In the duration of the class period this week, groups presented their observations from their first congregation visit. During the presentations I found it interesting that even though the majority of these churches are located within blocks of each other they all have vastly different ways in which their communities operate. For example, the congregation that myself and my partner had visited was located in downtown Redlands on the corner of West Olive ave. In this location there is about 4 other churches located on each corner. There could easily be tension and mishaps between these congregations and ways in which they could persuade individuals to join their community; however, only speaking from an outsiders observation, this does not seem to be an issue. This is one aspect that I grasped from observing other groups. The results of the groups presentations were mixed as well.

I had a previous expectation that the groups that went together were likely to have the same results and that the only variable would be the type of the church that the pairs went to. However, there were multiple variables during the visits. Some pairs presented that they had gone together, yet sometimes one individual felt more uncomfortable than the other person and or one person observed more than the other person in the group. This is a good explanation for even if we as humans experienced the same things in life it will always effect us differently depending on the person. The concept of religion is especially important in regards to this concept and the different relationships, conversations e.g. that one might go through in life.

This past week in class we heard about the various religious organizations in Redlands. What was interesting to me was that there were really no common themes, each was unique and had its own personality. It was also interesting that doctrine and sermons weren’t the focal point of the presentations, instead the distinctive features of the congregation, architecture and design were emphasized. We often used words like friendly, welcoming, community etc. to describe the environment of the place instead of the worship. In a way, it was more important to understand the environment, especially in the variation of Christian traditions because it gave an insight into the type of people who are drawn to these congregations to being with.

A theme that I did see, however, was everyone who presented seemed to relate their visit to their own personal religious experiences. It’s an easy and comfortable framework to build, but it made me reflect on the value of doing so. By relating the visit to something familiar we brush off the need to reflect upon it. I have noticed this within myself and I realized why the assignment was to visit a place unlike the tradition we practice or are familiar with. However, I also recognize how difficult that is, as Christianity in almost all forms will have similarities and most of the United States is Christian.

It was in these presentations that the importance of categorizing religions was emphasized. In the McGuire reading we learned all about categories and denominations and the nuances of classifying a religious institution. It was in the subtleties of religions like Catholicism and Episcopalismthat knowing the distinctions and differences was crucially important.

As people were presenting on their congregation visits this week, it was interesting to see not only the variety of belief systems within the different churches, but also the variety of beliefs the people in our class had about their churches. It seems most people enjoyed their experiences, but some people described the congregations they had visited as “weird,” “strange,” or “crazy.” I think it’s important to remember to be careful with our words and recognize that just because something is different than what a person might be familiar with, doesn’t necessarily make it weird or bad. These evaluative statements suggest negative moral judgements that generalize and misunderstand other people’s perspectives.

What this made me think of was a reading we did for another class called, “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema.” It reads like an ethnography of an anthropologist among a strange group of people who practice rituals such as keeping magical potions in a charm box on the wall which they believe they cannot live without, inserting a small bundle of hog hair into their mouths with a magical substance and then moving it around their mouths, and men scraping their faces while women bake their heads. Upon closer reading, ‘Nacirema’ is  actually ‘America’ spelled backwards, and the rituals the author describes are routine activities of American daily life. The magical potions in a charm box are medicines in a medicine cabinet, the bundle of hog hair people put in their mouth with a magical substance is really a toothbrush and toothpaste (back when toothbrushes used to be made of hog hair), and the men scraping their faces while women bake their heads is meant to be men shaving their faces while women dry their hair at salons. The point of the article is to show how we should be careful when evaluating a culture that is not ours because we might be prone to exaggerate or misunderstand what is really happening. This same concept applies to our congregation visits. Especially since we are only visiting these churches one time, we really don’t have a full understanding about what is going on and we should be careful with our judgements.

This past week majority of the groups were able to present their experience of their congregation visit.  During these presentations, I’ve noticed some similarities and differences between the different groups. Some groups were fascinated with the visit and loved every single part about it.  Others didn’t know what to expect and thought of it as a “cultural shock”.  It was interesting to see how others thought about their experience and to see what they learned from it.  

My partner, Rosemary, and I were able to present our experience at our congregation visit this week.  We went to New Life Redlands Church and we were able to both go on the same day. My experience compared to Rosemary’s was quite different.  Because it was a Christian church, I knew what was going on and how people would be/act like. However, Rosemary normally goes to a Catholic church, so her experience was, as she described it to me, a “cultural shock”.  For example, one thing that she noticed was that there were no stained glass on the walls. At her Catholic church, they have stained glass all over the walls. At New Life Redlands Church there weren’t any stained glass.  The walls were made out of wood and brick. Another difference between our experiences was that I was familiar with the worship songs. I knew all of the songs that the worship team sang, so it was easy for me to sing along.  On the other hand, Rosemary was not familiar with any of the songs. So while the church was worshiping, she felt uncomfortable and out of place.

All in all, these are just a few examples of what we both shared with the class about our experience.  Everyone’s presentations was so fascinating to hear what these other churches are like.  I had no idea that there were churches that do what they do today.  I can’t wait to go to the next congregation visit and see another different side to religion that I have not seen and experienced before.  

This week was the week that I completed my first congregation visit and reported on it to the class. Almost all of the rest of the oral presentations on congregation visit number one was also completed. During my own congregation visit, I got a deeper understanding of how it feels to be a member of organized religion. It was very welcoming at this particular church. It felt as though I was new but overwhelmingly welcomed into their sacred space. Others during their presentations echoed this feeling of welcome while some felt the opposite. Some students felt awkward and out of place at their congregation visits. They stated that this may be due to the congregation’s sense of community and ability to mingle.

One presentation that intrigued me was the presentation on the experience at The First Church of Christ Scientist. I had never heard of such a congregation and it sounds like one unlike any other I know of. The presenter stated that this church doesn’t believe in doctors, they believe that healing comes from prayer. This is very interesting to me. I had heard years ago that this was one of the beliefs that Bob Marley held, but other than this case I had never heard of someone connecting with this. I also found it very interesting that this congregation believes that everything must be physically proven and that they do not believe in the devil or hell. Overall, every presentation recounting the information learned at these congregations was informative and eye-opening.

Our most current class assignment has been to visit a local congregation— one that either falls under the sectarian or denominational category— to observe and experience the different religion and church structure of the congregation we chose. For my congregation visit I went to the Loma Linda Indonesian Seventh-Day Adventist Church and it was a really great experience. Overall I noticed that it was formal attire, traditional structure in that men held all the high church positions but their beliefs as well were very traditional. They tended to have more conservative views on matters like abortion and homosexuality which was why it was interesting to hear Ellis’ (another student in the class) experience at a different congregation in which the views were less traditional and conservative. Their presentation was for Christian Science and I thought it was such a great and informative presentation that actually inspired me to go visit this congregation as well. The Christian Science church was smaller and more intimate. Everyone knew each other which fostered a communal feel which made it seemingly easier to engage in conversation about what they were going over in their sermon, but also about the relevant social matters that are happening right now. Christian Science members are traditional in that they have common Christian beliefs, but the main thing is that they believe God heals through prayer so they abstain from medical attention unless needed (but this is also a personal choice). What was surprising to me was that in Ellis’ presentation, there was a bullet point about Christian Science views on queer issues. They were not against it like the church I visited, and it was awesome to hear about the differences and similarities of these two churches, but also of all the other churches people have presented on.

Today in class we had our final case study presentation and to me this was the most profound. Peggy Levitt’s, “God Needs No Passport: Immigrants and the Changing American Religious Landscape” is a book that tells of the experiences of immigrants and their religious faith here in the United States. As a daughter of an immigrant, I loved hearing about the stories, experiences, and different meanings of religion for these different people. Levitt interviewed many people that identified with certain religions. She interviewed Protestants from Brazil, Catholics from Ireland, Muslims from Pakistan, and so on. Each of the people even within the same religion and geographical location all had differing levels of religiosity and practice. There is no “right way” to practice religion, it is what you make of it. One does not have to be a devout Muslim in order to be classified as “Muslim” and I think this book shows that: religion and borders are malleable and can be transcended from its literal and physical halt. Even from countries away, one can feel as close or as far as they want from their home and they can be as devout or as loose with their religion as they want to be. We have the option to decide what identity lenses we take on. This book really emphasizes the idea that religion has no borders and can and does evolve for immigrants trying to integrate into American culture as well as vice versa.

On Sunday, I visited the 10:45 am service at Pathway church. I was really nervous about stepping into a church again for the first time in 3 years, so I took my partner for some moral support. It was reassuring to walk in and feel welcome. Many people acknowledged us and tried to get to know us before the worship started. I definitely didn’t feel like the members were exclusive or judgmental. The worship was a lot like it was in my church growing up. It was a lot like a soft rock concert with loud drums and lots of lights.

The sermon was the most interesting part for me. Senior Pastor Dr. Jonathan Jarboe seemed almost like a celebrity at the church. When he got on stage to speak, it seemed like the whole church’s posture changed and they gave him their undivided attention. He frequently made jokes that were directly related to his personal life, so it seemed like the church members knew all about his life. He mentioned his children and where they are in life, and how proud he and his wife are to finally be empty-nesters.

The church really appeals to visitors. If the members don’t recognize you, they immediately come up and try to get to know you. Multiple times during the service, they stressed that we fill out the “Welcome Card” in the seat in front of us. They even said that if we take the filled-out card to the church’s coffee shop, we would get a free coffee drink and gift from Pathway. They really wanted us to take the “next step” and come to their Newcomers class. Ultimately, I felt very welcome, but I also felt like the church was desperate to add to their numbers.

At work this weekend, I told one of my coworkers how I had to visit a congregation as an assignment for this class. She was very interested, and we began to have a deeper conversation about religion in society. She brought up an article she had read and told me about it. She said that when looking at religious views and geographical locations, you can find specific religious beliefs in certain geographical locations on earth. She continued to say that depending on where you are born, you would be raised in a specific religion. Although this can be true for the most part, it is becoming less and less true as time goes on. In the case study I read for our presentations, Peggy Levitt makes a compelling argument about how immigrants coming to America bring their religious beliefs and culture with them and reshape America’s religious landscape. Levitt tells how the integration of these different beliefs has created less borders between religions. As religions spread further around the globe, the lines that divide each religion fade. Today, you can be born in Japan and raised Christian, or you can be born in America and raised Muslim. Of course, the culture you are born in plays a big part of your religious upbringing, but the culture that you are born into can be different than the country of which you are a citizen of. Although it’s no question that culture shapes religion,  we can also see that religion shapes culture.

Yesterday I did my congregation visit at Redlands United Church of Christ, and brought along my friend Zayda for moral support. She and I have very different religious backgrounds, and I didn’t realize how much that would affect our individual takeaways from the service.

I am used to attending a conservative synagogue, where services mainly consisted of traditional prayers in Hebrew and interpreting part of the Torah. From my point of view, the service was very laid back and fairly secular: Those attending the service dressed casually– there were no ties or dresses in sight. A couple of hymns were chanted, but the majority of songs were about love rather than about Jesus, and even written by popular artists like The Beatles and John Lennon– I would never hear their voices at my temple. The church’s ideology seemed to be focused around acceptance of everyone, like Jesus, but again, G-d and Jesus were hardly mentioned directly. The sermon wasn’t even about an explicit bible story, which baffled me.

Zayda’s religious experience was very different from mine– her family attends a nondenominational church, where services are very lively, often beginning with a near-concert, and singing along to songs about Jesus is crucial. In contrast to my experience, she described the service as very formal and “churchy”. The first difference she noticed was that they sat in pews– while comfortable to me, she was used to worshipping in chairs and felt very exposed. She found the fact that aside from two hymns the congregation didn’t sing along very traditional, and even expressed that the chanting of any hymns was unheard of in her place of worship.

If Zayda hadn’t accompanied me, I would not have realized that anyone might consider the RUCC service “traditional”. Before this experience I was unaware of how different modern, progressive churches could be in such a small geographic area.