Total Mileage: 1,352
Song of the Day: “Sweet Home Chicago” (Robert Johnson)
Book of the Day:
Still Beyond Megachurch Myths
Alright, so the vast majority of the day was spent just working on the Mars Hill stuff, but the Chicago plans are set, and I’m enjoying getting to know this neighborhood. Over the next week, I’ll be doing the following:
- Wednesday: visit LaSalle Street Church and (hopefully) work at Breaking Bread
- Saturday: worship with Willow Creek in South Barrington
- Sunday: worship with Lawndale Community Church right up the street
I’m staying at a small hotel just up Pulaski Road from Lawndale Community Church and about five minutes from Midway Airport. It’s a pretty interesting neighborhood with a very large Latino population, and I'm right across the street from a high school and community park, both of which are named for Marie Curie. As I’m walking around, I’m seeing that learning Spanish really isn’t just an option in this community; it’s a requirement. Almost all signage is in either English and Spanish or just Spanish exclusively. When I walk into a Walgreens or a Subway, it’s assumed by the people there that I speak Spanish as my primary language until I open my Southern mouth and prove otherwise. Incidentally, my accent has been kicking into high gear lately in these situations-- weirdest defense mechanism ever. I definitely don’t feel any sort of danger as I walk around this neighborhood, but I will admit that the inability to understand the conversations taking place around me is disquieting. Right up the street from my hotel is a mysterious-looking Spanish fortune teller shop with a window adorned by a Virgin Mary who is surrounded with more neon signage than the Vegas Strip. I’ve been tempted to go experience the shop just for the oddity of it, but given that I’ve already had to deal with one curse being placed on my family --and thanks again to Prof. Royal Rhodes for helping clear that whole thing up--, I figure I shouldn’t risk it happening again. While the main roads in this area project a fairly depressed image with their sizable potholes and rundown-looking shopping centers, driving into the residential sections of the neighborhood provides a different flavor, as small, well-kept, brick homes line the streets just blocks away from the local businesses and fastfood restaurants.
My hotel is just a block away from the orange line, so I should be able to catch the train deeper into town when I’m heading toward LaSalle Street. As far as the other churches go, Willow Creek will be the longest trek, requiring me to catch I-90 out to South Barrington on Saturday (approximately an hour away even if I avoid rush hour). Thankfully, Lawndale will be incredibly convenient on Sunday morning since it’s just four miles up Pulaski. As for other Chicago activities, I haven’t exactly planned to do much sight-seeing on this trip, and I’m much more interested in the communities around the churches themselves (which I realize aren’t the most active tourist destinations). Still, perhaps a quick jaunt downtown before going over to LaSalle Street wouldn’t kill me. Several times now, I’ve looked up to notice the Sears Tower beckoning to me from the skyline. We’ll see. For now, I’m sticking to my own three Rs: reading, research, and reflection.
Peace and Blessings,
Tom
Tom!
ReplyDeleteI love Lawndale Community church! It is probably one of the coolest churches I have ever been to, and they are SO plugged into the community and influential in the neighborhood.
While you are there, you should eat at the lou malnati's pizza right across from LCC. First, Lou's has the best deep dish pizza in Chicago (in my opinion). But even better, the Lou's on Ogden was their 10th store that they opened, so its their tithe store. Lou's doesn't make any profit off of that store, but the donate all of the proceeds back into the community. And, the restaurant hires a lot of people from some of LCC's rehab/community training/leadership/education type programs.
FYI, I know all of this because I lived in Chicago working for an urban missions organization. If you are interested in some ministry "sites" you can always go to Uptown (near Lawrence and Broadway, close to the lake). Its a bit of a ways from where you are, but its a ministry hub. Uptown is the home of Jesus People USA, Chicago Community Outreach (CCO) and Epworth UMC's men's shelter, among many other things. And there is FANTASTIC Thai food in uptown, Siam Cafe on Sheridan.
Oh, and be safe! The Lawndale, Austin, Garfield Park neighbors (near where you are) are rough parts of town, aka rough even relative to most of the rest of the city. Oh and have fun! Part of my heart still lives in Chicago....
Laura-Allen
Thanks, Laura-Allen! I'll try to make my way uptown this afternoon (depending on how much work I can get done this morning), but if not, I'll head that way tomorrow. It may be a little short notice to set up interviews with folks, but I can at least get the lay of the land, and Thai food is definitely a draw as well!
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for the pizza recommendation! Most of what I know about Lawndale is from the write-up in Jim and Casper Go to Church, and there was an oblique reference in there to a pizza place that had me curious-- glad to know the full story now! I'll be doing some hefty website viewing to get a more full picture before I attend on Sunday, and of course, there will be a lot of talking to people ass well.
Thanks again for the input on the Chicago area, and good luck as you start your field ed this summer!
--Tom