A requirement for this course is to visit a mosque, Hindu or Sikh temple, or Synagogue. I have little knowledge about Islamic, Hindu, Sikh, and Jewish religions and what their services are comprised of. However, this class opened a door for me to broaden my knowledge on unfamiliar religious services. I decided to travel to a Jewish synagogue for a Friday evening service. Typically, I attend Christian religious services on Sunday mornings, attending the Jewish service on a Friday evening was a change because I am used to the Sabbath day services. I did learn that Jewish Sabbath begins Friday evening and concludes Saturday evening, therefore they have both Friday night and Saturday morning services. Upon entering the synagogue, I noticed it was set up similar to the Presbyterian church I attend where I live in northern Pennsylvania. There are 3 sections of pews allowing each person to have their own seat. Around the outside towards the ceiling there are multiple abstract appearing glass windows, allowing for natural light to …show more content…
Everyone had access to a prayer book which was used for the songs and prayers throughout the service. The service began with a song by the choir, and was followed by a family proceeding through a set of prayers that seemed to be some sort of initiation for a young boy in the family. Next, Cantor Laura Berman, Rabbi Jamie Gibson, and Rabbi Keren Gorban played guitars and sang tunes from the prayer book. Everybody was asked to rise for what they referred to as “the call to worship”. Midway through the song they turned around and faced the holy ark, where I learned they store the Torah-scrolls. Another interesting part was when an older couple asked to come onto the stage and recite a few versus related to their marriage. Rabbi Gibson led most of the service as they continued to sing and recite versus from the prayer book, and sang happy birthday to a member of the
The Jewish Synagogue of Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom is composed of Reformed and Conservative Jews. They believe in only one God and their most sacred text is called the Torah. Although their most important prophet is Moses, they also have other important individuals in their religion such as the prophets Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac. Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom is present in South Florida to invigorate its Jewish members with its spiritual needs and to support and connect its community. There was a countless number of eye popping decorations inside the Synagogue at Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom. The glass panels were all stained with various colors and symbols; the most prominent and prevalent piece of art was the Torah itself. You could also find the Torah in these glass panels which depicted luscious meadows covered with light blue glass-like skies. When turning towards the center of the room you could see a very beautiful and fiery design on two slide-able doors which I learned was called the Ark which held the Torah. The ark itself was surrounded by two large metal candles along with a smaller, yet similar, candle suspended above the Ark. In total there were about seven different Torahs inside the Ark which varied, not only in size, but also in decorations. Some Torahs seemed to be held by large gold plated bulbs while other Torahs seemed less sophisticated with lesser designs. There were multiple Torahs because, throughout time, some were donated and others were given to the Synagogue after merging with a different group.
All Moorish Americans– members of the Moorish Science Temple of America (MST of A) – must keep their hearts and minds pure with love and their bodies clean with water. They are to treat men with friendship and have a great appreciation for womanhood. They must lead a life of love, and live the teachings of Islam. Moorish-Americans are required to attend congregational worship services on Friday, the Holy Day, and Sunday School classes on Sunday. Worship in congregation is very important for Moslems because the Prophet Mohammed said that it is 27 times more valuable to worship in congregation than to worship alone. Holy Day Service opens traditionally with the saying of the Moorish-American Prayer all together by the congregation, led by the Chairman of the Temple. Sunday School opens the same as a Holy Day Meeting, then the Chairman turns the class over to the Sunday School teacher. The class is taught from a booklet called the Questionnaire, and goes into the teachings of the Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America. After the class, there is a reading of the “Warning,” and the audience is led in reciting the Moorish-American
I have attended a Christian church my whole life. While I have attended various denominations, I have always considered myself to be non-denominational, not favoring one over the other. The only other churches I have ever attended were Catholic; I have had other family members practice this faith and so have always been a guest with them if I have gone and had the services feel fairly familiar. When we were given the project to go and attend a different religion’s church I wasn’t sure what to expect. I decided to attend a Jewish church since Judaism and Christianity believe some of the same fundamentals but are still separated, I thought it would be a good way to learn more about the church as well as be able to relate better to anyone I know who practices Judaism. Also this taught me what it feels like for someone who does not have any experience in church.
Saturday, November 30, 2013 marked the fourth night of Chanukah. It was also the day that my friend Brandon and I visited the Center for Jewish Life in Marlboro, N.J. According to the information I gathered from different online news articles, it is a fairly new reform Synagogue that opened its doors in another smaller location in 2004. The current site of the temple was the former Monmouth Worship Center. Rabbi Yossi Kanelsky, with the help of the members of the congregation, relocated to this 18,000 square foot building in 2011. The temple is currently located within a scenic community off of Route 79 surrounded by private homes. The Synagogue can accommodate more than 500 people and has 17 classrooms for various activities for both adults and children.
There are many knowledgeable books that introduce religions as well as specific religious traditions. However, students are naturally introduced to abstract methodological issues such as observer bias, rather than the religions themselves. If religions of the world are not approached with purpose and method, then students are likely to gain “stereotypes… of misinformation supplied by certain sectors of the media” (Chryssides & Geaves, 2014). Thus, in order to see how religion is lived in day to day life, one must “walk a mile in [the] moccasins [of religious people]” as Smart (1998) says. Therefore this essay will attempt to answer why it is important to study religion off campus and how this may challenge traditional understandings of religion.
The service glorified God through prayer and song. The celebration of the Bat Mitzvah reminded me of when I became an official member of my church. Like Jessica, I had to attend classes in which I learned about the foundations of the religion, and studied certain chapters of the holy book. I was challenged to become more in tune with my faith and determine God’s role in my life. Unlike Jessica, I did not have to engage with the entire congregation, I was just voted in by the church session. Ultimately, what drives these acts of faith is a love and trust in God.
For my field experience activity I choose to go and visit the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Cumming, Georgia. I choose this particular location because not only did it represent a religious sector that I was very uninformed of, but this specific building is one that has been there for almost 15 years now and I would say I have driven by it without paying it any mind just about 5-6 times a week for several years. The Kingdom Hall is made entirely out of red brick. The Kingdom Hall building is a simple setup. They have a general meeting area with about 150 seats inside and a podium for speaking purposes. They have a couple of additional rooms for storage purposes and multipurpose areas like a kitchen and other open areas for different things.
Jaoudi, Maria. Christian and Islamic spirituality: sharing a journey. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1993. Print.
Ludwig, Theodore M. The Sacred Paths: Understanding the Religions of the World (4th Edition). 4 ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2005.
Once the service started, my friend showed me where the schedule for the service was and what each number meant. There were different colors of numbers in the book and those indicated what section the reading or song was coming from. This was different from the church that I attend because we have a choir and a band that plays the songs and if you wish to join in you can but for the Catholic Church there is, no choir and the members of the church are the ones who sing. After some singing, the priest came up to talk and this is very different from what I expected. I was used to flipping through the channels and seeing the catholic churches with the priest who were a ...
At 9:55 a man referred to as an usher greeted me and handed me a program. The room I entered into next was large and had an aisle down the center separating the seating. There were eight chairs seated side by side in each row and fifteen rows in total on each side of the aisle to provide comfortable seating for 240 people. I took a seat amongst the rest of the youth in the second row from the front of the platform. On the platform at the front of the room sat various instruments, a large podium and multiple speakers. There was a large, rectangular opening in the center wall at the back of the platform where a large tub with steps, referred to as the baptism tank, was located. Beyond the tank was a large wooden cross hanging on the wall.
It was magnificent. The first thing to catch my eye was a monstrous chandelier that hung from the 50 foot ceiling. It was awe inspiring. As my eyes surveyed the room, it was hard to miss the antique maple pews that provided seats for approximately 300 people. Plush emerald green carpet was the grounding to the room. It's path led directly up to the stage which was home to a variety of items. The band, pulpit, arid baptismal were the most obvious. Above the stage was a huge dome, it was colored in shades of blue, mauve, white, and several other soft accents. A bright light was right in the center of its point. Our gazing was soon interrupted when the official greeter returned. This time she was quick and to the point. She collected our cards and informed us that service was about to begin. Within a matter of minutes, a middle-aged man stepped up to the pulpit and asked us to stand.
There's one place Jesus always went even he was surrounded by lots of diseased people, after he begins his public ministry. / Mark 1:35- Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Like this verse, when the Sabbath came nearby, Jesus went to the Synagogue to pray. So I suggest, although your lie is busy, stay in Jesus and take a rest with a pray on Sundays.
The Largest Synagogues in the World Synagogues are prayer spaces (sanctuary) where Hebrews worship and perform most of their religious activities. This list provides ten largest synagogues in the world and they seem to share a common historical trend of surviving against historical odds that threatened their existence. Such challenges include Judeophobia, wars, intra-religious infighting, and other political processes. These synagogues also act as important centers for the preservation of endangered Jewish literature and cultural heritage as well as a place where Jews, spread all over the world, meet and worship. In all these challenges, the continuous resilience and dedication of global Jewish communities proved to be their greatest assert.
It has been an outstanding five weeks. This was the course that I've been waiting to take since I started Capella back in April of 2004. Finally after weeks of reading World Religions by Huston Smith, I have developed an understanding of some of the world's religions. I can never be an expert in this field, and I don't want to, but at least I have an idea where these religions originated and have a general concept of the beliefs behind each religion. Each of the religions we covered have one thing in common that stick out, and that is promoting peace and harmony.