My experience visiting different churches was a tough task because I never been in any church other than my religion. Being Muslims, we are not encouraged to do it, but I asked permission to our Imam (priest in Islam) about the assignment in school. However, in my heart, I am willing to perform the task in order for me to learn more about other religions. Even though I felt uncomfortable, I managed to visit four churches in the city; Soka Gakkai International (Buddism), Cape Bible Chapel, Seventh-day Adventist Church, and First Baptist Church, respectively.
Soka Gakkai International
First, I visited the Soka Gakkai International (Nichiren Buddhism in Daily Life) with a friend who happened to have visited the place last month. I witnessed how the Buddhist group practiced their religion. The leader of the group called the Chief Priest welcomed the visitors and I was one them. I felt like I melted that moment and I appreciate the way they acknowledged the visitors. In addition, the leader mentioned that the Nichiren Buddhism is a society for the creation of value. I observed that outside the building were beautiful landscape with green plants and flowers. I just saw a mini nature ground in the place that you can feel relaxed. In the interior architecture, there was an altar of typical Bhuddist figures placed on it and some golden decorations and flowers. The Chief priest was wearing a monk-liked clothes with his assistant wearing the same. However, the people inside were just wearing formal outfits. Overall, the place inside was solemn.
During the sermon, the Chief priest emphasized the every individual has the wisdom, courage, and compassion within himself. He declared that one of the most important things to do as a human being is to respect others, especially the value of life, and the environment. I observed that they were motivated by the challenges of facing the real-life problems and turning their problems into their victory. I personally admired the characteristics of the Chief priest and his members. They adhere on the emphasis on self-empowerment and social engagement to promote their culture, peace, and to educate the young generations. Overall, my experience was positive and overwhelming.
Cape Bible Chapel
Second, I visited the Cape Bible Chapel in the city. I was brave enough to visit the church alone. The leader of the church introduced himself happened to have a church tour visit. Everyone welcomed him and greeted him lively and clapped their hands loudly and said, “Amen!” I was caught by surprise when the pastor asked the audience if there were visitors. With no other choice, I stood up and waved my hand calmly, yet shaking inside. The pastor made an introduction before the service formally started. He mentioned that Cape Bible Chapel is a non-denominational bible preaching church. The church seeks to show the people the words of Christ completely. The service is not all about the believers, but about God and the goal is to present the victory of Jesus Christ. In addition, he mentioned a verse, Colossians 1:28-29 saying the proclamation of Christ and presenting the complete savior to the people.
Before reaching the main chapel, a wide private area served as the entranceway towards the building. In my opinion, I observed that the building was huge and the structure was built attractive. The interior of the building was wide and the altar was not decorated much with anything (Piano as the main instrument and flowers), except the big projecture at the center of the elevated altar. When I enter the service area, the place was lively with music playing as a background. For me, the service area was like a theater with audiences sat on nice chairs.
I noticed that the service was very lively with all the music and religious dances. The message of the pastor focused on their beliefs and salvation. Accordingly, they strive together as one body or unit to worship God with love to see the vital points living through the grace of God. They believe that everything they read in the Bible should be put into practice. The pastor emphasized that as Christians. They do not lean on their own understanding; they always follow the commandments of God through Christ. They seek to obey God and see no better way to do His will, study the words of God, and learn from God’s words, actions, and faith. They adhere that the words of God should be applied to their daily lives through love and service to the people seeking for spiritual salvation. Personally, I would say that the beliefs of the members of the church can influence those who seeks peace in their heart as Christians. In general, my experience was positive and despite the fact that I was alone visiting the church I managed it successfully.
First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge
Located at Oak Ridge stands a beautiful church of the First Baptist Church. I visited the church with a friend of my sister who is a member of the church. At a first glance, any who could see the exterior structure of the building would say that it is a place where to spend a retreat with the family. For me, my first impression was an honest description of the physical structure of the place. The entire building was attractive to me because it was surrounded by tall trees, with recreation area, and it was like a home. The interior of the church was nice with the decorations on the altar and a piano. The altar was elevated with a specific portion of the church choir and the preacher. Similar to the churches I visited, the pastor asked if there were newcomers or visitors inside. The pastor requested visitors to stand or the person who brought them will be the one to introduce. I was lucky because my sister’s friend introduced to everyone and just waved and smiled as my portion. They service started with the joyful singing of their worship songs and there were children who interpreted the song on stage or altar.
During the sermon, the pastor requested everyone to get their Bible and open the verse mentioned on the projector in front. The pastor explained the divine influences of God to humankind and emphasized that the God’s words are the perfect treasure of the divine teaching. In addition, the pastor presented some verses that demonstrated the salvation to those who believe that Jesus Christ is the only savior. The Scripture is completely true and correct because it tells the people that God through Christ is the center of Christianity until the end. As a Muslim, I have many questions in my mind, but I remained silent and respected their beliefs. I agreed with one thing during the sermon, that God is the one and only true God who is the Creator of the universe. Moreover, the pastor continued to discuss Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I would say that the beliefs of the first Baptist church serve as their guide to practice everything they understand from the Scripture. I appreciate their strong foundation as believers of the church. They worship God with open hearts and respect, by showing care and love to each other through prayers. They sing loud and full of joy and sharing sincere smiles to each and everyone, including me. Overall, my experience was positive and I learned many things from them.
Seventh-day Adventist Church
My last visit was the Seventh-day Adventist church with my neighbor who is a member of the church. I felt a bit uncomfortable, but since it was my neighbor with me, I was able to cope with the unusual feeling of visiting other religion. One thing that comforted me, we shared one of the commonly forbidden rules in our religion, we do not eat pork meat in our meal. The outside view of the place was so relaxing with the tall trees around and the overall place was solemn. The building was built simple and a perfect place for worship. The interior of the church was solemn and the architecture was calming to the audiences. The believers or members of the church were dressed in simple clothes, yet presentable with no jewelry and accessories with them. I noticed it because the previous churches where I visited, some of the members had some jewelry and accessories.
I felt the warm welcome of the other members of the church and they even asked me why I decided to visit their place. I replied honestly and they appreciated that I chose their religion. Before the service started, the pastor introduced me to the crowd and even requested me to come forward. It was the idea of my neighbor, though I felt very shy, still I was thankful of that sincere and warm welcome. Moreover, they had a wonderful choir, which was different with other churches I visited. The music was solemn, and not too loud with the piano as the main instrument. The members of the church listened attentively to the pastor preaching the gospel. The pastor mentioned about Trinity of three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As Christians, the members of the church are a faith community based on their belief as written in the Bible. There was an emphasis on the acceptance that the Bible is their only creed and they hold a certain fundamental belief in the teaching of the Holy Scriptures that constitute the whole understanding and expression of everything they believed in. Definitely, the message of the pastor was truly strong in spirit that would attract sacredness. As a Muslim, I personally say that the members of the church have a strong foundation of their beliefs. In general, my experience visiting the church was a positive experience. In fact, I joined them during lunch and I was confident to eat everything because the food was deliciously safe, not haram.
In conclusion, in my city alone, there were different religions where I can learn many things regarding beliefs and worships. I had many unforgettable experiences during my visits and thankful for this opportunity. Every person has the heart to decide and follows what his desires are in spirituality.
