The Church Picnic
On Sunday August 22nd, the Delta Church of Religious Science had its first annual picnic. It was a gorgeous day at Contra Loma Reservoir in Antioch. The breeze gently ruffled the leaves as the branches of the shade trees swayed over the picnic tables. Although the mercury soared to 95 degrees, the heat was not oppressive. The Delta Church, having only formed last October, is relatively small with only seventeen members. Considering that, the turnout of thirty people for the picnic was outstanding. The picnic lasted four hours as conversations lingered, food was devoured and games were played. Throughout the day the sound of laughter echoed in the breeze as families and friends spent quality time together.
Contra Loma Park has an excellent set-up for groups. Instead of a traditional tableside small grill, the group picnic area has an extra-large BBQ centrally located among several tables. Everyone prepared his or her meal simultaneously on the grill. Church members were notified at Sunday services to "bring your own meat to BBQ". Thanks to Bill Cecil and his advance preparation, the BBQ coals were ashen and hot when everyone arrived. The food as it cooked on the grill filled the air with a variety of pleasing smells. There were hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, chicken and mouth watering ribs.
In addition to the main course, everyone brought at least one potluck dish. The table was filled with appetizers, side dishes and desserts. Betsy and Reggie brought a homemade cheese ball that was half gone before some Church members could even make it over to that side of the table. Sunday school teacher Lonnie contributed her favorite recipe, a seven-layer Mexican dip served with homemade tortilla chips. And that was just the appetizers! Mary Anne's deviled eggs saw many a second helping, as did Faye's potato salad. There was a terrific tasting green vegetable salad that included tomatoes fresh from Reverend Kay's home garden. Patti's crock-pot full of BBQ beans hit the spot with its thick molasses sauce.
But the desserts really took center stage; Carol and Tim brought their ice cream making machine. The goal was to make ice cream; the fun was the team effort it took to produce the ice cream. Homemade ice cream requires a lot of hand cranking. Several of the attendees took their turn at the crank. A few of them boasted that the sore arm muscles they had entitled them to first servings.
In my paper I will talk about my visit to The Community Church at Murphy's Landing (CCML). I have chosen this particular Church because it is a family church type and my neighbor goes there and she encouraged me to go with her. I went there with my neighbor on April 6, 2014.This church is an appropriate for this assignment because the people there are welcoming me with an open heart and they are willing to help and provide me with information. When I visit the Church’s site I read these words “We know visiting a new church can be intimidating. But, we want to help you to be as comfortable as possible when and if you join us”. The people gather in the church weekly to glorify God in joyful worship. The expressions of worship on CCML take many forms a prayer, a hymn of reverent awe, a guitar ringing with a chorus of praise, or a warm handshake and a welcoming smile. Their weekly services begin at 9:30 each Sunday at church. Also, they have weekly podcast if anyone wants to listen online. They have many types of services for parents, kids and students. People at CCML were so friendly; they gather around me and start welcoming me, one by one. People there introducing themselves to me, one after another and provide me with their contact information and help. Then we start talking about the church services and Christianity in particular. The mission of CCML was knowing, growing and loving. They seek to live out our mission by worshipping together as a local community of believers, growing in spiritual maturity through discipleship, education, and small groups, caring for one another within the context of the larger church body and small groups, and Communicating the love of Christ to our world, both through local outreach and global mis...
Situated on the Monongahela River is the neighborhood of Southside Flats. Within it lays the entertainment hub of Pittsburgh. Numerous bars and nightspots line the main thoroughfare of E Carson St. The early history of the neighborhood saw it as a main point for industry with its proximity to the river and railway stations. At the end of the nineteenth century, the neighborhood would boast a major steelworks factory that employed a sizable portion of the residents of Southside Flats. Many of these residents emigrated from the countries of Eastern Europe and incorporated many of their traditions into the area and the neighboring Southside Slopes. This style of life would last until the early 1980s when the South Side Local Development Company was formed and the steel plant shut down. The area was absent of a major employer until the City of Pittsburgh Urban and Redevelopment Authority (URA) bought the land once occupied by the steel plant in 1993. The URA bought the land with money they borrowed from a developer that eventually led to the construction of the SouthSide Works. The complex officially opened in 2004 brought many national retailers to the Pittsburgh area. The construction of the SouthSide Works is one example of how cities have had to cope with the deindustrialization that has taken place in this country over the past 30 years. The emergence of Southside Flats as the hotspot of Pittsburgh for nightlife and shopping has caused problems for the local residents. Over the past years, there has been an increasing riff between the local residents and the patrons of the area’s bars and nightclubs. This riff grew to such an extent that the Pittsburgh police began instituting tight reg...
Located just beyond the south entrance to the park is the visitors center and ranger station. Here you can find maps to trails, information about camping, fishing and boating, and information about the flora and fauna to be found within the park. This is a good place to start your visit, get oriented, and plan your day.
...agreed with, some that frustrated, and some that embarrassed me when my personal preferences defied logic or biblical mandate. I would recommend this reading to any who impact church worship (employee or volunteer). Not as a firm guide, but as thought-provoking advice on how corporate worship can impact an ever-changing culture. I think any worship leader would be impacted by Dawn’s questions:
One of the greatest and oldest human mysteries on Earth is death, and the fate that lies beyond it. The curious minds of human beings constantly wonder about the events that occur after death. No person truly knows what happens after a person ceases to live in the world, except for the people themselves who have passed away. As a result, over the course of history, people of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions have speculated and believed in numerous different possibilities for the destiny that awaits them beyond the world of the living. The great ambiguity of the afterlife is extremely ancient that many different beliefs about it have been dated back to several centuries ago. These beliefs go as far back to the beliefs of Ancient Egyptians, which outline the journey that the dead travels to the land of Osiris; and the belief of Ancient Greeks that all souls eventually find themselves in Hades’ realm, the Underworld. Throughout history, views and beliefs from emerging religions continue to develop as the human conscience persists in finding answers to this ancient, unresolved mystery. Prime examples of the various and separate beliefs regarding death and the afterlife are found in the diverse faiths of Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Buddhism.
into a richer experience of worship and a more effect life of service" (Crabb, 1977, p.31). The method to establishing an
The religious fanfare in America is overwhelmingly Christian. There appears to be a major increase of interest in spirituality. However, there is a vast difference in the devoutness of churchgoers in frequency of church attendance. The manner in which these individuals attend church is influenced by their ages and also whether or not they have endured difficult life situations. After attending a few church services, one becomes very aware of the various types of attendees. There are three types of churchgoer categories: the Never- Miss-a-Service Churchgoers, the Show-Up for Sunday Morning Service Churchgoers, and lastly, but certainly not the least, Holiday Churchgoers.
Globalization, a great number of people regard it as a chiefly economic phenomenon, necessitating the additional integration, or interaction, of nationally based economic entities through the development of international trade, investment and monetary flows. Also included in this view is the rapid advances in sharing social and cultural values as well as new technologies as the world grows together. Globalization can be defined as a procedure in which geographic distance is a diminishing factor in the formation and sustentation of international economic, political and cultural relations. Proponents of this process believe that free trade and integration of world markets will facilitate growth in economies both old and new. Proponents also believe that globalization will stimulate the spread of democracy and in turn improve the condition of human rights so intrinsic to the values of democracy. Critics of globalization see globalization quite differently, portraying it as worldwide push toward a globalized economic system under the control of global corporate trade and banking institutions that are not responsible to the democratic system or governments. Many questions surround globalization. What are the costs and benefits of free trade? Does globalization exacerbate global inequality? What impact does globalization have on the environment? Are industries in developed nations being weakened by industries in developing or third world countries that have a lower standard and therefore cost of labor?
Rosen, Jeremy. Understanding Judaism. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic, 2003. Print. This Book Describes the Theology and Practice from Judaism's Biblical Origins to the Present Day. Rosen Is a Rabbi. The Book Is Written as an Academic Textbook. The Theology Section of the Book Gives a Overview of Jewish Beliefs of Life after Death.
For my observation trip, I decided to visit St. Ignatius Church in Oregon, Ohio. I visited a mass at 11:30 on Sunday November 19. I decided to visit a catholic church because my family has no religious background whatsoever, and I decided that I could go with one of my good friends that way if I need to ask questions, she was there to answer them for me.
Soon, we all sat around the dinner table enjoying my grandma’s culinary specialties. There was one dish that had stuck in my mind though, possibly because it was the last dish served that night.
It may seem a little bit strange, but my favorite place in town in none other than this beautiful Evangelic Church. However, it wasn’t always so.
The concept of an afterlife in the Abrahamic religions is very difficult to discern as each religion holds within itself its own interpretation. An interpretation that not every denomination within each religion agrees with. There is somewhat of a general consensus, however, as all three acknowledge that there is an afterlife. The typical Christian and Islamic belief is that heaven and is eternal. In the event that the deceased ascend into heaven they will enjoy God’s presence as well their loved ones for eternity. Unlike Christianity, Islamic traditions show that are several levels inside heaven where not only does
Jesus served as example for all of humanity. His life work was to solve the fundamental problem of humanities sin and to provide eternal life with the Father. Jesus Christ demonstrated the way humans should live. He modeled behavior to the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, women, tax collector, to His friends. He came to set the example of the way to live for Christians. Basically, Jesus life was an outline of how to live your own life. Jesus confirmed that you should love your neighbor as yourself. That you should love your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength. This was demonstrated on a daily bases. Jesus verified that although humans are prone to sin, one can make a choice to not sin. When tempted by Satan, Jesus refrained from sin and turned to God the Father for strength to turn away from the temptation. Jesus was the teacher of complete, true knowledge.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss a service that I got to attend that was different from my own religious tradition. I decided to go with my chosen topic because to be honest I had never experienced or thought to experience a different type of church service other than the one I grew up in. I grew up in a Christian home and attended a non-denominational Christian church on a regular basis. I just never felt the need to experience something that was different. So I decided to attend a mass at a Catholic church. I had been to weddings in a Catholic church and even funerals with a Catholic involvement but not an actual mass.