The Islamic Association of Raleigh and First Presbyterian Church - Essay Example

Due The Islamic Association of Raleigh and First Presbyterian Church Places I visited and why I visited them I visited theFirst Presbyterian Church of Raleigh and also Islamic association of Raleigh. I visited the mosque on Friday and the church on a Sunday. The two religious institutions were selected due to their diverse styles of worship. It is important to understand the various religious aspects for harmony. I also chose the institutions due to their proximity and also their closeness. Both places of worship are located in Raleigh and thus form part of the community. Understanding of the two religious groups is an important issue since it boosts harmony and religious tolerance. I was eager to find out the similarities and the differences in the mode of worship, contents of their summons and how they address various critical issues facing the community such as security. Experience in the two places of worship Worship at First Presbyterian Church is based of several religious facets. They include actions that put the word of God as the principal reference. Some of these actions are; proclaiming the word of God, acting around the word, sealing the world and also spreading the word to non-believers. A typical Sunday service at the Raleigh First Presbyterian Church includes; Prayers The First Presbyterian Church regards prayer as the most important avenue through which communication with God is done. Several prayer sessions are created during the session. The church believes that prayer brings the Holy Spirit closer to the congregation and there is high possibility that their needs and problems will be heard and determined. Songs The service entails regular periods of song worship. The church believes that song unites the congregation in common prayer session where the Holy Spirit can descend to each one of them. Most songs are extracted from designated hymn books. The worship songs in the hymn books are categorized into several parts and applied depending on the part of the service. There are prayer songs, praise songs, thanksgiving songs and also inspirational songs. All the songs are added in order to supplement other element of the service such as prayers and preaching. Preaching Preaching at First Presbyterian Church is based on the bible. It involves interpretation of the bible verses based on the conviction through the Holy Spirit. The message is interpreted to the congregation by a preacher through a simplified interrelation that blends with a specific situation. For example, on the 30th March, 2014, the preacher at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, Dr Ed McLeod, prepared a sermon on ‘Why’. The sermon was aimed at incorporating the scriptures and real-life situation. The preacher gave real life scenarios that improve the quality of the sermon. All the preaching is aimed at enhancing biblical faith among the believers. Sacraments Sacraments are offered to show the importance of the last supper to the Christian life. I experienced the sharing of the communion among the selected believers of the faith who were selected based on established criteria. The sacraments are also a sign of sharing the love of Christ. Offerings The Presbyterian Church follows traditional mode of worship. They believe that offerings God a porting of their belongings is an important aspect in Christian life. The church thus has a session when offerings are collected. The offerings are accepted in any form depending on the blessing bestowed on an individual. Experience at the mosque during Friday Salah The main prayer day for the Muslims is Friday. Though they pray at least five times a day, Friday is designated a day where Muslims congregate at the mosque for a collective session. The session at IAR involves several parts. They include; Salam and opening worship Muslims greet each other by speaking peace or Salam to each other. This is followed by an opening worship session where hymns are sung as a short prayer as the believer walk into the mosque. The congregation is required to leave their shoes outside the mosque as they believe that shoes are dirty and thus are not eligible to be worn before Allah. Affirmation of Islam as their faith and confession The Muslims affirm their faith and beliefs in the mosque and outside the mosque. This is meant to show that they are not sincere and pure when receiving the sermon. The practice is followed by confessions where members individually confess before Allah of the sins that they have made and ask for forgiveness and Subra from Allah. Sermon At this stage, the imam teaches the congregation the virtue that Allah expects from the congregation through the verses from the holy Quran. The preacher interprets the verses into the real life scenario, affirming faith in Allah and also creating the urge to read the Quran, understand the five pillars of Islam and practice them accordingly. Part of the sermon is conducted in the local language, English, though the ultimate part must be in Arabic, which is the native language of the Quran. A practice that had an impact on me The sermons had some simple similarities that include, use of holy books and preachers or imam expounds the word. However, the differences were more pronounced in the content of the word. The preacher in the First Presbyterian Church used the bible to explain real life concepts that affected the congregation in their daily life. The Muslim sermon involved teaching about the Quran and the requirements that a Muslim must adhere to. I found the Presbyterian sermon more helpful and impacted on my perception on day to day challenge. How the project affected me The experience was full of knowledge and understanding of the two religious groups, Christianity and Islam. I gained knowledge and deep understanding on how proceedings are held in the churches and mosques. I realized that Salah sessions at the mosque are more organized than the First Presbyterian church that is governed by a constitution and schedule of the service. Using holy books such as the bible and the Quran, the preachers have a strong impact on their congregation. This is because they determine the beliefs of the people through their interpretation. They can be instrumental in the stabilization of virtues and norms in a society on issues such as security, moral uprightness and social values. This implies that preachers and churches form an important part of the society that is indispensable. I would surely repeat the project if given another opportunity. Works cited "Sermon Archives | First Presbyterian Church." First Presbyterian Church | A thriving downtown faith community in Raleigh, NC. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. "The Islamic Association of Raleigh - Articles and Lectures." The Islamic Association of Raleigh. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. Read More