First, a response to D H: You clearly come from a conservative evangelical perspective, which is great. I certainly do not share your beliefs nor do I judge them, but I will hold you accountable to your standards of judgement. First, you commend RnB because it welcomes people of all faiths, yet you condemn RnB because it does not share your particular understanding of Christianity, #hypocrisymuch? Secondly, you also condemn RnB because the speaker did not mention Jesus. Well, any guesses who talked about the importance of welcoming everyone and not just saying the right words? #the J man. Lastly and related to the second point, you quote a bible passage about wolves in sheep's clothing. Well my friend, I've been to Park Community Church and was told that I would not be able to take communion because I have not been baptized. The sermon that day was about loving each person in the whole city of Chicago. #TellMeWillLovedbutDon'tFeedMe #Howling #Y'allSeemRealNiceAndndFluffyThough. #Phew
Now to review RnB: I've been to a great many churches, and RnB is a church that most earnestly grabbles with the question of what it means to be a (Christian) Church. I don't know if a church ever truly answers this question, or if a church is ever even supposed to. It seems a church finds relevance and purpose in answering its own definition. So on the one hand, if you want to be told what to believe and how to live, then this church is probably not for you, on the other hand, there is a kind of security or comfort in having a clear denominational tradition to fall back on in the midst of life's whirlwind.
As many others have said, RnB is uniquely trying to interpret faith, church, christianity, and religion. In addition, RnB also is open, welcoming, and warm and is happy to feed you. I think it has the makings of a genuine home for many people. Also, the music is bomb and the preaching is always interesting.
However, there are also some notable criticisms for RnB. They alternate between morning and evening (dinner) church services during the month, and they are held at different locations, though very close to each other. Also, their dinner church alternates locations every two weeks: not close to each other, Andersonville and Bucktown. Nevertheless, they are very good about sending weekly updates about location, date, and time. Second, the congregation though not homogenous is mostly middle class, well educated, progressive white folks; there's nothing wrong with this but notable. Lastly, the seeking/question asking nature of RnB leaves it susceptible to the concern of what RnB can do or be for the world. I think many people come to RnB with their worries/past experience with institutional religion, faith, identity politics, and etc., and find a place where they can explore and share such things in a safe place: fantastic. I think the thing missing from RnB are avenues to figure out how the individual congregant and church then constructively relate back to the things that which concern them or brought them to RnB in the first place. IDK if this last critique is fair. read more