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REL 402 - World's Living Religions

Visiting other Religions or Denominantions

When planning a visit to another religion or denomination :

1. Locate a center or community of that religion - Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques are often listed in the Yellow Pages of the phone book. There are InterNet directories for religious meeting places, but many of the smaller places are not listed
2. Phone or call upon the religious leader and introduce yourself. Explain that you are studying that religion, and would like to learn more about it. Ask if you may attend a worship service, prayer group, or other meeting. Do not be offended if the religious leader indicates that some services are restricted to members only. Thank the leader for his/her time, and make a note of the time and place of whatever Service or Meeting he/she suggests you attend
3. Modest dress is advisable - arms covered, knee-length or longer skirts for gals, slacks or trousers for guys. In a synagogue or mosque, guys may be asked to wear a head-covering (synagogues usually have a supply of yamulkas for visitors to borrow)
4. Arrive on time or slightly early, and introduce yourself to whoever seems to be the Greeter, or the Leader if available.
5. A glance at the Meeting place will tell you whether the people are expected to sit or to stand for the Meeting.
   Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches have seats for the congregation.
   Mennonites have seats, but guys sit on one side, gals on the other side of the Church.
   Eastern Orthodox Churches usually have seats only for the elderly and infirm - everyone else stands for the whole of the Service.
   On entering a Synagogue, a visitor is usually asked "Cohen or Levi?" (Priest or Levite?). A (hereditary) Priest or Levite would be shown to a position near the front. Jewish men who do not belong to those families stand anywhere else. The men recite their prayers individually in Hebrew. The women are segregated, usually behind a screen, and have their own prayers which are different from those of the men. Most Synagogues have a supply of Prayer Books for visitors, and in America these are usually bilingual, with an English translation opposite or below the Hebrew. Some Synagogues in America have relaxed the rules considerably - in some, the men and women sit together in a congregation, and parts of the service are in English.
   At Islamic prayers, the men decide on the direction of Mecca, and choose a leader. They then form a line or several lines and stand, kneel, bow while reciting their prayers individually in Arabic. The women form a separate line at a distance from the men and recite their own prayers. Non-Muslims may be allowed to watch, but would not be asked to join the prayers. Before entering a mosque, one removes ones shoes; Moslems entering to pray wash their hands first.
6. Some communities use books of prayers, sing hymns from books, and may have a printed "Order of Service" to guide the congregation through the Worship Service
7. Do not take written notes of what is happening during the Meeting - try to blend in and participate as fully as possible in the Meeting. Write notes from memory after the Meeting
8. After the Meeting, review for yourself - What was the sequence of events? What seemed to be the purpose? How did the people seem to relate to God (as Creator? as Father? as Ruler of the Universe? as Wonder-worker?) How was music used? What was the "feel" of the meeting (solemn? joyful? serious? expectant?) What did you understand about the meeting? For parts that you did not understand, were you able to ask someone about it afterwards? What explanantion did you get? How did your experience help you to understand what you have read in the textbook? What questions still remain?
9. A good Essay will show that you have thought about the questions above.
   An Essay which just presents the view that "It was really weird" will be liable to a Grade of "F"

NOTES :

1. For the option of a visit to a Synagogue for Essay 2 - if you are in the Clovis/Portales area, there is B'nei Yisrael (Children of Israel) on Mitchell in Clovis, with Rebbe Ariel (see the MSWord doc list)
2. If you visit a Synagogue, there are some Hebrew words which are used frequently, and which it would be good to learn before the visit :
   Shalom - Peace (this is the standard greeting among Jewish people. The reply is also "Shalom")
   Shalom aleichem - Peace to you. Reply "v-aleichem shalom" (and to you, peace)
   Shabbat Shalom - Sabbath Peace (this is the greeting for the Sabbath. The reply is "Shabbat Shalom")
   Jews are very cautious about mentioning or writing the name of God, in case they might break the commandment about taking the Lord's Name in vain. That is why you will sometimes see it written G-d or L-rd. When speaking, it is customary to use the term "Ha Shem" ("The Name", short for The Name of God)
   Baruch - blessed. Baruch Ha Shem - Blessed be the Name (of God)
   Adonai - Lord
   Yerushalayim - Jerusalem. For the first part of the Service at B'nei Yisrael, the congregation faces the direction of Jerusalem (East, where there's a photo of Jerusalem on the wall)
3. For the option of a Church visit for Essay 3 :
   If you come from a Roman Catholic tradition, suitable places to visit would be Baptist, Pentecostal, Church of Christ, or Mennonite
   If you come from a liturgical Protestant tradition (eg. Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian), please visit either a Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or non-liturgical Church (eg. Mennonite, Pentecostal, Baptist, Church of God)
   If you come from a non-liturgical Protestant tradition, please visit a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Church.
   If you are from a Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, or Christian Science tradition, please visit a Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or any general Protestant Church
   If you are from a Jewish, Moslem, Buddhist, or Native American religious tradition, please visit a Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or any general Protestant Church
   If you are not from a religious background, you may visit any Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant Church
4. Note on Communion Services (Eucharist) - The general teaching with regard to Communion is that only Baptized Christians should receive Communion. Some Churches practice "Closed Communion" (Communion is restricted to those who are members of that Church). When planning a visit it might be best to go to some other Worship Service or Meeting. If in doubt, please ask the Pastor of the congregation.
5. For the option of a Mosque or Islamic community to visit for Essay 4 - if you are in the Clovis/Portales area there is the Golden Mosque on Mitchell Street in Clovis. The President is a full-time medical doctor with a practice in Clovis - (details are in the MSWord doc list of local religious communities)
6. There is an MSWord doc list of local religious communities who have indicated that they would welcome a visit from students of this Course. The list includes contact information, locations, service times, etc. for local Churches. More Churches will be added when we get their information.
7. If you would like to suggest some other Religious Community to visit, please contact Dr. Rollinson with your suggestion and information on how to contact the Leader(s) of the Community.

Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved

Dr. Rollinson

Department of Religion
ENMU
Portales, NM 88130

Last Updated : January 9, 2008

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