A Taste of First Century Christianity in Urban Los Angeles, Alfredo Galvez

Curiosity had overwhelmed me to take a chance one Sunday morning. With my interest pricked by a classmate's account, I found myself standing in front of a green building that looked like an oversized house with a large gabled roof. On its façade the stenciling read, “Meeting Hall of the Church in Los Angeles.”

Tentatively, I stepped through the entryway and walked down a plain narrow corridor that led to a large room. Once inside I scanned for the typical features that punctuate a church's interior. To my surprise, I could not find a podium, religious artwork, or any of the typical signs you would expect in a religious structure. All that was present in this room was a gathering of multi-ethnic people sitting in a large square facing a table situated at its center. It was a small, elongated, wooden table with a white cloth draped over it, and on top sat a cup of wine and a dish that contained a large wafer of unleavened bread. Spontaneously, a few men of varying ages broke the wafer, and then together passed out that and the wine to all present. It was a joy for me to see that their communion was open to all. As for their experience, regardless of language, race, or gender, each attendant was profoundly enjoying their faith with hymns, recitations of stanzas, and solemn audible prayers of praise. On any other day this would be just a large white room. But on this Sunday its life pulse was very Christian, and each beat was an explosive expression of jubilant praise randomly rising from anyone at any time, but with an order and timing of a chorus. The sincerity of each supplication, the genuineness of each praise, and the prayerful enjoyment of each hymn touched me profoundly.

My eye began to search for a reverend responsible for organizing this amazing spiritual release; yet person after person that stood up to speak was a layman. Their speaking was free flowing in its expression of the biblical texts they were studying during the last week. Furthermore, each seemed to pick up where the other had just left off, and the spiritual intensity of each point shared was sustained by others calling out and affirming with an “amen”. All that was shared was held together by a common focus, and sustained by a deep spirituality that was profoundly overt. The oneness of these gathered worshippers was more than just plainly visible, it was alluring. All this was unfolding before my eyes without the coordination of a reverend or any other vestiges of clergy. To my surprise I was a witness to a simple and humble people gathering together for the sole purpose of tapping into something greater, something that reached beyond a typical organized religion--God Himself!

While attending UCLA I focused part of my historical studies on first century Christianity. Up to this point in my life, my Christian experience was typical of most denominations. It was a refreshing surprise to experience what I had studied as first century Christianity in modern urban Los Angeles. I can honestly say that I found a community of Christians with Jesus Christ as the center of their experience. Here the pursuit in Scripture is for the discernment of God's will.

After spending four years studying with these brothers I can honestly say that my enjoyment continues. The scholarship is exceptional, the experience genuine, and each discovery filled with Christ. I have found a deeper experience of Jesus Christ.