Table of contents Community chalice Evangelical candle lightingInside Saint-Jean-BaptisteBaptism Communion Confessional roomsKahal Kadosh Beth ElohimGiven the opportunity , I have been able to visit three very different places of worship over the past few weeks. I learned briefly about what it means to participate in a Greek Orthodox Church, a Roman Catholic Church, and a Reform Jewish temple. Each house of worship offered different feelings of community, and each had its own way of organizing service. The Orthodox and Catholic churches were very common in many ways, but the language barrier in the Greek Orthodox Church made some prayers different. The Temple, on the other hand, was very different, but the building was so simple that other worldly ideas did not seem present during the service. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, located at 30 Race Street, is a spiritual home for a large majority of Orthodox Christians in the Charleston area. I attended a Sunday liturgical service on January 18, 2015 at 10 a.m. Most Greek Orthodox churches are built with the idea that the altar always faces east, towards Constantinople, and that when looking at the church from a bird's eye view, the structure resembles the shape of 'a cross.*St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Long Island is shaped like a cross, with its head facing east. ARCHITECURE includes icons, tiled floor, benches and columns. According to Father Demetrios Serfes of Boise, Idaho, “The Bible is the book of the Church. We therefore read Sacred Scripture, not as isolated individuals, but as members of the Church” (Father). The SACRED TEXTS include the New and Old Testaments and the Gospels on which the Orthodox Church is based. According to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, “the Church does not prevent the individual from exploring the deeper meaning of the Bible to find new expressions. But this must always be authorized by the Church as a whole, where infallibility resides. It is important to know how liberty and authority work together in the teaching and government of the Church” (“The Basis”). The Greek Orthodox also have a sacred tradition, consisting of unwritten teachings that have not changed since the beginning of the religion because the teachings are preserved. There are many RITUALS that are systematically practiced throughout daily services, and certain actions take place throughout them. lifetime. Also known as the Orthodox mysteries, the sacraments are celebrated as if God's daily presence is enhanced ("The Sacraments"). The purpose of the sacraments is to draw closer to God. The most important sacrament is participation in the Holy Eucharist, or communion which resembles the death of Christ. During the service, communion is received by those who have properly prepared to accept the body and blood of Christ through a specific fast. Communion consists of a spoonful of wine from a challis to represent the blood of Christ and a piece of bread to represent the body of Christ. This process represents the last super as the priest chants: “take, eat this is my Body which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins. . . drink it all; this is my Blood of the new Covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins” (“The Divine”). The few other sacraments are baptism, chrismation, confession, marriage, holy orderssacred and the anointing of the sick. There are also daily rituals that take place during weekly services. The sign of the cross is the most common ritual because the action can be done to bless food, after a prayer, blessing the entire congregation, or whenever a person feels the need to cross themselves. To make the sign, you place your thumb, index, and middle finger together to represent the father, son, and Holy Spirit, then touch your head, navel, and both shoulders starting on the right side in that order. At the entrance to the church, the congregation should light a candle to say a prayer, then each person should venerate the icons located in the narthex, or entrance area of ​​the church. To venerate an icon, we make the sign of the cross and kiss it; it’s done out of respect. At the end of a service, a sermon is delivered to enlighten the congregation on relevant topics, or perhaps to teach a lesson dealing with the day's Gospel reading. These rituals have been in effect for thousands of years, since the beginning of the Eastern Orthodox Church, as very little change has occurred in the service since the beginning. When I first entered the church, it was very obvious that ETHICS included a person's behavior. dress, muted tones, but there are other ethics that take place in everyday life. According to a few ladies on the same bench, women should try to wear a skirt or dress that goes below the knee. If the fabric hits above the knee, this is considered acceptable, but should not be too short. The entire congregation was dressed in their Sunday best, with men in sports jackets and women in modest dresses. During a service, the congregation is expected to remain silent unless singing hymns or praying aloud. People remain respectful of the people around them. When a parishioner greets the priest, he must kiss his hand out of respect. Other personal ethics come into play when we are not in church. The Orthodox teach respect and that one must honor one's mother and father. Ethical behaviors based on the Ten Commandments, such as not killing or committing adultery, are teachings that people try to focus on. One of the sacraments was confession, which is the process of cleansing one's sins and being forgiven by God. Even though the process is intended to rid someone of sin, the Church believes that sin disconnects a person from God, so everyone must keep their actions in check in order to avoid as much sin as possible. The MATERIAL CULTURE of the Greek Orthodox Church is very traditional and should remain consistent in any Orthodox church in America. The priest wears special clothing during a service, and the color depends on the calendar and time of year. During a service, the priest reads the Gospel which has a gold binding and contains the first four books of the New Testament which tell the story of Jesus' life. The word Gospel comes from Greek and means “good news”. Other materials include a cross behind the altar on which the body of Jesus Christ was located on the altar table, the censor which holds the incense used during the service, a chalice for communion and candelabras located on the solea, which is in front of the altar. The presence of altar boys is put in place to assist the priest during the service. During processions around the church, each boy holds liturgical fans, crosses or candles followed by the priest who holds the challis for communion. A less common object, but of extreme importance, are the baptismal fonts which are used during thebaptism of a baby, which is also another sacrament (baptism). Community Chalice Lighting of Evangelical CandlesThe DOCTRINE on which the Orthodox base their beliefs has much to do with Church dogma, which is the rule throughout ecumenical times created by different priests. According to Greek Orthodox dogma, "the teachings of the Lord, proclaimed by the Apostles, whether the Twelve or the larger group of Apostles [the Seventy, for example], or the missionary Apostles like Saint Paul, were transmitted to the Apostolic Apostles. community. Written for the needs of the community, “during good and bad periods of the history of the Church, its law has constantly adapted to the circumstances of the time, up to the present day” (“The Dogmatic”) . This faith, once transmitted to the saints, continued to live in the Christian community which succeeded the apostolic times” (“Dogmatics”). The creed is also considered a symbol of faith that is read during every liturgy. The Orthodox also have a set of canons, or laws, by which they are supposed to live their lives. Some laws revolve around when and how to fast, prayer, helping the poor, and doing charity. Canon laws should not be seen as a punishment, but as a means of establishing a closer relationship with God. There are many RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES one can have while attending a service, some say it depends on the person. The best overall experience one can potentially achieve is being able to live a life according to Christ while following in His footsteps. Many people look not only to the life of Jesus as a guide, but also to the lives of saints who preached and lived holyly. These holy people may be described in the Bible, but people can still be holy today. While in Church he must be able to leave behind all worldly thoughts, which include all those not associated with God and prayer. Connection with God is extremely important. When present in an Orthodox church as outsiders, parishioners are expected to make you feel welcome and at home. You have to feel a sense of belonging while sitting among others. Besides the connection to God, THE SACRED includes the Holy Trinity, the Theotokos or Virgin Mary, and they also believe in the existence of saints. The Holy Trinity includes the father, the son and the Holy Spirit as one unity, and the Theotokos is revered and respected in an extremely high sense. THE INSTITUTION revolves around orders that come from the hierarchy of people who live in places from America to Greece. The Ecumenical Patriarch, currently Bartholomew of Constantinople, is the principal head of the Orthodox Church. After him comes the bishop who is the overseer of a specific community. The bishop delegates his functions to deacons or priests, who are responsible for small districts in the bishop's community. Among the groups run under the jurisdiction of the local priest are: the parish council which runs the church, the Philoptochos, which is all-female, the AHEPA, which is all-men, and the GOYA youth group, which is open to middle and high school students. These organizations have a nationwide presence in most Greek Orthodox churches. For the economic aspects of the church, a weekly offering plate is distributed to the clergy and various fundraisers take place throughout the year to help with finances. Greek Orthodox churches are known for hosting an annual festival usually organized by the parish council. The second church I visited was the cathedralSaint-Jean-Baptiste Catholic Church on Saturday, January 24 at 5:30 p.m. The interior of the church is very gothic, magnificent and made up of white and gold colors. Numerous columns line the sides of the church and meet with an arch in the middle. The architecture is very detailed, but the cold white walls left me with the impression that the establishment was not welcoming. The windows are covered with beautiful stained glass and the altar is located in front of the church. This service was very similar to that of the Orthodox in many ways. The SACRED texts include the New and Old Testaments of the Bible. Besides the sacred texts, there are sacred prayers such as the Nicene Creed and the Lord's Prayer. Each is read during Mass and sets forth much of the Church's beliefs. Inside St. John the Baptist, different RITUALS take place during the service, and like the Orthodox Church, Catholicism has 7 sacraments that also connect them to God. With some slight differentiations, the seven in the Catholic Church are baptism, reconciliation or confession, participation in the Eucharist, confirmation, holy matrimony, holy orders, and anointing of the sick.The importance of participating in Holy Communion concerns many people who believe that when they eat the bread and drink its blood, it is a metaphor or symbol. However, Catholics sincerely believe that it is the Body and Blood or Christ. This is called transubstantiation and occurs in the part of the Mass called the liturgy of the Eucharist. During mass, the peace sign was my favorite. This is the part of the service where everyone shakes hands and makes everyone feel welcome in the church. The Catholic Church also makes the sign of the cross, but is not as particular in finger placement as the Orthodox Church. You touch your head, your belly button and your shoulders, but you go to the left shoulder first. The entire congregation does this at the same time, during certain prayers, or if the individual feels the action is necessary at a specific time. St. John's is very movement-oriented, where we would sit, kneel, and stand at various times throughout the service. Each Sunday communion is offered by a Eucharistic minister in the form of a host, called a host, where you can have the host placed in your mouth directly by the minister, or receive it in the palm of your hands to share with your pace. . To participate in communion, a person must fast or abstain from eating at least one hour before the start of mass. Much like the Orthodox service, the Catholic priest delivers a sermon at the end of the mass to reflect on certain world issues or topics that need to be addressed spiritually. Baptism Communion Confessional Chambers THE ETHICS that must be respected by the congregation is based on respect. for yourself and for the saint. You must follow the Ten Commandments and confess to relieve your soul of the sins you have committed. It is recommended to go to confession at least once a year, or as soon as possible if you commit a mortal sin. In the Catholic Church there are two different types of sins, mortal and venial. Deadly occurs when something serious happens, such as murder or adultery. Examples of venial sins include less serious sins that are forgivable, such as stealing a friend's toy. God forgives sins if only the person believes that he is truly sorry, so by confessing his sins to the priest, he will absolve people of sin. In addition to confession, a Catholic is expected to pray to God daily for help and guidance. In church, the attire you wear should be modest and non-revealing, but shouldalso look presentable. A parishioner told me that she grew up being taught that you had to have clean hands and nails before taking communion. From my observations, the congregation was well dressed, but not too fancy. When attending Mass, people should be calm and respectful to those around them, showing respect for the prayers of others and for God. More ethical teachings are taught in the Catechism of the Church. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a great written book, the DOCTRINE of belief is set forth through the teachings of the Church. The very beginning of the Catechism specifies what faith consists of. . . response to God, who reveals himself and gives himself to man, at the same time bringing to man a superabundant light in the search for the ultimate meaning of his life” (Catechism). The teachings help Catholics approach the right ways of speaking about God, know the knowledge of God, different interpretations of the faith and even understand their sacred scriptures. A woman in her early twenties informed me that she grew up in a Catholic school and that following the Ten Commandments was something that was taught at a very young age. This was the list of ten laws that God gave to Moses for his people to follow, and which were put into practice in the Catholic Church as a way to stay close to God. Many different MATERIAL OBJECTS are used during mass in the Catholic Church. At St. John's Cathedral, a patient, or gold plate, is used to hold the host during communion, but other Catholic churches use other objects. Patenting is an old tradition that is now beginning to be brought back into the Catholic Church here in Charleston. There is a cross on the altar, as well as a bouquet of flowers. In front of the church, there is a place where loved ones can light a candle for the deceased, it is a sign of love. The Stations of the Cross are placed on the walls to display the various events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. Each image is surrounded by a triangular shaped frame and they are aligned in the same order as the story of Christ. Every Sunday, the Eucharist is given to the congregation. If the already blessed communion is not completed, it is placed in a tabernacle for use the following Sunday. The tabernacle is located behind the altar and is usually made of gold. Other material objects include the pews and the altar. Many people go to church for certain RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES, and in the Catholic Church you are supposed to feel closer to God through prayer. The overall goal is to achieve salvation once one dies. By attending Mass and following the laws of the Church, one should have the ability to live in salvation in heaven, without pain and suffering. Attending Mass should be a way for a community to come together and pray to God as one. Not only can you experience this experience by attending a service, but Catholics also offer confession. This is where you tell your sins to a priest so that God will forgive them. The purpose of this act is to feel a weight lifted off you and to be cleansed of your sins. Attending mass and living a holy life can contribute to being holy after death. The theme of saints leads to the next topic of SACRED people in the Catholic Church. Saints are people who died and went to heaven and are recognized for their good works on Earth. The Church is convinced that these people reach heaven because they are extremely holy people with high virtues. Catholics do not venerate saints, but keep statues and necklaces in memory of their good works. They ask tothese people to pray for their own salvation. Like the Orthodox Church, Catholics believe in the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, where each entity acts as one. The purpose of life is to have an eternal desire to reach heaven when we die. According to the Catholic religion, the only way to get to heaven is to be a good person on earth. The final aspect of St. John's is the INSTUTION by which the Church is organized. The Pope is the overseer of the entire Catholic Church. Under its jurisdiction are cardinals, bishops and priests. Cardinals meet for councils and elect new popes, bishops supervise the diocese, which also means several parishes in an area, and priests supervise these parishes. The priest leads the church with the help of other organizations, including the Women's Club, Men's Club, Men's Religious Study Group, Women's Faith Club, Women's Bible Study, Saint Vincent de Paul Society and the Knights of Columbus Council (Charleston). The composition of the Catholic Church is made up of a large majority of ethnic Europeans, but not limited to this region of the world. The church's money comes from a weekly offering basket and the suggested amount of 10% of one's salary each year. Many Catholic churches hold a large celebration each year to help offset the cost of construction and other needs. The third religious site was a Jewish temple, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim. This building is the second oldest synagogue in America and has a very simple structure. The benches are arranged so that only two to three people can sit together at a time, and the architecture of the building reminded me of a courthouse because of the appearance of the alar. Similar to the previous two sites, the synagogue had stained glass windows adorned with beautiful artwork. The simplicity of the building was a good way to not get distracted by a wide variety of objects around. The service I attended was on January 31 at 8 p.m. The Jewish religion reads SACRED TEXTS which include the Torah, and the Tanakh, which includes the Torah as well as the Holy Scriptures. Kahal Kadosh Beth ElohimWith many RITUALS in the Jewish synagogue, the call to worship, or Barekhu, is pronounced at a gallop "Praise Adonai, who is to be praised" with a response from a group of ten men called minyan: "Praised is Adonai, who is to be praised forever and ever” The Shema prayer is also said regularly during a service to remain true to the belief in God. The Tallit is a prayer shawl that is normally worn during a service. morning and carried by the person reading the Torah The Amidah prayer makes up a large part of the service and is also recited during the morning, afternoon and evening services. First time, people are expected to stand and greet him respectfully After each service, there is a food and dessert party called Oheg, and this is where the community gathers after the service. There are many traditional MORALES that should be practiced in a Jewish synagogue, and many of them concern certain clothing. For women, it is a sign of disrespect to enter the temple with their shoulders visible, and men must wear a kippah on their head which is usually white, blue or black. Each yarmulke is different, some have the Star of David, others have gold embroidered borders and are worn on the back of men's heads. When attending a service, you should either turn off your phone or put it on silent to avoid the temptation to use the device. During a service called shema, it is considered.