Three friends and I traveled to Chicago and Grand Rapids over Holy Week 2009. We visited five churches, a Buddhist center, and met extraordinary people along the way whose stories inspired us. I’ve been asked which church was my favorite or which part of the trip was my favorite – My answer has been the entire experience. The churches we visited were all unique and it was the compilation of the churches, the experiences, and the people that made this educational experience most meaningful. I encourage you to read my accounts as well as to check out their websites to gain a broader view of their context theologically, culturally, and historically.
Wicker Park Grace Presbyterian Church (website)
I heard about Wicker Park Grace from a friend in National Capital Presbytery who told me about the pastor, Nanette Sawyer, and the innovative work she was doing in Chicago. Wicker Park Grace is a project launch of the PC(USA). Six years ago, Nanette accepted the call to begin this project which started out by meeting with people in coffee shops for two years before moving into their current space four years ago. Their church space is anything but traditional – they meet in the second floor of an office-type building which is spare but slightly messy with a “come as you are” feel. We attended a Maundy Thursday service which consisted of a traditional Jewish meal, the Lord’s Supper, and a Tenebrae service while sitting on floor pillows around low tables much like Jesus’ time.
When we arrived, we were immediately welcomed by everyone present (which totaled about 18, including us, by night’s end). There was an air of hospitality in everything that happened. I felt extremely comfortable as a visitor and by the time we parted ways, I felt more like a friend than the visitor I arrived as. I was amazed by the diversity present among the people. There were people of all walks of life including an Indian who came from an Islamic tradition, a handicap young man who claimed he was an atheist but had been attending the church for over two years, a gay young man who moved to Chicago to be closer to his partner, two young married couples, an older gentleman who had lived in Brazil for 10 years helping hospitals negotiate fair prices for supplies, an Asian young man who was there for the first time, to highlight a several. It is important to note there wasn’t a huge amount of age diversity with so many young adults present.
Nanette had prepared the service by writing out lessons, information, prayers, and questions. We took turns reading out loud, sang music written by one of the members, ate food and drank wine, and broke into smaller discussions. While Nanette was technically in charge, there was shared power among everyone there and there was a safe place for everyone’s opinion. We shared communion in silence without any words of institution and ended the service by blowing out candles one by one. At the end of the service everyone helped clean dishes, break down tables, and put the space back together while chatting vigorously with whoever was around them. I left with a slightly left-down attitude because I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends with whom my path would likely not cross again.
I can’t talk about Wicker Park Grace without talking about how art is an integral part of their DNA. There were signs of art everywhere you looked. On the walls were large artistic depictions of the story of Exodus painted by an artist in worship several months ago. We were privileged to see pieces of a project from two years ago where people created artistic renderings of the Stations of the Cross. Nanette told us they had partnered with members of the community as well as their own members to create the pieces, which were remarkable. You can view them on their website. While so many churches try to include the arts in worship, Wicker Park Grace embodies the arts as just who they are.
I noticed the budget hanging on the wall in the office (talk about transparency!) and it brought several questions to the table. Can a church of 20-35 survive with a full-time ordained minister in downtown Chicago? How is stewardship emphasized in a congregation of young adults? Nanette commented about how presbytery grants were starting to run out and there would be difficulties in financing in the future years. This small church feel was remarkable and yet, is that plausible with the way our infrastructure in the PC(USA) is set up?
The word that runs through my head when I think about Wicker Park Grace is “authentic.” The entire night I kept thinking to myself how authentic this all felt, but I couldn’t put my finger quite on why. It was everything – the community, the service, the art, the fellowship, the care for others, the acceptance of all. There was nothing forced or pretentious. They were transparent about their faith walks, their doubts and struggles, their beliefs or unbeliefs, and their approach. Wicker Park Grace wasn’t perfect, but it was authentic, and in a world of masks it was like breathing clean oxygen to worship with this community.
Fourth Presbyterian Church (website)
We attended Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago for a noontime Good Friday service. The congregation has existed since 1871, but has worshiped in this space since 1914. (They needed to rebuild after their church building was lost in the Great Chicago Fire.) They are located on Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” on the North end of Michigan Ave. The structure is a beautiful gothic style cathedral and is the second oldest building on Michigan Ave. It is rich with breath-taking architecture and the visual arts – and its presence downtown is extremely well known.
When we entered the church, we were immediately greeted by ushers who were dressed in suits (men and women) and were wearing official usher name badges. They asked us if we were attending the service or just there as tourists (there were several people taking pictures in the back of the sanctuary). The congregation was about 90% white, mostly older adults, but a noticeable contingent of young adults. There were about 500 worshipers there for the service, although the sanctuary holds about 1,300 including the balconies. On an average Sunday there are about 2,000 worshippers including the morning and evening services, which draws from a membership of about 5,800.
The service was a very traditional reformed worship service. It felt like higher church than what I have experienced in my own Presbyterian congregations even though the order of worship was similar. The pastors (who were two young adults – male and female) were dressed very formally with two-band Wesley collars. They only spoke from behind the chancel area, either from the lectern or pulpit. The pulpit was up high on the right side of the chancel with an awning above it. I was impressed with the thought put into this service. It flowed seamlessly and extremely professionally. They read the entire passion scripture passages and because it was so much scripture they intentionally broke it up between the two pastors – reading back and forth from the lectern and pulpit. It was very effective in staying engaged through the long reading.
I also really appreciated the sermon, given by Rev. Adam Fronczek, which was about reconciliation, suffering, and God’s presence in the midst of Good Friday. The pastor talked about Good Friday being “good” because we know that Jesus has seen it all – injustice, brokenness, hurt. He understands our sufferings because He suffered and that is good news. Rev. Fronczek raised the issue of theodicy and explained that God doesn’t prevent suffering, but is there through the suffering and used the Deutero-Isaiah passages about the suffering servant. He concluded his message by saying, “We acknowledge the reality of suffering on Good Friday. God doesn’t abandon Christ on the cross. He doesn’t disappear on Good Friday and reappear on Easter for the resurrection.” He adds what he believes God, the loving Father says, “You already know more about suffering than I want you to know.” It was a very moving message, especially in the midst of rigid formality and structure.
It is clear mission is a huge part of their church tradition. They are a witness for social justice in their community as evidenced by a display outside the church advocating against child abuse. They also have a large mentoring program for Chicago area children and youth called “Chicago Lights.” Obviously, this church is a partner with and making a difference in for their neighborhood and community. In addition, I found a pamphlet on Global Mission. It highlighted nine different mission trips for the 2008-2009 program year, domestic and abroad, church members could either participate in or give money to.
Overall, my experience at Fourth Presbyterian Church was comfortable. The fine artist in me resonated with the architecture, stained glass, and quality music. There were plenty of opportunities for my visual and aural senses to be stimulated – and this certainly added to the worship experience. I also resonated with the strong preaching and message of the sermon. I appreciated the quality exegesis of the text and the manner in which it was delivered. But, at the same time, I didn’t leave all warm and fuzzy. There was disconnect between pastors and congregants, and even between congregants and congregants. It left me wondering more about opportunities for people to feel part of this community and not just 1 of 5,800… and perhaps if that anonymity might actually be the draw.
Willow Creek Community Church (website)
I had preconceptions about Willow Creek before I even stepped foot in the door – both good and bad. I had been to another mega-church (Saddleback) last February and was pleasantly wrong about my preconceptions there, so I had a better than average opinion about mega-churches going in. I also had heard about their recent book Reveal in which they openly admitted their wrong doings as a seeker sensitive church in the 1980s and 1990s, and their attempts to right the wrongs they had committed as they nurtured spiritually shallow Christians. In the same light, I entered the service with a little mega-church, conservative theology chip on my shoulder. I am fascinated and skeptical of these kinds of churches all at the same time.
We attended a 5:30 PM Good Friday service at Willow Creek’s South Barrington Campus (main campus of six campuses in the Chicago area). We found our own way through the large parking lot into the building where a door greeter invited us to “Enjoy the service.” We entered into the massive auditorium, which seats 7,200, into a silent meditative atmosphere. The room was dark with hundreds of candles lit on the main stage while music softly played in the background and images and phrases ran in a loop on the main screens. The auditorium was about half-filled (only about 3,000 people!) for the first of two Good Friday services. There were tons of ushers helping people find their seats and like Fourth Presbyterian, each were wearing an official name badge.
The service began with music provided by seven musicians seated on stage – three vocalists, a keyboardist, a cellist, a bassist, and a guitarist. Although performed in a contemporary style and arrangement, most of the music was traditional including “Wondrous Cross,” “Nothing But the Blood,” and “Jesus Paid it All.” I enjoyed the juxtaposition of old hymns being sung with a contemporary flare. All of the music was led by extremely high quality instrumentalists and singers.
The music was mixed with dramatic readings of the passion story. This is where the service started to lose me a little. There was a false sense of emotion being stirred in the crowd being brought about by calculated drama and acting. It felt very manipulated. People responded to this as expected in the audience. There was a woman shaking with emotion in front of me and a young girl just a few seats down from me was noticeably wiping away tears. At the same time, it is also important to note that one of my friends who came was very touched by the service and resonated with the emotions the service helped to evoke. It’s just not my cup of tea.
Bill Hybels, the head pastor at Willow Creek, gave the first of two short messages. He spoke differently about the meaning of “Good” Friday from our first service that day. Hybels explained it was good because “we know what happens on Sunday.” He spoke of the redemption purchased on this day and the act of submission shown to us by Jesus in the garden – “not my will but Yours be done.” He encouraged us to submit to a greater cause than ourselves. He led us into silent prayer where we were encouraged to pray to entrust God with our life, our future, and our eternity. The second speaker came out a few readings and songs later and spoke about giving your life over to Christ. He said, “Good Friday would be an ideal day to give your life over to God. It’s so simple. You just need to prayer a prayer that says…” and he continued to pray the tradition “Jesus prayer.” There was time for reflection and silent prayer – which was actually silent, no music or anything. I was a little of put by the complexity of God’s grace and surrendering your life to Christ being categorized as “simple,” but this was just a difference in theology for me.
The last part of the service was communion. Surprisingly, a woman led communion! Considering the fundamental roots of Willow Creek, I was shocked a woman would be allowed to say the words of institution in the church. (I researched later to find this woman was Nancy Beach and she is, in fact, a teaching pastor at Willow Creek.) What shocked me even more was her outfit. She was wearing a nice button down shirt and sweater, but paired with a short black skirt, black nylons, and tall black boots. It was slightly less than professional, in my opinion, being on stage in front of thousands. She invited all Christians to join in communion – whether they had known Christ for five minutes, five years, or fifty years – except if you were in a state of “willful disobedience” you should let the plate go by. I was a little disturbed by this comment and wondered why those who need to come to the table the most would be excluded from communion. The service concluded with applause – slightly off-putting for a Good Friday service.
After the service we poked around the facilities, which were incredible. They have everything on-site including a bookstore, a food court, and coffee shop. Everywhere you can go there are televisions where you can watch the service no matter where you are. The food court is set up uniquely by regions. People are encouraged to sit at tables regionally – with people they live around. It is an intentional way to help people get connected in such a large church. The youth ministry is set up in a similar fashion. When they meet in small groups (called “house groups”) or gather in the youth auditorium, it is done by high school. We were all overwhelmed by the children’s ministry wing. Each room had state of the art audio/visual equipment and there was a room for each age (ie. The Three- Year-Old Room). There were several computers outside each room for parents to scan their children in and out (they receive a pager in case there is an issue during the service). It is an incredible undertaking. It is also worth noting that in the room we snuck into, there were no symbols of Christianity, no markers of Christ, that would make this space anymore sacred than their classrooms at elementary school… and this made me quite sad.
I had mixed feelings about Willow Creek beyond my clash with their theology. I appreciated the high quality facilities and their great care for excellence in their worship. People who come to worship at Willow Creek can expect the best and they draw quite a crowd because of this. However, I left feeling quite uneasy about the masks this creates. The manipulation of emotions and potentially too good of facilities makes me a little uneasy as we consider the humble and servant nature of Christ.
Chicago Bodhi Path (website)
We had the opportunity to meet with a teacher from the Chicago Bodhi Path Buddhist Center, Rachel Parrish. Rachel teaches meditation and facilitates discussion about the practice of meditation and Buddhism. Our time there was spent in conversation with her about her journey and about the Buddhist tradition.
Rachel’s story is fascinating as she grew up in a Christian household, but traveled to Europe after college where she was introduced to the Buddhist tradition and to meditation. She loved the teachings and decided to “take refuge” – which is the process of becoming Buddhist. When you take refuge you take refuge in three areas – Buddha (the spirit of enlightenment), Dharma (texts and scriptures), and Sangha (community). Rachel spent seven years in Buddhist retreat in order to prepare to be a teacher. During six of these years she only spoke Buddhist prayers and the last year spent the time in silent retreat. From there, she came to the center in Chicago where she currently resides and teaches.
She spoke to us about the practice of meditation and how it is about emptying the ego so you have more space for compassion and for others. The ego “wants to want” and we have to learn to repress that desire. Rachel explained we are constantly making judgments about the experiences we have. As we experience and emotion we place judgment on it. I like it. I don’t. I shouldn’t feel this way. I enjoy this emotion. We miss out on the actually experience. Meditation allows you to put aside the value calls and just live in the present. We experience one thought or emotion and then move onto the next. We talked about the difference between Christian meditation and Buddhist meditation and Rachel was very surprised Christians practiced meditation at all. She wondered if she had known this early in her youth if that would have influenced her differently about Christianity.
As we looked at the meditation space, we asked some questions about the seven bowls of water and the Buddha statue on the “altar.” Rachel explained the seven bowls of water were symbols of offerings. In the Buddhist tradition, they make an offering, not to anyone specific, but because we need to empty ourselves. They offer their “attachments” because they are more than their attachments. I asked about whether or not they worshipped Buddha and Rachel told me “no.” She explained Buddha is a symbol for the spirit of enlightenment. He reminds them of the inner strength that is found in every person. It is a symbol of the teachings of Buddha, what he learned and taught, and how everyone can achieve this through meditation. Rachel was incredibly hospitable and welcoming to our questions. She was just as interested in our own journeys as we were in hers and I appreciated the true dialog that took place during the several hours we visited with her. I learned a lot about the Buddhist tradition and took several pieces away which connect beautifully to the Christian faith.
Mars Hill Church (website)
Admittedly, my intrigue with Mars Hill was all about their pastor, Rob Bell. Bell is a well known speaker and author – including one of the most popular video series on the market today – Nooma. I have been inspired by Bell’s thinking and his new way of talking about Church. I was very curious about his church where these ideas would be embodied. I had heard several things about Mars Hill prior to going to worship including the lack of signage leading you to the church, but in general, that it would be different than most mega-churches out there. Having just attending Willow Creek two days prior, I was very curious to compare the experiences against one another.
Mars Hill Bible Church takes place in a mall. Some member of the congregation was the owner of an old mall and donated the space to the church. People weren’t kidding about the lack of signage. There were no signs about where to turn in off the highway and pulling up to the church, it literally looked like an abandoned mall. The only sign visible was the small writing on the glass doors as you entered into the building. I expected some sort of transformation as I entered into the doors, but again I was wrong. When you walked in, it looked like an old mall. There was nothing fancy done to the structure. The stores had become classrooms with very basic signs letting you know where different age groups meet. There was a smaller table in the walkway with coffee and bagels for people to eat and make a small donation. As we headed to the sanctuary, we passed the information table, which was the old mall information kiosk. Sitting on the table were three different papers of information. All three were very understated and printed on white paper with black ink. There was a piece of paper about becoming a covenant member of Mars Hill, a weekly newsletter (that was also passed out at the end of the service), and registration form for children.
As we entered into the sanctuary, we were greeted several times and given a Bible, an option for those who didn’t bring their own. The room was a gutted out department store with a small platform stage in the middle of the room with several thousand chairs in the round, all facing the stage. There were four smaller sized screens above the stage. The feel of the room was very underwhelming. There was nothing overly special about the room and there were also no signs to make the room particularly Christian. The service began with singing led by a worship team. One of the most interesting things about the service was how the worship team stood. Instead of facing the congregation, they face inward with their backs to the people. We were told this is done intentionally so it does not have a concert-like feel, as if the congregation is simply watching the show, and to point your attention and focus to the center – to God. Similar to Willow Creek, while the music was done in a contemporary style, it was mostly traditional tunes including “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “He Arose,” an Easter version of “Angels from the Realms of Glory, “Ode to Joy,” and finishing with a Woody Guthrie song “Halle Hallelujah.” There are also lots of different ages present – children, babies, youth, young adults, middle age adults, older adults. The smallest presence is older adults.
Rob Bell was not the preacher for Easter Sunday, instead Bell’s preaching professor from Fuller Seminary, William Pennel, gave the message. The best way I can describe his sermon was a stream of consciousness that felt more like blogs strung together rather than a coherent theme and message. I was really disappointed with his message. He made some wonderful points about hope – tying it to Obama, of whom he was a supporter, and voicing hope is not in a person here on earth. He cracked a really off-color joke about rape at this point and I believe he lost me from this point forward. He went on to speak about the scripture he had selected from Revelation and about what heaven will be like – not at all like our vacation to Florida. He then spoke about the church and what does it matter that God is in “this place.” He said, “If God isn’t among His people, what is the point? What does it mean to be God’s people in this place?”
The real irony of his message was he went on to preach about breaking down barriers of race, nationality, and denominations, but through the message poked fun of several races, nationalities, and denominations (including Presbyterians!). There was just no place for those jokes in an Easter morning sermon… or in any sermon for that matter. He concluded with an image of a yard stick. Pennel told us everyone has a human yard stick with which we are born. We measure others by how we measure ourselves – no one ever measures up to our yard sticks. He told us in order to be a new creation, we had to give up our yard sticks. When his sermon ended, everyone broke into applause. It disturbed me people thought it was a sermon of value. And even more, in a church with such a profound preacher as Rob Bell, how can this group of people not think critically for themselves? It made me consider the star-struck nature of the congregation with Bell and if the stars in their eyes have blinded them to think for themselves.
I have thought a great deal about my experience at Mars Hill since the trip. I was incredibly disappointed to have heard such a lousy sermon and I wish I could have gone on a normal Sunday when Bell might have set the tone better. But what has remained has been the minimalist physical structure and approach in general. The quality was all high quality, but it wasn’t extravagant – like we witnessed at Willow Creek. I think of how much time churches spend talking about the little things that just don’t matter at the end of the day. How many hours do churches spend just talking about signage so we can attract people from our communities? Mars Hill is drawing in thousands of people and it isn’t the signs bringing in the people – it is what happens on the inside of that unmarked building that is special.
(Soon after I published this, I had the opportunity to speak to a friend who is a member at Mars Hill. She expressed how several people within the congregation were also upset by the sermon, for many of the same reasons I was. The sermon was even addressed in the service the following Sunday. The podcast of this sermon is noticably missing from their website and I am happy to see Mars Hill hold a high standard for the messages given at their church. My friend also talked to me about house churches and how Mars Hill is very intentional about connecting people into smaller groups and ministries within the larger body. My star-struck comment was certainly too large of a brush stroke to really characterize the deeply passionate and devoted members of this church. I look forward to returning sometime in the future to worship with this Body of Christ.)
Mayflower Community Church (website)
It was like coming home for Easter Sunday. The pastor, Mark Barger Elliot, is the son-in-law of my hometown church’s former pastor, William Barger. The Bargers have been like family over the years and having the opportunity to worship with Lynn, Mark, and their family on Easter Sunday was a wonderful bookend to a long journey. When we pulled up to Mayflower Community Church, it felt as if we had just entered into New England. The building was a tall beautiful structure which screamed American protestant church! We were warmly greeted by a friendly man, just sitting on a bench, on our way into the building, and this continued as we entered into the narthex. Again, we saw ushers with official nametags seating congregants and passing out bulletins. The gentleman who seated me literally escorted me to my seat and asked me which side on which I would like to sit – much like a wedding. The people in the congregation (which totaled about 400) matched the façade of the church – it was a WASP to the max! I noticed only two people who were not white, and I believe those two children were adopted children sitting with white parents.
The sanctuary was gorgeous with lots of tall, big windows letting in lots of light. Beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling and a red carpet throughout. The service was very a very traditional reformed service with a familiar pace, familiar words, and familiar feel. Music was a big part of the service, as was their incredible organ (played quite well by their organist). The choir, which was a mix of adults and youth (perhaps just for Easter), began by standing in the aisles around the congregation to sing. The choir also performed parts of the Messiah by Handel, including “The Halleluiah Chorus,” which I had some musical snob thoughts about, but was overall quite good for a church choir. The organist ended with Widor’s Toccata No. 5 – a very difficult piece and one of my favorites.
Mark had a good children’s sermon about what Easter is all about and even had some interaction with the rest of the congregation by the call and response – “Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!” I’ll be honest, what happened next made me absolutely want to die. The children were dismissed to their children’s classes after the children’s sermon by a woman, who was in charge, calling out the classes one by one. As the children heard their teacher’s name, they filed out very orderly behind their teacher who was carrying a special flag to indicate their class. It was a spectacle of children parading OUT of the sanctuary.
After the children had left, Pastor Mark began to preach an excellent Easter morning sermon about death. It was not your average, run of the mill Easter morning sermon, and I applaud him for pushing his congregation to really think deeply about the message of Easter and all that surrounds this occasion. He asked his congregation “What is your concept of death? Do you really believe in heaven? Underneath the pageantry of Easter is the question – What do you think really happened? How does this shape your life today?” Mark told several stories along the way to help illustrate his main point – It is the concept of death which informs all of which life puts before us. He encouraged us to think about how we were living our lives now, comparing it to a dance – “Are you dancing in your life right now or are you leaning on the wall and sitting out the dance?” It was a very compelling and well-prepared message (one we were all longing for having experienced such a weak one earlier that day!)
I noticed a few other small notable things. The language used in the service was all male-gender language for God. There was a big emphasis on the offering – perhaps because it was Easter. There was a time for prayers for ourselves and others. They asked for prayer requests, but no one shared any. Again, I would love to see what a normal Sunday would have been like. During the prayer there was supposed to be time for silent prayer, but I didn’t really even notice that silent space given at all.
Worshipping at Mayflower reminded me of the importance of ritual and tradition. After a weekend of many different worship experiences, coming back to a tradition I know the best, brought my body back into the rhythm of worship. I was physically responsive to the times we stood or sat, the words we said or sang, and the order in which everything happened. There is something to be said for the pattern of worship as comfort. Yes, I believe there is time to change things up and to experience different types of worship – but returning to a familiar pattern of worship actually enhanced the worship experience for me and reminded me that we are just a small piece of something so much bigger than ourselves. Being a part of a denomination or a tradition allows us to connect to saints of the past, present, and future who seek God in the same fashion year after year.
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