small, rural, church, and very impromptu). When we got there, everyone seemed very meditative and people were not loudly greeting one another. I'm used to lots of hugs and smiles and talking. At least at the beginning there was less of this behavior, and the undertones were more reflective. As I said earlier, the structure itself was very similar. Started out with songs, then announcements, more songs, children dismissed, prayer, sermon, more prayer, songs, more prayer, everyone dismissed.

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

There was a heavy emphasis on prayer in the worship service. I appreciated that. I would've appreciated it more if I wasn't so tired. (It was a very busy weekend). Towards the end, we engaged in "Korean prayer" (which apparently is not Korean in origin?). I have mixed feelings about praying in that way. It's always really cool to hear the church praying all together, and it reminds me that God is not constrained by the amount of requests and praises we make. However, I am easily distracted, and I get really thrown off when everyone is praying. I can never focus on what I'm saying. Still, I really enjoyed the emphasis on prayer. At the end, we put our hands on our hearts and prayed for ourselves and our individual walks with the Lord. Then we held hands with our neighbors and prayed for them, those getting baptized soon, and the community as a whole.

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

As I stated above, I was most challenged by the type of prayer. But I was able to jump in eventually. 

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

I was reminded of the importance of prayer. We often make statements like, "Hey, I'll be praying for you." But how often do we stick to that? I know that I forget all too often to lift up my brothers and sisters to the throne of God. The reminder to pray without ceasing was what I needed.