I just finished participating in a bit of immersion journalism that's slated to appear in the May/June issue of Relevant Magazine. For those who aren't hip with the supersecret writing lingo, immersion journalism is the kind of writing where a journalist embeds himself (or herself) in an activity, event, or experience and then writes about it from a personal perspective. As opposed to the objective, detached perspective common to most types of journalism.
A good example of immersion journalism is the work of Barbara Ehrenreich. Her popular books Nickel and Dimed (2001) and Bait and Switch (2005) chronicle her experiences going undercover as, respectively, a member of the working poor and a middle-aged job hunter. She does all this stuff and then writes about what happens. Morgan Spurlock's Super-Size Me is a good example of immersion journalism wrapped into a documentary film.
I've always loved these kinds of books (and films) because they provide a window into places that are new -- places I've not been and situations I haven't experienced -- and getting to view those places through someone else's eyes is a good, vicarious exercise. When done with the right combination of opinion and reporting, the results are usually pretty educational. In the hands of a talented writer, it can be really entertaining, too.
Anyway (long introduction)...my foray into immersion writing wasn't as dramatic as going undercover for months at a time, or eating too many Big-Macs. What I did was simpler: I attended six different churches -- six different denominations -- over the course of six Sundays. The purpose was to describe what the services were like, how I reacted to them (based on my primarily Southern Baptist churchgoing experience), and what I experienced and learned in the process. The denominations I visited were pretty diverse: Assembly of God, Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Southern Baptist (not my own church, of course).
It was quite enlightening. I consider myself pretty ecumenical when it comes to the various corners of Christianity, so I don't generally carry too many prejudices and misconceptions with me about, for example, Catholics or Pentecostals (at least, I try not to). I certainly have my personal preferences when it comes to worship formats and styles, though. And at this point in my life, they're beginning to shift.
I won't give away the farm on this one, but here are some random takeaways and teasers from the project:
1) It was a big stretch for me, personality-wise. I tend to be pretty introverted in new settings -- unless I'm on-stage speaking, which is weird -- so making myself attend an unknown church service by myself was a good personal challenge. It actually made me nervous.
2) Other than the fact that the project took me away from my family on Sunday mornings, I really enjoyed it. The variety of ways we worship is very interesting, to say the least.
3) I tried to go into it with an open mind, but a couple of denominations' services did nothing to dispel stereotypes.
4) I still have a big problem with pastors who wear toupees, and I'm sorry, but I'm not a big enough person to get over that prejudice. If you are trying to trick me into thinking you have real hair, when in fact you do not have real hair, then how am I supposed to trust anything else you say?
5) I've decided that the quality, subject, or length of the sermon has very little to do with how much I like or dislike a church. It's not as important as it used to be.
6) Other than the forced greet-your-neighbor times in a couple of church services, I was not approached or welcomed by anyone, on their own accord, until week six of the project. That's five church services, as a visitor -- a visitor with a winning smile and ruggedly handsome features, I might add -- without being spoken to.
7) If left to myself on a Sunday morning, with no other obligations or church services to attend, I can tell you exactly which church I would go to.
8) It's not the Baptist one.
This blog is still fairly new, but it attracts a few dozen people every day. I want to know who you are...and what is your denominational background and/or preference. So this is your opportunity to quit lurking and leave a comment.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Church Hopping
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6 comments:
I'm honored to break the ice here. I'm catholic, and married to a protester. We've done our share of church hopping without landing anywhere permanently. Part of the reason is that my odd combination of general skepticism and devotion to tradition has been an impediment to our search.
hey jason...looking forward to reading the piece. i grew up in New England, in a very conservative nondenominational reformed church. i chased my wife to PA after college and ever since have been a part of her church (our church) which is an AG church. When i started going, it was "very AG", fully embracing their distinctive doctrine of baptism in the spirit with tongues as a sign. But we've gotten away from that to focus on more important things (in my opinion) like creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors, giving people many ways to engage God throughout the service, and the like...we are still affiliated with AG, but very loosely.
Hey there, Jason. Greetings from TrueU.
I grew up going to an Evangelical Free church, one my parents helped start. And I found a great E-Free church in college -- lot's of university professors, a very intelligent congregation. It was wonderful. Out here in Colorado, I'm attending a Calvary Chapel church, a denomination I'd never heard of before moving here. It's pretty non-denominational feeling, I think. And pretty diverse, actually -- well, for Colorado Springs, anyway.
Hey Jason. Hope you are well. I haven't been lurking but a couple of days, but I have lurked. So, thanks for calling me out. The story should be really interesting. I've been to non-denominational churches, a mennonite brethren church and Baptist (but mostly Baptist). Look forward to it. Should be very interesting.
Scott.
Pretty much raised in baptist churches - my father was in the Air Force, so we moved every three years or so, which gives a growing mind some great exposure. The most interesting thing was living in Germany for three years, the baptist church there became a "catch all" because the only other choice was the base chapel (pretty watered-down, generic stuff there) - so that's where I got exposed to several different protestant views.
Spent a few years later as a doubting agnostic - these days an active member of a baptist church.
The interesting thing now is the group of ministers from the area (baptist, methodist, christian&missionary alliance, church of God, etc.) who meet weekly to talk and pray together - the walls seem to be almost non-existent in our little corner of the world.
Keep up the great work! Can't wait for the Relevant article and the Saints book.
Like you, I have had quite a bit of experience "church-hopping". Unfortunately, the area in which I live in has a large amount of churches, but I have had a hard time finding my church home. So, as a result, I've been hopping from church to church, regardless of denomination. And I'll say that my understand of Christianity, as you said, has increased greatly. It's very easy to stereotype other denominations when you don't attend them. I thought Pentacostals were all about hymns and Assemblies of God speaking in tongues. And fortunately, I found out that there is so much more to each individual denomination than those things that spark controversy the most. And really, I've found it's all about people anyways. It's all about each person drawing closer to Christ.
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