By Lara Schopp, Director of Communications

The friends we were traveling with suggested a guided bicycle tour. Never in a million miles of travel could I have convinced my husband this was a fun idea, but majority ruled and that’s how we found ourselves rolling through some parts of Chicago we’d never seen, despite having visited the city dozens of times.

It’s funny how different something familiar can look when you see it from a fresh perspective.

Yes, we’d been to the Fulton Market District, but we’d never eaten tlayuda at Cruz Blanca. (Highly recommended.) Yes, we’d been in classic Chicago dive bars, but never tried a “Chicago Handshake.” (Not so highly recommended.) Yes, we’d roamed cool streets, but we’d never heard of The 606, a gorgeous, elevated park/trail. Yes, we’d seen Lake Michigan, but we’d never cruised alongside it as the fog rolled in and you could just barely make out the sparkling top of a silver skyscraper catching a stray kiss of sunlight.

Since that Chicago weekend, which also included one of the best meals we’ve ever eaten, we keep coming back to conversation about the bike tour. It was a good reminder that coming at a familiar thing from a fresh perspective can give you a whole new experience. Take church for example. Here are some ways you might experience church from a new perspective:

  • Attend a different worship service than you normally do. Try the outdoor service. Try a chapel service. Sit in a different pew. Sit in the balcony. Sit toward the front.
  • After worship, greet folks you might not otherwise chat with.
  • Stop by the church on a weekday. See all the work that is done here Monday through Friday. Sit in the quiet, darkened Sanctuary for a bit.
  • Try a new class. Not the Bible study type? Great, you have an even better opportunity to see a fresh perspective.
  • Serve with the Children’s or Youth Ministries. You’ll be especially enlightened by our children and youth and their perspectives on God and life.
  • Read the church newsletter from cover to cover. You’ll be surprised by what you learn.