I am what some people refer to as a cradle Catholic. I was born a Catholic and have remained so all my life. I have never had any reason to attend a religious service other than my own. Looking back, I can only remember entering a non-Catholic place of worship once. I was very young and I barely remember any of it. One of my uncles was marrying a woman who was Baptist and had therefore converted. From what I remember it was similar to what I was used to. I decided to do my project on a worship service I have attended that was different than my own. I chose a Church of Latter Day Saints service because my wife’s immediate family are all Mormon. I had done a bit of research in the past on their core beliefs, but I thought this would be a good …show more content…
I had driven past the building before and that was always the most noticeable feature. I have not seen many Catholic churches, if any at all, with the large narrow tower in front so my first questions are where this originates from and if this was carried over from the denominations in which the faith originally broke away from. Inside the first set of doors of the building it appeared like a gathering hall with different rooms in every direction. As I walked into the actual service area, I noticed it appeared very plain and simple compared what I was used to. The walls were painted a plain tan color and did not have a single picture or decoration on them. With the exception of a few light fixtures, the walls were almost completely bare. It was a large hall with rows of pews going from the back of the hall up to the podium area. Another big difference I noticed is the lack of an alter at the front of the church. My attention was focused towards the front of the church that consisted of a raised area with a large organ off to the left side, a podium in the middle, and a few chairs off to the right side. The furniture had a sacramental element to it, only that it was very
The churches are built almost entirely of stone. Built on a symmetrical concept, they both have three portals as an entrance to the nave. Symmetrical towers rise several stories above the left and right portals. It is important for one to recognize that the stone ribbed vaulted ceilings were added on after the
The towers of the church have cone-shaped tops with one being larger than the other. There is a large circle shaped window in the center of the west facade. There are windows in the towers and windows at the base. There are doors and pedestals.There are details carved into the building which include the image of holy figures.
When choosing a religious service I was very limited on my choices so I was intrigued to go back to my roots and try the Catholic denomination. This denomination is the one that is most prevalent in my community and also in my social circle as well. Since I have actually been to a Catholic church as a child I thought I knew what to expect but I was shocked at how naive I was to the subject. My preconceived ideas and thoughts were that there would be a lot of getting down on your knees then back up again then saying your Hail Mary’s with not much depth to a service. Also growing up with a social group that was full of Catholics you would always hear of confession so that was something I was particularly dreading for the fact that I did not quite understand the concept and believe in it. This did not take place however which was a sigh of relief on my part cause I was not ready for that big of a leap from my own comfort zone.
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...
St. Teresa was born in Avila, Spain on March 28, 1515. She was baptized as Teresa Sanchez de Cepeda y Ahumada. At a young age she would often give gifts to the poor and pray. Her father and her mother were both Catholics which inspired her to do the same. Her father was a very strict man a demanded her to never lie, while her mother told her to lie and comforted her. This created a ton of turmoil in the family and made St. Teresa end up loving her mother more due to her father’s severe strictness. St. Teresa felt that everything she was doing was wrong. During her teens her mother passed away leaving her to deal with her father by herself and she was relieved of some of the pain by turning to the Virgin Mary for comfort. In her late teen years
The church external appearance was quite different than other churches that I have seen. It was basically a big white stucco block with a gold dome on top and four decorated spikes on each corner of the building that surrounded the dome. The people of course were all Greek and were very well dressed. Most of the men and boys all wore suits, and If not they had some kind of vest on. I don’t know if this was some kind of rule or tradition, but it mostly seemed as a respect to God. The women all wore the basic dresses, and all the skirts fell down below the knee. Everybody was proper and ordered. As I walked in the church I entered a lobby of some kind. What I saw hear was something like social hour. Everybody was in there. They were all speaking Greek, and I felt as if I was in a family reunion party. The children were all together; the adults talked together and the young adults all were together. The way they all socialize is when someone comes up to say hello, they give each other a kiss on the cheek and a hug. These people are all very close to each other. It seems as if the church is the center of their lives. I admire that trait as well. To enter the auditorium you must enter this little room, which has a piece of garment from St. Constantine and St. Helen. Also there were candles lit. As they walked through this little room they lit a candle and knelt down for a moment to pray, and then touched each garment and made a cross over their chest.
You probably wonder loads about Mother Mary and why she's so talked about. Well, actually there's so many things that causes Mother Mary to be one of the most acknowledged saints. I’m only going to list a few interesting facts about her the mother of the son of God. The first thing she was conceived without sin. The next thing is she is a great role model. The thing that concludes this is Mother Mary was brought into heaven her entire body not just her soul which is called the assumption.
Jacopo del Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John is a characteristically iconographic tempera panel painting of Madonna, the Christ Child, and the infant St. John from the early renaissance, dating to the early 1480s. Sellaio was a Florentine painter under the apprenticeship of Sandro Botticelli, which reflects through his style and symbolism in the painting. In this work, he depicts a classically devotional scene filled with biblical symbolism. Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John expresses Mary’s loving role as Christ’s mother, the protective power and warmth of her maternal bond, and the significance of the birth of Christ.
Baptism, one of the most prevalent signs of Christian faith, has, for a long time, been a highly debated topic within the community of the body of believers. There are many different ideas surrounding the different practices and views of baptism, even the reason of why we carry out the act of baptism. Just as the idea of a marriage ceremony is to profess your love and commitment to each other, a baptism ceremony has the same effect, but instead your commitment is to Christ. This essay will take a look at this topic, the philosophical ideas surrounding it, how the Bible address it, and also the historical context in which this theological topic falls into.
“The often-seamless connection among structure, construction, and design opens a window into the creative process, particularly for buildings that are not well documented” (Armi, 2003). During this time, many Christians took religious pilgrimages and Christianity began to have more followers. As a result, more churches were constructed to house the influx of worshipers. Christian churches needed to stand out from one another, unique and detailed architecture answered that need. Church tympanums of the time, can be related to modern day billboards, store fronts, and advertising.
Women’s rights in the Catholic Church, generally, are a controversial subject. Many people believe the Church is masculine and excludes women in any leadership rules. The Catholic Church has been around for over two thousand years. The modern world believes the Church is outdated. Jesus Christ lived during a time when women were secluded. It is time, in their thoughts, for the Catholics to change their beliefs to adequate with the contemporary society, some Catholics even deliberate with the idea of change. Pope Paul VI portrayed the Catholic Church in three words, tradition (the practices of the faith), magisterium (God’s Plan) and the Gospels (Jesus’ teachings). It is not the Church’s responsibility to change but to follow what they have been given, the Truth. As more go to the advanced society and the feminist movement continues on, the Church stays with their beliefs on who each of the sexes really are.
There was a large stain glass window with a picture of the cross, in brown, with yellow, purples, and finally blue surrounding it like rays of light. Right beneath the window was rock garden that had plagues, crosses, and flowers which memorialized members of the church who had passed. Around the corner to the entrance of the church, a priest robed in green stood greeting the parishioner’s as they entered. On the left was a statue of Jesus holding a small child which was dedicated to a former priest that they called Daddy Joe. The courtyards and the architecture designs certainly created a serene and peaceful atmosphere conducive to
In a contemporary Christian environment one of the most prominent practices to have a significant contribution to Christianity as a living religious tradition is Baptism. It is the Christian religious rite of sprinkling water on to a person's forehead or immersing them in water, symbolising purification or regeneration and admission to the Christian Church and is of utmost importance for most Christian denominations. During the process of baptism, many different symbols are used, each representing a different principle belief that has been conveyed in sacred texts. Different denominations recognise baptismal practices as a sacrament of initiation but may be performed otherwise, perceptions differ at what age one should be baptised and they
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.
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.