Worship Service #1
Place: 820 S West End Blvd
Personal Connection to this place? None
The Seventh Day Adventist Church is a church that believes to please God you must worship on a Saturday, because it is commanded in the Holy Bible. While I do not agree with their premise, I found the service warm, friendly, and interesting. The building is a small brown building, slightly set back from the main road. If you weren’t looking for it, you’d never know it was there. I probably would have driven past it, if it had not been for my GPS telling me that I had arrived at my destination. The building is set in the middle of nowhere, its remote location tells me that, unless you are a part of the group, you’re not really welcomed. At least that was my first impression.
However, when I entered in, I was greeted with a smile, and shown to a seat. The people there noticed that there was someone new among them, and this made me feel a little awkward. They were all dressed formally, the men in shirts and ties, and the women were covered up a lot more than I had expected.
Before I went to the service I read up on their beliefs, and I learned that they believe in modesty as it is a command from God. They have their own ideas about modesty, and it’s different compared to mine. I don’t believe in letting it all hang out, but saying that, having uncovered shoulders seen as sinful, is taking it too far in my opinion. The people there were a mix of races, which surprised me, because I thought this religion excluded people, rather than included them. I was glad to be wrong, I found them loving, and far more accepting that I first thought. The service began like most typical church services, with music and singing. This lasted for around 20-30 mins. They sang out of a hymn book, and we sat in traditional wooden pews. The congregation consisted mostly of elderly people, but there were also a few young families as well. It’s a very small church, so I didn’t expect there to be lots of people.
I was drawn to this place, as I was curious about the SDA church. I had a lot of judgements going in, but I learned that my judgements of them were incorrect. I guess I stereotyped them, and I was happy to have my opinions of them changed. This experience taught me that each church, despite of it’s denomination is not a reflection on the whole, in the sense that there are always a few bad eggs in any religion, and that does not mean then entire religion is bad.
Worship Service #2
Place: 817 Broadway St
Personal Connection to this place? None
When I entered I was greeted at the door by ushers, who welcomed me into the church and helped me find somewhere to sit. The service started with music. There was a band on stage, and they sung with energy and enthusiasm. I looked around and everyone was standing up, so I felt that I had to stand up as well. The worship continued for around 30 mins and they had screens with the words of the songs up next to the stage. This helped me to get involved in the music and understand what they were singing. After the worship ended, they welcomed the pastor on stage who gave a talk about forgiveness and freedom. I found it interesting to hear his interpretation of the scriptures given.
Everyone was pretty casual; most were in clothes that you’d normally wear on the weekend. The pastor was also dressed casually. The entire service was relaxed. Although they were dressed casually, they were still dressed respectably, as you would expect to see in a church environment.
Worship Service #3
Place: 750 N Mt. Auburn Rd.
Personal Connection to this place? None
I chose this church because I was intrigued by the name. It makes a statement about their faith, and gives me an indication of what to expect. I suspected that they would be followers of the Holy Bible, mostly adhering to the New Testament, since the apostles in the bible are in the New Testament. From the research I conducted before I attended the service I found that they are really quite involved in the community and this inspired me to visit.
The outside of the building is huge, you can’t miss it if you’re driving past. It is a brown brick building with a huge cross on the top. It has a large carpark at the front and large windows at the front of the building, looking out onto the carpark and street. They also have a sign on the side of the road, just in case you need to know what the building is for.
When I entered I was taken back by how large it is inside. The ceilings are high with rafters, the walls a light colored wood, and there was a lot of people inside. I was glad about this, because I was able to blend in, and not feel so much like an outsider. The dress code was formal. The pastor wore a suit, and everyone was in the Sunday best. The congregation was a mix of ethnic races and I was delighted to see how inclusive they were. They have a large stage with step leading onto the platform and a drum set off to one side. The message was about the community, and how they planned to get more involved, and the ways the members could help bring the message of Jesus to their own neighborhoods. After the worship service they called for the children to go to Sunday school and that is when the main message began. They have a large screen so you can see the pastors notes, and I found this helpful to follow along with. Overall, my experience with this church was pleasant, but I also felt uneasy, because although they spoke about revival and community, in reality they were quite religious and strict. To me this would exclude the community, but they seem to be happy and making progress with their goals, so that’s what matters.
Worship Service #4
Place: 1913 Ritter Drive
Personal Connection to this place? None
This church is catholic and they do not have services like other Christian churches, they have ‘mass’. They have mass services at regular intervals throughout the week, so I was able to attend midweek. Catholics believe in the Holy Bible, but unlike other Christian churches, they believe in praying to saints, like Mary, and Paul. The building on the outside is brown brick. The lawns are manicured perfectly, and everything seems to be completely symmetrical, and in order. Inside, the building is very large, and the stage is no exception. It was the first thing I noticed when I walked in. The pulpit is off to the side, and they have several long tables with candle sticks and picture of Mary, and Jesus. Everyone was dressed formally, and the leader is called a priest who wore a black shirt with a white collar at the front.
I decided to attend this service to round out my research. I wanted to visit services that differed in their beliefs, so I could discover the contrasts between them. Overall, people were nice but mostly ignored me, they seemed to be interested in their own circles of friends and families who attended with them. The service came after the worship, which was formal and sung from hymn books. I found the sermon to be straight forward, but also quite dry, it was mostly reading from the Bible with little explanation on how to apply the principles to your everyday life. Overall, I felt that the focus was more on practices of religion, like rituals, rather than finding out how to express faith in everyday life.
Summary
Overall, it was interesting to visit the four different religious services. I learned that there are many expressions of faith in the same God, and that those expressions are all valid according to each individual who believes. I do not think one is better than the other as a whole, as it depends on what you need and comfortable with.
However, I found City Church more relaxed and inviting, but I also liked the reverence of the SDA Church. The apostle church confused me, as there seemed to be a contradiction between what they say, and my impression of them. I liked the catholic church for all its grandeur, but I felt the religious practices a little too stifling and strict.
In some churches I felt really awkward, like in the SDA church, as it was well out of my comfort zone. I think I was noticed as a stranger there more than the other churches, because it was so small. I learned that my pre-conceived notions of religion were not always correct. I learned that there are bad eggs in every denomination, but that does not mean all churches under than denomination is hurting others, or their communities.
The buildings and the services themselves reflected their faith in God, and they love for what they do. More churches, than I expected were racially integrated, which made me happy, because I think the general perception of religion is that it excludes not includes.
