In the contemporary society, religion is a fundamental element. Consequently, various religious programs and groupings have emerged. Religious groups are different based on the doctrines and the strong beliefs they believe. Though not intrinsically different, religion is vital in every society as it helps instill discipline and morals. Based on this, globally, almost all states provide for the right to worship. This paper entails the various worship features of a religious group.
I am a follower of a non-denominational church, Church of Christ. We are Strong believers of Christ and great followers of the ways and the practices advocated by Jesus.
Features of the Church
In accordance with the task given, I visited a local Catholic Church. Usually, the program begins at 7 am. At such time, expectations are that every member is seated awaiting the priest's arrival. To start with, the priest leads the congregation with a prayer. The prayer is not discretionally as it’s said according to the Catholic service book. Therefore the pastor only reads the prayer to the church. For entertainment purposes, the church has several music groups. The groups include a women's music group and a youth music group. In ensuring a proper rhythm of the songs, the church has various musical instruments operated by skilled individuals.
Also, during the service, on various occasions, the leader of the service mentions multiple phrases and the church answers to them. For example, the moderator says… and like the Lord Jesus taught us to pray… then in unison, the congregation begins… Our father who is in heaven…Therefore, the Catholic Church follows Liturgies. Also, as an emblem, a majority of the members have a rosary with a cross which signifies the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. There were several preaching, the first one a preliminary reading by the leader of the program. The second one was the full preaching by the priest based on the preliminary teaching. Before the beginning of the service, several candles also had to be light which would be put off after the completion of the service.
Taking of the Holy Communion in the remembrance of the body and the blood of Christ is also an important feature among the Catholics. Believers are first asked to look into their lives and repent before taking the Holy Communion. After the Holy Communion, the congregation is asked to give to Christ. The priest reminds the congregation that Christ is the giver and therefore a proportion of what one accrues should be given back to God as a sign of appreciation. At the end of the service, a member of the congregation is asked to volunteer and lead the members with a prayer.
Personal Experience
The service was monotonous; first, the congregation kept on standing and sitting down. The music was also not modern; the music did not incorporate current gospel music that majority of the believers would resonate. Consequently, the music program was boring and tedious to listen. Unlike in the Church of Christ, where I attend services, the Catholic Church spends considerably a lot of time on music; they have invested in various instruments, for example, the drum set, piano among other devices. The feeling of attending the Catholic Church was fascinating as I got to learn how they conduct their service. Contrary to my expectation, the service was long and the preaching too brief. Also, I appreciated the fact that the service looked professional as the program was followed strictly.
In conclusion, denominations though possessing similar objectives are different. The services are different in regard to the worshiping techniques, practices and traditions. Nonetheless, since people are also different, an individual is inclined to a specific church based on their needs.
