When Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to First Purchase while Atticus is out of town, the children have the opportunity to see black culture in a way that is normally outside of the white view.

Scout is, first, surprised at the poverty of the church compared to her church. First Purchase is not wired for electricity: kerosene lamps hang on the walls in brackets. The worshippers sit on plain pine benches, not pews with backs. The decorations are sparse, with only a banner saying "God is Love" and a print hanging on the wall.

Second, Scout is surprised not to see what she considers the normal accompaniments to a Sunday church service. She sees no piano, no organ, no hymn-books, and no printed programs.

Third, Scout finds the lack of hymnal use startling. Instead of hymnals, Zeebo stands up and leads the worshippers in what is called "lining:" Zeeboo reads out the line to sing. If the worshippers don't hear it the first time:

Zeebo repeated the line carefully, and it was sung.

Scout also is not used to seeing the pastor count out the money gathered and ask for more:

To our amazement, Reverend Sykes emptied the can onto the table and raked the coins into his hand ...

Reverend Sykes tells the congregation they must come up with ten dollars. Scout and Jem have never seen anything like this before, but the need to help Tom Robinson's wife and family is great.

Finally, Scout is surprised to find that most of the congregation is illiterate, which is why they have no hymnals or programs.

The church shows the wealth divide between black residents and white residents in Maycomb.