Reporting on a Religious Service - Essay Example

Lecturer Due Reporting on a Religious Service I attended the service at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, address 80 S Market St, San Jose, CA95113. The service I attended was on Sunday, 11/30/14 at 10:30. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, a roman catholic church in the Christian religion. The church building is a tall structure designed in the classical European architecture. It has the inscription “DEO-OPTIMO-MAXIMO-IN HONAREM-S-JOSEPH” above the main entrance. The church is surrounded by tall palm trees that give it an impressive outlook. The tallest tower in the building has a cross on top. A cross symbolizes the Christian religion because of the significance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross. The name ‘Christian’ is derived from ‘Christ’. There is another cross on top of the main entrance, which is supported by tall pillars, again giving the church the impression of an old European building. The impressive features of the church are accompanied by Christian decorations on the outside. The inside of the church increases the feeling of inspiration by classical European architecture. In addition, one gets the feeling that they are in a church, even if a person were to be blindfolded and led in. The decorations range from a statue of the Virgin Mary directly facing the congregation, as is a characteristic of the Catholic Church to small portraits of many Catholic symbols on the wall. There is a dime like structure beneath the tall tower with a cross, as described from outside that is also decorated with portraits of catholic and Christian symbols. Many decorations characterize the interior of the church. There are hanging lanterns on top of where the congregations seats. In addition, the dome-like structure and the windows are transparent to allow light in, giving the interior of the church a bright appearance. Wooden benches with backrest are arranged in two rows facing the podium, from where the father delivers his summon. The attendants of the church were an assorted group of people. They have different racial origins, different age groups, different nationalities and different social-economic classes. The ages of the congregation varied from babies to elderly people of approximately eighty years. The attendants of the service, judging by the mode of dressing and cars in the parking lot, belong to the high and middle-income groups of the population. The total attendance of people to the service was approximately two hundred, though it is hard to tell. There is no special invitation for visitors. If anything, the entrance routine seemed traditional as opposed to occasional. For example, upon arrival to the service, there was a boy at the door and water that people use to make a cross sign on their chests. These are traditions of the Catholic Church, and there is no resistance to the attendance of the service. In addition, no one seems to pay particular attention to the visitor, they just go about their business as if I am not even there. This suited me fine because attention would have diluted the purpose the visit and the experience. All people entered from the front door. At the entrance, there was a boy holding incense. The entrance to the church has a routine feel. When people are going in, they follow the same rituals as if they have rehearsed the entrance. In fact, watching the entrance from the sides, one observes that the majority of the people entering observes the rituals. This way, it is easy to tell an outsider, even when I am not a member of the Catholic Church. For example, the ease of entrance and the ability to observe the rituals is the biggest indicator. When the time came for the service to start, the priest, and his entourage entered from a different door. They were carrying specific things necessary for the service such as candles, a bible, and a crucifix. All the material carried was used by the priest at one point in the service. The entourage had a perfect coordination. They all knew where the top sits, when to come to the assistance of the priest and what to do. A greeting from the priest signified the start of the service. Later, I learned that this is no ordinary greeting, it was an acknowledgment of the presence of god in the mass. The service had a reserved feel. There were no dramatic elements in the service or animated performances. The singing was subdued and structured, and the delivery of the mass was structured and felt very rigid. At one point, I felt like everyone was merely going through the motions. The observance of time was also very accurate. The structured mass began promptly at the appointed time and ended on time. The structures and the diligence have the appearance of being forged out of a long experience. Recitation and the sign of the cross are the most significant signs for the congregation. The congregation seemed to know his exact response to give in unison and the response were timed perfectly. The recitation produces the impression that they go through the same procedure every Sunday, such was the rehearsed feel of the service. I learned later that all the recitations are standard, and they do at specific times in the mass. They are symbolic to the Catholic Church. The congregation was silent all through the service, except when they were saying recitals. There were two readings of the bible and delivery of the Summon by the priest based on the reading. The examples given by the priest served to add the impression that the congregation is comprised the middle and high-income earners. Other activities by the audience included standing up for all prayers. There is also a portion of the service when the people ate bread and drank wine, I later learned that these symbolize the body and the blood of Jesus, who Christians believe died for their sins (Hinze 38). At the end of the service, all people left the church silently and repeated the same procedure of touching water and forming a cross on their chests with it. After the service, people gathered outside in small groups and made conversation. I later learned that in addition to the religious function served by the churches, they also serve a social function, and many people have circles of friends based on their visits to the church. I also learned that there are functions outside the church that are attended by members and these functions serve religious and social functions. The efficiency of the delivery and the structure of the service were impressive. It was also devoid of any emotion. Doctrines are beliefs and principles that guide an organization. As part of the Christian faith, the doctrines of the Catholic Church are based on the bible and the teachings derived from the holy book (Hinze 9). For example, the summon delivered by the priest was based on readings from the bible. In addition, there is a strong teaching that Jesus is the son of God and he is a cornerstone to the kingdom of god. This principle is seen in the nature of the decorations around and inside the church. Another tenet of the Catholic Church is the Holy Trinity. After some research, I appreciated the sign made by the congregation as they entered and left the church symbolized the Holy Trinity (Hinze 51). After the service, I appreciated the relevance of the tenets of Christianity in directing all aspects of service delivery. The basic nature of service in the Catholic Church is formal. It has aspects of ancient practices and modern social values, and it’s was had a rigid structure. All aspects of the service followed a predetermined pattern and all members of the congregation were expected to respect the purpose (Hinze 27). The respect for the church is seen in the silence upon entry by all members and compliance to the set formats of worship. The group is diffused. It is drawn to the church by the religious functions played by the church. There are no ethnic or social ties in the church because the members are assorted and, social class apart, seem to have no common features. However, the meeting after the service indicate the church plays social functions in the context of religion. The leader, a priest, conducts the service and delivers the summon. The experience in the church tells me that these people take structure as an important part of religion. They also associate social support groups to religion, and they support the church by making monetary contributions at one point in the service. Work Cited Hinze, Bradford E. Practices of Dialogue in the Roman Catholic Church: Aims and Obstacles, Lessons and Laments. New York: Continuum, 2006. Print. Read More