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
Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath day; their day of rest. It begins on Friday and concludes Saturday evening. Shabbat allows time for members to focus on what it is important and that is: worshiping, reflecting on the week, and growing together. Depending on the day (Friday or Saturday) and week (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th), the service may vary, including the content of worship, it’s timing and style (Molloy, 2013). The Shabbat service we attend took place on the second Friday of the month; it involved music, prayer and a sermon. As we entered Shir Takvih, we felt very welcomed; everyone was polite and answered any questions we had. After we received a copy of their translated prayer book (machzorim) we were directed to the designated place, where we were told that we could sit anywhere we like. The white painted room which was surrounded by big round windows had several roles of wooden fold up chairs. Not wanting to be a disturbance we sat in the back row. At the front of the room there was a bimah with an assortment of musical instruments on one side and a podium directly in the center. Behind the podium, stood a wood frame window that stored unidentifiable items in its
They started the service by blowing of a horn called the Shofar. It took me by surprise because I am used to an opening of prayer at my church and where we also have a contemporary ...
The morning Shabbat service began around 9 am. Upon entering the building, my friend Brandon reached out and touched the Mezuzah which was placed on the right side of the door. He explained that every door in a Jewish home or building has a Mezuzah. The lobby area displayed many intricate plaques on the wall commemorating past relatives. Before we entered the large room where the congregation was sitting, there were certain items we were required to take with us. The first was the yarmulke, which is a traditional head covering for the men. The second was a garment, which is a religious styled covering placed around the top of the members’ bodies. The garment had Hebrew letters on the rim of one side, which was the side where it laid around our shoulders and neck. Most importantly, we brought with us a leather bound book, which was a copy of the Torah in English.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Jaoudi, Maria. Christian and Islamic spirituality: sharing a journey. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1993. Print.
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.
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.