So when I left you last I was in a foreign country doing foreign things and experiencing foreign culture. Now, in my final semester here at Ithaca, my roommate Mary and I have proposed a little experiment, or rather, dared ourselves to step outside our little comfort bubble of college life.
SO. we are on a mission, every Sunday, or weekend, to experience a new religion or church service. We wanted to learn about something foreign to us and then compare it to what we were brought up on, other places around the globe we've experienced, and of course realize that it's ITHACA, which has its own exceptional little way of life.
First off a little background on myself, I was brought up Roman Catholic, going to Catholic school, learning the catechism and saying all the prayers. However, I was young, and just "going with the flow" Did I really understand what all this meant? No of course not. But now my spectrum of understanding is increasing and I am excited to share how all of this has affected my thought process. Also, I am currently learning about Islam, in a class, and so I will try and tie that in at some points.
Lately, and lately being the last few years, I have grown frustrated with certain doctrines in the church, and a lack of explanation in terms of LOGIC. I realize the importance of faith, but so far in all my travels, I have met few who have been able to explain it to me. So now my quest begins.
To get started:
-what are the rituals involved with each service, why?
-how is the priest, reverend, or pastor? what are they like?
-the congregation-what are their reactions, mood, vibe?
-how do I feel about the experience?
-what questions do I have now?
-keeping the most open of minds, ready for all the experience has to offer.
This is what I will be keeping in mind and thinking about.
Also, it's important to realize that my own previous convictions will affect how I think and absorb the ideas and truths presented.
So today, We started things off nice and traditional and went to St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church, downtown.
The services began around 8 am and went until about lunch time- we showed up at 10-which is totally normal and not rude.
The priest was no where to be seen. He was located behind an ornately decorated wall with paintings of saints inlaid with gold. Very orthodox. He was singing and saying prayers while the rest of us stood, unable to see him, only to hear him (reference to God?).
Throughout the service more people wandered in, some with head coverings, but everyone was well-dressed. The second part of the ceremony was similar to a Catholic mass in that we said the readings, gospel and Our Father, but all the prayers were slightly different and there was lots of incense. There were many more long prayers which were sung. and people could leave whenever they wanted. more importantly, the service was LONG.
Unfortunately, the priest was not very engaging with his congregation, despite how small it was.
So, overall I wasn't really feelin' it. The priest could not pronounce some of the words in the readings, interrupted the choir a few times and seemed bored. Even though a good portion of the mass I could not understand because, well I don't speak Greek, I decided to read some of the readings out of the little hymnal. The stories somehow took on a new light when I read them in such a focused atmosphere.
The people were very reverend and in tune with the mass, even if the priest himself was not impressive.
According to Mary, the church was less ornate than many of the churches she grew up going to-but I didn't know any different. When I was in Italy, I learned about the type of art and how when the church split the eastern orthodox art in churches didn't change the way it had in Italy. The art and decor inside the church really reminded me of that.
The message was the same, love God, praise God, fear God, thank God.
So then Mary and I got to talkin,' what does it really mean to LOVE GOD. I mean, I feel love for my family and friends but LOVE for someone or something I've never met before is strange. How do I feel it? How do I know if I've felt it? I can thank God, but it's like thanking someone for holding the door. I am good to my neighbor, but how does that show I LOVE GOD? This is an interesting concept that is challenging me. love is undefined but everyone can feel it. How do you know if you love God or feel love for any God?
Do/can we ever really know God?
Anyway, I'll leave you with that. Some future prospects include: the Synagogue, Baptist church, Presbyterian church, the Quaker meeting house, and maybe the Jehovahs (we keep joking about how scary that will be) but any and all ideas are welcome.
