Experience It

I went to a a two hour Introduction to Zen Meditation Class, at the Clouds in Water Zen Center, with Sarah. Every second wednesday of the month the Zen Center offers a free, two hour long introduction to Meditation. It was an awesome opportunity to experience something new. We choose to attend in part because we both are very interested in Zen Buddhism and because Mrs. Murphy came to discuss Zen with us, and she is a Zen master at the Center. There were only 9 people in the class, so it was a very intimate setting. The Zen Priest, Sosan, went through the series of meditative postures that we could choose from. Most people chose to kneel, with a pillow between their bum and the mat. I choose to sit in a half lotus with my legs folded. A funny side note: Sarah was the only person there, including the instructor, who could sit in a full lotus position! We began with a short ten minute meditation and meditation discussion, then did walking meditation, and finished with a final seated meditation. It is a very cool building and the people were so kind. I left feeling much more present, at ease, and together... I honestly, think I will pursue an active practice of meditation now. I really connect with the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism. I would MOST DEFINITELY recommend this experience to others. It is a comfortable, safe way in which one can connect with a new spiritual practice, and it is ver rewarding.

I also went to a two hour intro to Zen Meditation class! Lauren and I decided to go together because we both are interested in about eastern culture, are working together on a project on Tibet for English class, and we both would like to learn to be more mindful and to remember how to breathe.
The class was led by Sosan Theresa Flynn, who is an ordained Zen Buddhist priest. In addition to leading classes and meditation sessions she also officiates ceremonies such as weddings, baby namings, memorial services, etc. I think she she said that she's the co-executive director of the Clouds in Water Zen Center, along with Judith Ragir (who is the lady who came and visited us!)
The group was very small, with about nine people. (There was also a ten-year old girl which was really surprising because I never would've been able to do this when I was that little.) Sosan led us through the various sitting postures and guided us through deep breathing and focusing exercises. We paid close attention to the breath in the belly, a point about two inches below the navel and in the very center of the body. We sat in cross-legged positions, silently breathing and letting go of tension. For me, the most difficult part of the meditation was sitting still for ten or fifteen minutes. I also had a lot of thoughts running around my head, so it was difficult to focus. But Sosan reminded us that is okay to have all of those thoughts, because meditation is about accepting what is: to “simply see them and then return attention to breath.”
Meditation is about being gentle with yourself and focusing on your breath. It is about awareness of the physical self and the mental self, and constantly re-adjusting that awareness. I really enjoyed my two-hour meditation class because it allowed me to breathe again, to be with what is, to relax, and to clear my mind. I left the class feeling self-reflective and rested. Meditation is something that I definitely want to return to, it is a lifestyle that I really admire! I think Lauren and I are going back this Sunday...

IA#5: Experience It
For my experience I thought it would be a good idea to do something involving the outdoors because the weather has been so nice lately. In Ms. Shardlow's Multicultural Literature class we are suppose to do the same thing on experiencing a different culture/ religion outside of class so I decided to combine the two and go to the Indian Mounds Park burial grounds. I thought it would be fun to rollerblade around them to make things more interesting. I couldn't understand the reasoning behind their burial process so I decided on doing a little bit of background reading. As it turns out the mounds consist of many different bodies on top of one another. Each body having a funeral consisting of different Indian rituals and their way of passing the body into the afterlife. They believe that the funeral should be a family affair and different people should participate in the funeral event. The mounds themselves have been kept to the best that they can. They are fenced off and have informational stops to better understand what you are looking at. The mounds are from centuries ago and serve a lot of importance to the state of Minnesota and to the Indian people. It is a simple drive for anyone to get to and I would recommend them to anyone who is in need of a cultural experience and a nice view of St. Paul. This will also help you better understand how the Indian culture in 400 A.D. dealt with the deceased and their thought process about the afterlife.

Independent Assignment #5: Experience It
Hindu Temple
Arjun Sridhar

For this Independent Assignment, I went to the Hindu temple in Maple Grove. Although I am a Hindu myself, I am not very religious and rarely go to the Hindu temple. I thought it would be a good idea to visit the Hindu Temple because I wanted to learn more about my own religion and also experience a religious prayer. My family and I went to the Hindu Temple on a Sunday afternoon. When I walked in, the first thing I was required to do was take off my shoes and walk barefoot throughout the temple. It is very respectful/mandatory to take off your shoes when walking in the temple. The temple was full of Hindu Gods and their statues. I saw statues of Ganesha, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. These statues were extremely elegant and resembled the God/Goddess and their traits. My family and I also sat in on a prayer led by a Hindu priest and this lasted about 10 minutes. It was very interesting to see the priest do many rituals with rice and water. At the end of the prayer, it is necessary to give an apple and banana to the priest, which serves as an offering to God. I would definitely recommend going to the Hindu Temple to someone who is looking to experience Hinduism. It is open to the public, and it is very interesting to just walk around and view all of the beautiful Hindu God statues and sit in on a prayer. You definitely do not need to be Hindu to go to the Hindu temple. It was overall a great experience!

Independent Assignment #5: Experience It

For my experience, I also decided to merge this assignment with my Outside Experience for Multicultural Literature by going to the Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul. The fact that it was so nice out meant that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to a very historical place that just happens to be outdoors. This park was an area chosen by Native Americans many hundreds of years ago to use as a burial ground. There are 6 mounds at the park, and it overlooks the Mississippi River. Each of these mounds was created by many different bodies being placed on top of each other. Each time, there are many rituals that occur to help the spirit pass on into the afterlife. As time has passed, Native American beliefs have changed and they have discontinued that creation of these mounds, however their rituals that took place hundreds of years ago have left very beautiful destinations throughout the country. Getting to this park was very easy from school, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to see a beautiful area of St. Paul and who needs to complete this assignment. Not only is it a wonderful place to go for a walk, but it is also filled with history, and informational signs that taught me a lot about the area and its past.

For my Independent Assignment, I went to go see the Indian Burial mounds at Mounds Park. Since it was such a nice day, it was a perfect excuse to go see them. I had gone in expecting something similar to the ones near my house, smaller protected by a fence, without a sign explaining what they are, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I get to see the 6 mounds that had been left by the Hopewellian Indians near the year 400 A.D., but we got to walk around the park and actually learn a bit about who would leave such a unique landmark. It was interesting to learn that it wasn't just one epitaph for one person, but they would do mass burials for many people at one time. It was the perfect day to go see this unique piece of history. I would suggest it to anyone looking to complete the assignment, but also anyone who needs to kill sometime and wants to do it somewhere pretty. Although, stay away from the park at night. I have heard that it is haunted at night, so you should probably stay away if you don't want someone stealing your soul... But go see it during the day! It was a very unique experience.

For my Independent Assignment, I went to go see the Indian Burial mounds at Mounds Park. Since it was such a nice day, it was a perfect excuse to go see them. I had gone in expecting something similar to the ones near my house, smaller protected by a fence, without a sign explaining what they are, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I get to see the 6 mounds that had been left by the Hopewellian Indians near the year 400 A.D., but we got to walk around the park and actually learn a bit about who would leave such a unique landmark. It was interesting to learn that it wasn't just one epitaph for one person, but they would do mass burials for many people at one time. It was the perfect day to go see this unique piece of history. I would suggest it to anyone looking to complete the assignment, but also anyone who needs to kill sometime and wants to do it somewhere pretty. Although, I have heard it is haunted, so be careful if you go at night... You wouldn't want someone stealing your soul. But go during the day! It was a fun, and unique experience.

For my 'experience it' independent assignment, Assignment I had the wonderful opportunity to go hear the 14th Dalai Lama speak at Mariucci Arena a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I was tremendously fortunate to be able to hear him speak as this could easily be the last time he visits MN in his current lifetime-the last time he visited was the early 2000’s. Representatives from the U of M introduced the Dalai Lama by presenting him with an honorary degree and ‘MN Gophers’ visor. “The good thing about being me is that I don’t need to study to receive these degrees anymore!” These were some of the first words I heard the Dalai Lama speak, words which were followed by a long, full laugh. This comment illustrates one of the characteristics of His Holiness that surprised me the most-his sense of humor. For a man of such profound spiritual influence and with such wisdom, I was surprised to hear him up at the podium laughing and joking just as much as anyone else.

He then proceeded into his lecture which at points was difficult to hear due to his thick accent and the echo in the arena, however, I was able to pick up a few of his points, points that really made me think. The first involved His Holiness’s interpretation of compassion. He said that ‘true compassion is not bias,’ which, when thought about, completely changes the way you think about the concept. He reasoned that true compassion comes from a place of neutrality-not from love, not from hate. Additionally, he discussed the commonalities that everyone shares: “Mentally, emotionally, physically, we are the same.” Through these concepts His Holiness preached his message of ‘Peace Through Inner Peace,’ the title of his hour and a half lecture.

I was able to see the 14th Dalai Lama at a very interesting time of his life; he has just given up his political power to the newly elected Tibetan prime minister, a step largely considered an action made to prepare his followers for his passing. At 75 years of age, the 14th Dalai Lama has seen himself exiled from his country, seen his homeland and people annexed by China, and preached a message of peace and tolerance ever since. GIven the rarity of this opportunity, I would definitely recommend that anyone who has the chance to experience this take it.

As I parked my car and stepped out onto the streets of Saint Paul at 5:45, I envisioned dark skinned, bald headed monks in red robes, slowly making their way about the Zen center. What I found instead were an array of Scandinavian looking priests in black robes. I removed my shoes when I entered the center and a kindly middle-aged man in a plaid shirt took me under his wing and showed me how to sit in the half lotus position. Soon, he rang the bell and it was time for the first 35 minutes of sitting meditation.
I tried to focus on a feeling without words. I tried the vast ocean, a glowing ball of light and warmth – and then my leg fell asleep. I tried my best to push the sensation out of my mind and body, but it persisted. Eventually I broke down and moved my leg slowly and silently into a different position. These aches and pains persisted throughout the session and I found that I could not focus. My, what the Buddhists call, ‘monkey mind’ would not stop jabbering.
After the meditation period, there was a chanting service. We recited the Heart sutra and another chant I did not recognize. With each ring of the bell, we would keep chanting, bow to our elder, kneel on the cushion and touch our foreheads to the cushion and then get back up again only to repeat the process when the bell rang again.
I'd recommend this to anyone who can get up in the morning and be a relatively functioning person. It helped me to start my day off right.

btdubs, for anyone who didn't figure out what I did from the short blurb I wrote, I went to the same place Lauren and Sarah went for Zen Buddhist meditation - Cloud in Water Zen Center.

About fourteen months ago I was in Europe for two weeks on a class trip visiting Spain and France over spring break. We went to countless amount of churches and experienced old European culture every day. About mid-way through the trip we were in Barcelona and we got to see one of the most incredible buildings in the entire world. La Sagrada Familia is a temple in Barcelona that was begun being built in 1882 and is still nearly 20 years from completion.
This Roman Catholic church was interrupted in completion during the Spanish Civil War because it relied on private donations. It was such a treat to witness such a grand temple that doesn't compare to any other. Obviously we didn't see any services because it is still not finished. The estimated date of completion is 2026, the centennial of Gaudí's death. Gaudí is the architect in this magnificent church as well as many other spectacular buildings in spain.
Although this unbelievable church hadn't been finished yet, I could only imagine how amazing a ceremony would be. Even though I am not religious, this would be a ceremony I could see myself almost enjoying because of how unique it would be. If anyone is lucky enough to go to Spain, they must make an effort to go and see this magnificent building. Seeing it in photographs is not even close to what the experiment is like in person. I will always remember the day I got to see La Sagrada Familia.

What did you experience? (Please be specific enough so that someone else could attempt the same experience if they were interested.)
Why did you choose this particular experience?
Provide a brief overview of what you experienced?
Would you recommend this experience to others? Why or why not?

For my Experience It assignment, I visited the Cathedral of St. Paul near downtown St. Paul. It sits on a hill that overlooks the downtown area. It is located at the east end of Selby, as well. I chose to visit the Cathedral because I actually have not been inside despite living 5 minutes away. Many of out family friends from around the neighborhood actually go to the Cathedral for Sunday mass and other Catholic events.

Upon arriving at the Cathedral, we read a small plaque on the outside with read "Cathedral of St. Paul completed between 1906 and 1915." Inside there are three main alters which sit at the north side of the building. The alter to the left is St. Peter, and the one to the right is St. John, I believe. For the entire time there, probably ten people were seated in front of the alter of St. Peter. An older man was observing a manuel near by and so we asked why so many people were in front of that particular alter. Although he did not know the answer, he did tell us to look at the statue of St. Mathew who, interestingly, has a "15 year old face and old man hands", which we thought was interesting.

The Cathedral is full of beautiful and intricate architecture as well as dozens of statues. Each saint is represented with a large, about seven foottall bronze statue.

I think I would recommend the Cathedral to others because it is easy to find and parking is simple. While those are both great, it is the aesthetic aspect that is so spectacular. It is full of rich history and despite being built over a hundred years ago, it has been maintained beautifully.

Independent Assignment #5
Experience it
Nick Frecentese

For my Experience It: Independent Assignment, I decided to go to a Hindu Temple with Arjun Sridhar and his family. The Hindu temple is located in Maple Grove and we went on a Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock. The way that the Hindu temple worked was quite different than what I was used to at my usual Catholic service. The first thing that happened that immediately threw me off when I entered was that we all had to take off our shoes right inside the entrance. According to Arjun and his family, this is apparently done out of respect to the gods whom are being worshiped in this place. Obviously, being a christian I was not used to this entrance into a place of worship so I immediately felt as if I were in a foreign environment. The reason I chose to go to the Hindu temple is because I have never really had any contact with the religion of Hinduism and wanted to expand my knowledge and interaction with this unknown religion to me. As we continued through the temple, we proceeded to walk up a flight of stairs into a room filled with statues of a number of different Hindu gods. I noticed and decently recognized the gods Vishnu and Ganesha. I took a few minutes to just look around the room and absorb my foreign surroundings. After my acclamation I joined the Sridhar family in a ten minute prayer led by a Hindu priest in a small group. I didn't actually participate in the prayer because I didn't know what was respectful and appropriate for a guest to do so I mainly just observed what they were doing and meditated about my own life. Overall, this was definitely a good experience for me to see how other houses of worship function because until that point in my life I had only observed Catholic rituals (masses) and two Judaism Bar Mitzvah. This experience it assignment opened my eyes to the functioning of the religion of Hinduism that I had previously had little to no contact with.

For my “Experience It” assignment I went to the Hindu Temple with Arjun’s family and Arjun. Before this I’ve honestly had absolutely no idea what a Hindu temple would look like, how it would be when we entered and how everyone would be interacting inside it. So naturally, when we went everything was pretty much a new experience for me. When we first got there, we noticed that the building was quite exquisite. It was a large white building with a bunch of pillars, large architectural objects, and beautiful designs around the building. Upon entering the building, I noticed the first room was a large open area and there were a lot of statuettes I had no idea about. I had to ask Arjun about them and he told me that the statues were of multiple different important gods/symbols of Hinduism. For example I thought the most interesting statue was Ganesha because it was a stunning statue that looked incredibly hard to make, and I enjoyed the fact that it was an elephant with multiple arms. However, when we first got into the building one of the men there told us that we had to remove our shoes, and I was confused by this. I asked him why and he told me that it was disrespectful to walk around with shoes, and without them showed much more respect. As we walked around, looking at the different objects and activities going on, we noticed that people were praying. We actually were let to engage in a prayer with everyone there and according to the priest everyone was speaking in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is one the primary language of Hinduism, as well as Jainism and Buddhism. Finally after the prayer we were allowed to go to the cafeteria to indulge ourselves in a Indian fiesta. This wasn’t the first time I had eaten Indian food because last year my friends and I went to Arjun’s cousins sweet sixteen were there was a lot of Indian food, so this didn’t catch me off guard. There were a lot of rice dishes, with curry, drinks and some interesting desserts. Overall it was a pretty good meal to have. Finally, the day was over for us and I would say a learned a lot due to the fact that I have never been to a Hindu temple. The reason I chose this is because I didn’t really have any idea of what a Hindu temple was like, and I needed something for experience it. I would recommend going because it’s a really interesting experience to have, and it’s really simple to drive there on a Sunday afternoon and observe the temple

For my experience it assignment, I visited the St. Paul Cathedral in downtown St. Paul. I have admired this goliath of a cathedral many times but due to a lack of religion in my life I have never bothered to actually go inside. I chose to go to this cathedral to get a better perspective on the Catholic religion and to see what was on the inside of the pretty exterior.

I walked in to a huge vaulted ceiling with paintings all over it. It had traditional church pews but was far larger than any I had every been in before. The altar was huge, and it had a large T on it, but I had no idea what that was for (just kidding Mr. Vergin...). The most interesting part, to me, of the Cathedral wasn't the central part itself, but the statues and smaller room behind and to the sides of it. There were also many lit candles, and when I asked a lady what they were there for, she said you could light one and say a prayer. I thought that was very neat.

I would definitely recommend this to another student because I feel like you can't live in Minnesota and NOT go visit this at least once. It is gorgeous and full of history about the catholic faith. It is not only a religious experience, but a fulfilling one, for the eyes and the mind.

For my “Experience it” I went to the Cathedral of Saint Paul. It’s the national shrine of the Apostle Paul, and was built from 1906-1950. In the room in between the actual cathedral and the entrance, there was a little pool of holy water built into the wall. There was also a brass sign that described the history of the Cathedral. As soon as I walked into the actual cathedral, I spotted a gold offering box attached to the wall. A little farther back there was a stand full of cd’s and brochures. The brochures were 50 cents and the cd’s were three dollars. The interesting thing about this was that both items were just sitting out with no one guarding them, and there was a sign instructing people to place their payment in the offering boxes. This was a showcase to the amount of trust and high expectations felt among Catholics.
As I walked around the perimeter of the Cathedral, I found statues of Saints Mark, Luke, John and Matthew, along with Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, and the infant of Prague. The rest of the walls of the Cathedral walls were scattered with plaques portraying the life and struggles of Christ. The plaques had captions like, “Jesus Consoles the holy woman,” “Jesus is crucified,” "The second (and third) fall,” and “Jesus is laid in the sepulcher.” There was a poster on a wall of the church that gave all of the historical information of the church, as well as the architectural aspects. It mentioned that the church is 307 feet long, and 216 feet wide, and that the cathedral fits 3,000 people in its pews, and 4,000 people in chairs. It also gave meanings to all of the architectural elements of the cathedral. For instance, the seven paintings of angels in the cathedral represent the seven holy spirits. The seven windows represent the seven sacraments, and the seven bronze grilles between the piers represent the prayers of man rising to heaven. There were definitely a lot of representations of the number seven. There were also many things written in Latin around the church. Under a painted of Jesus, it said “Jesv vfam tobie.” Also, within the center of the church, there were four angels with the words, temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude written underneath them.
There was a section of the church called the “Shrines of the nations.” This section (I learned from one of the tour guides in the cathedral) was dedicated to all of the nationalities that helped build the cathedral. It represented Saint Therese, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Boniface, Saint Patrick, and Saint Anthony. Another really interesting thing that the tour guide told me was that there was one rough stone under the “young flower” (aka Saint Therese), and it turns out that this stone was from the cell of Joan of Arc and was a girl to one of the heads of the church. Another thing he mentioned was that St. John, the youngest of the saints-represented as one of the statures on the perimeter of the cathedral, is portrayed with a very young face, but with very old hands. He’s also holding his scroll in a very strange way, and I never was able to figure out why.
Above the doors of the cathedral, there were sayings. Over one of the doors it said, “may the lord keep thy coming in and thy going out now and forever,” and over another it said, “So let your light shine before men that they may see your good works.” There were also sayings above the wooden confessionals on both sides of the church. Over one row of confessional it said, “behold the tabernacle of god with men and he will dwell with them,” and over the other row it said, “Truly this is none other than the house of god and the gate of heaven.”
One thing that was really interesting was that as soon as I walked into the church I realized that all of the people who came to pray were migrating to a very specific seating section. They were all sitting in front of the St. Peter. Although I never figured out why this was, it turns out that St. Peter’s was the first alter completed in the cathedral.
Although I had been to the Cathedral before, I had never really taken a thorough look around at everything going on inside of it. One of my family’s friends actually got married there, but it turns out that not only is that very costly, but in order to get married there, one must be a practicing catholic. I would recommend this experience to others. I learned a lot from reading everything around the Cathedral, and there were also people available there to ask questions to about what I didn’t understand. The tour guide I stumbled across was very eager to share facts about Catholicism, and about the Cathedral. Perhaps this was because he was a tour guide, but it was very helpful nonetheless. Aside from all of that, the Cathedral is very beautiful, and has a lot of stained glass, marble, and symbols to observe and appreciate.

For this assignment I have chosen to write about my experience at my Grandfather's memorial service conducted by my aunt Patti Nakai, a Buddhist minister. I will also be commenting on a conversation I had with my aunt and uncle regarding Buddhism after the ceremony.
I chose this experience because, after my grandfather's death, I have become more and more interested in Buddhism, as he was a Buddhist. In addition, I wanted to participate in this one year memorial service.
For this experience, my family and I went to Fort Snelling where my grandfather, Osamu Honda, is buried. There my aunt and uncle had set up an altar with incense, a bell, and some cloths. My aunt was dressed in the traditional robes for a Buddhist Minister. She first explained the ceremony, telling us that it is a memorial and traditional to mark the year anniversary of a loved one's passing. We then individually went forth to offer incense and we were each encoraged to say a few words about his significance in our lives. We then participated in a Japanese chant (with paper copies for each of us to read off of). Afterwords I went out for lunch with my aunt and uncle and we had a long conversation about Japanese Mainland Buddhism.
As a Catholic born and raised, this was a new experience for me. Its very interesting to compare and contrast the two religions and their funeral traditions. I would definitely recommend that one would experience a buddhist ceremony, but I wouldn't encourage that it be a funeral service, as they are private and personal.

For my experience it I went the Basilica church for a concert requirement for choir. In the concert they sang songs in latin and then after each song the recited biblical verses. The church was a catholic church. when we first walked in I saw a bowl of water. Some people were dipping their fingers in the bowl and make the cross sign. I am not catholic so seeing this amazing church was pretty cool. There were sets of stone steps going into the church and when we got into the church the art was amazing. On every wall there was a painting. The paintings were huge. Over the spot the people singer were there was a huge dome with gold leaf covering it completely. During the concert I wasn't really watching it, I was too busy looking around at how amazing this church was. There were life size and lager than life size statues of the virgin Mary all over the church. The benches were extremely long and in front of the bench there was this little kneeling pad. Again not being catholic I didn't realize what it was a first. Everything about this church was amazing. Just he shear size of this church was incredible. I had never really been in a church that big before. The few times I have been to church the church was never that big. The churches I have been in before I were small and usually just one big room. There were no big paintings on the walls and usually just a little crucifix of Jesus on the cross. There was really only one big stain glass picture and that was behind the minister. In the Basilica there were 20 stain glass pictures and seeing that from the outside was cool. This whole church was amazing. I really enjoyed seeing the church (not really the concert).
I would recommend going to see this church. It will be an experience I will never forget. I went to the concert in october and still remember the church clearly. So if someone is looking for an experience it they should check out the Basilica.

I went to Birkmose Park (Indian Burial Mounds) in Hudson, WI. It is the site of several Sioux Indian burial mounds. It is at the top of a hill overlooking the St.Croix river and Hudson bridge. It was a very quiet, peaceful, meditative place to walk around. There are chains guarding the burial mounds which did not used to be there. My mom would always bring my brother and I there when we were younger because it's just a beautiful place relax and experience nature and see a great view. There was very little information there, there were not any tomb stones or plaques to learn about the Indian's buried, although there was one stating, "she loved the earth" Meridel Leseur 1900-1996. I typed that in Google but could not find anything. I thought that this experience was a meditative experience and interesting to look at but I wish there was more information on the background of the park.

Experience It
Laurel Winsor

I experienced Hanukkah Dinner at the Burstein household. I chose to attend Hanukkah dinner because the invitation was extended by Mrs. Burstein to come to dinner. I figured it would be fun while being perfect for this class. Nate and his family had a slightly less traditional dinner, but still had many things that were very traditional of the event. We ate many things that were expected of the meal. Things such as sweet potato latkes with applesauce, and a little roasted meat, with matzo ball ball soup. There were also religious emblems on the table such as dradles and a light menorah that Mr. and Mrs. Burstein light as we sat down at the table. I would recommend this because it was very fun it was a great way to experience something new and different with a great family.

I attended a funeral service at St. Maron's Catholic Church. I did not choose this experience for the class, as you can imagine, but the service was such a new experience, that I decided to write about it. The service started with the lighting of the incense and then a few sung prayers. The program had prayers in both English and Arabic, and one prayer is given in Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke with his apostles at the last supper. The service seemed odd to me because it seemed more focused on Christ and the resurrection than on the departed. The "celebrant", as they called him, burned the incense twice more during the service, and a woman sang hymns in English intermittently. Toward the end of the service, all those "in good standing with the Catholic Church" were invited to take communion. According to the priest leading the service, the Maronite tradition is over 1600 years old and found its origin in Lebanon. Above the doors to the chapel is written: "The glory of Lebanon was given to him". This was a religious of which I had not been aware before, and while I would not recommend that particular experience (the funeral, that is), I recommend trying a new experience like this one.

I went to one of the Crossroads churches for the experience it IA. Crossroads is series of christian churches that are spread throughout Minnesota like a chain of religious retailer. A neighbor told me about the church because he knew I was a musician and generally a huge fan of music, and the band at Crossroads was supposed to be very good. I went because I have only been to two other churches, a small catholic one named Transfiguration and the Minnesota Cathedral, so I was interested in experiencing a modern church. It was not a good experience for me personally. It is hard to enjoy a service when you do not share the same beliefs as the community and have little else to identify with them, but I tried to objectively criticize my time at the church. The Pastor was not very comfortable on stage, they had numerous technical problems where they would stop everything and wait for their tech people to catch up with them, the band messed up several times and the majority of people seemed to be not enjoying themselves. I would not recommend Crossroads to many people, and since it was the first time I had been to a christian church in almost 6 years, I remember now why I went so long without attending one

For experience it, I went to Woobury Lutheran Church for a service on Sunday. This was my first experience in going to Church in over ten years. When I had arrived I found it very accommodating. There was a welcome table, greeters, and easy parking. They also had me fill out a postcard asking how I came to them/how I heard of them. Since it had been so long since i came to church I was a blank slate. I found the service to be interesting. I didn't really know any of the songs and found myself just standing there most of them time. Since i dislike religion, I found the preaching to be excessive and annoying to a degree. All of it to me seemed so strange and foreign to me. I haven't been to Church in so long it all felt so strange. I didn't exactly know what was going on at times and was coming next, but I was glad I experienced it. I chose this experience because I was curious at what church was like and I live right by it. I thought to myself, why not? I have nothing to lose except missing a little bit of the Falcons Giants games (Boo giants). Overall I would recommend this experience to someone else. I warn them thought that they will have to tolerant, but it was a great experience.

What did you experience? (Please be specific enough so that someone else could attempt the same experience if they were interested.)
Why did you choose this particular experience?
Provide a brief overview of what you experienced?
Would you recommend this experience to others? Why or why not?

A while ago, I went to the Baha'i temple in Chicago. When I was there, I took a tour and learned about the history of the faith, as well as just look around the amazing place itself. I didn't choose it, but I'm glad my mom took me there because I found it to be a pretty educational experience. I learned about how they accept all of the major religions, and I never knew at that point in my life how close all of the scriptures were to each other, and it really opened my mind and inspired me. It was awesome seeing all of the main religions symbols in the same place, coexisting. It makes you think that there really is a chance for peace in the world. I would definitely recommend this to someone, it is a beautiful building and was really breath-taking, visually and psychologically.

What did you experience? (Please be specific enough so that someone else could attempt the same experience if they were interested.)
Why did you choose this particular experience?
Provide a brief overview of what you experienced?
Would you recommend this experience to others? Why or why not?

For this assignment, I attended Sunday Mass at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Hudson, WI. Although I am Catholic, and used to attend the church frequently, it had been several years since I had attended mass. I decided to do this because a few months ago there was news released that the Missal had been changed, and I was curious to see how it had changed the Mass as a whole. I found that it served little purpose other than confusing parishioners. While the Mass kept the same overall structure, individual wordings and responses by the congregation had changed a bit. I'm still not totally sure what it actually accomplishes. I would definitely recommend attending a Catholic Mass for someone who isn't familiar with it, as the ritual is very interesting. I went for a bit different purpose, but still found it to be helpful.

What did you experience? (Please be specific enough so that someone else could attempt the same experience if they were interested.)
Why did you choose this particular experience?
Provide a brief overview of what you experienced?
Would you recommend this experience to others? Why or why not?

For my "experience it" I went to the Winsor household and helped decorate their christmas tree. Coming from a Jewish household, this was very new for me, and I really had fun at the event. I arrived in my ugly christmas sweater, of course, and got a crash course in what to do, being the novice I am. We started out by taking out their family ornaments, each holding some sort of significance to them, whether it be big or small. It was a very relaxing, down to earth experience, and in no way religiously overwhelming. I just had a lot of fun experiencing some other culture than my own, in a fun family tradition. I would suggest decorating a tree to anyone who is not of the christian faith to try at least once, on account of it is a really fun experience and it helps you quickly learn about other cultures.

I went to a friend’s mother’s funeral, at a catholic church. I choose talk about it because it was a moment in his life that I thought I should be there for. What I got to experience was a short service. They spoke about his mother as a person and also they did a few prayers. They asked the people of the community to come forward to drink the blood and eat his body, the wine and bread: they sang a few hymns and then the service ended. What I noticed from my seat was the robes that the priest wore and the candle situated around the room. Also when they came in they swung around the incense holder. Truthfully I would recommend going to a catholic church and partaking in the service but like me they don’t need to go up and taste the wine and bread. I think it is a good experience, to see with a persons own eyes how a religion does a service.

What did you experience? (Please be specific enough so that someone else could attempt the same experience if they were interested.)
Why did you choose this particular experience?
Provide a brief overview of what you experienced?
Would you recommend this experience to others? Why or why not?

I went to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in st. paul. I chose to go to this church because I happened to be at a friends house and he was heading to church so i just went with him. This is one of the first times i can remember actually going to church. i might have gone once or twice when i was younger but I have no recollection of such events. I ended up sitting near the back during the mass because of how crowded it was. I was quite surprised at how packed it was! during the mass i had a little trouble concentrating on what the preacher was saying because i was busy looking around at the paintings and huge ceiling and all the ornate things throughout the church. Throughout the ceremony there was a lot of standing and then sitting and then standing and then sitting which i found to be... annoying for lack of a better word. I would recommend going to this church if not for the religious part but just to look at the church as it is quite beautiful.

For this assignment I went to a Methodist church on Christmas Eve. I consider myself Agnostic that being said I went church every once in awhile when I was young as my parents attempted to raise me Christian. It has been many years since I went to “youth group” and I have not been inside a church for a long time. This Christmas I went to Savannah, Georgia to see my grandparents and cousins. My cousins are very religious and forced the whole family to go to a Christmas Eve service. From what I remembered from my youth group days was more of a social experience, now that I am more knowledgeable and opinionated on religious topics I paid more attention and noticed myself disagreeing with several of the topics discussed. This made me realize that my refusal to adopt a specific religion could have been ingrained in me from a young age. If someone has not been exposed to religion in several years I would definitely recommend this experience. It will either reignite your spiritual flame, or, as in my case, affirm your rejection of religion.

I attended a concert in St. Mary's Basilica, which was really cool for several reasons. The Rose Ensemble, a Renaissance and early music chamber choir, performed a very nice selection of typical early music, much of it religious, which I found fitting in this location. I noticed Jake also went to a basilica, although earlier than I did (so he probably had a bit more light than I did in late fall, early winter!), and everything he said is accurate. St. Mary's is absolutely gorgeous, a true treat for the eyes. When I was in Europe two years ago, we visited several cathedrals and other such places, and the architecture really speaks to the time period--the god-fearing mindset everyone had then is certainly not as prevalent today, so sometimes the stories in the stained glass are a bit intimidating or Bible verses in Latin are unfamiliar. Even for me, a non-religious person, it was a spiritual experience because of the sheer immensity and atmosphere of the basilica. Enormous gothic arches, small shrines (proper term in a Catholic church? Not sure...) with candles lit for the Virgin Mary and loved ones, beautiful stained glass rose windows, basins of holy water, overwhelmingly large crucifixes on the walls--I felt reverent just sitting in the pews and listening to the beautiful Renaissance music. I feel like places like this are a big part of why some people feel close to god, or close to a spiritual presence, in church or temple or another place of worship. You truly feel simultaneously insignificant and closer to the universe than ever before.

Ack, it submitted without my recommendation, which is a YES! I think everyone should visit a grand basilica sometime in their life, even if they're of a different faith or not religious, because just the atmosphere is incredible. It's beautifully crafted, if you're merely interested in architecture, and if you're looking for something more than that, something deeper, closer to your heart and emotions and mind, I think you might find it.

For this assignment I went to a church that I used to go to when I was very young, called Roseville Lutheran Church. I hadn't gone to church since I was about 5 years old, because I had sports on weekends so I couldn't make it. At least, that was always my way of getting out of going to church. I've never been a religious person as I personally don't see the point in it. However, as I was driving into the parking lot I was shocked by the amount of people who were there. From when I was a kid, I remembered there being a lot of songs and standing and sitting, which was still true when I went. It almost felt like there was more singing then anything else going on during the service. It brought back some old memories of being in that building, but I still stand by my feelings of not needing a religion. I personally wouldn't recommend this to someone who isn't religious, like myself. However, if you are religious, I would recommend going to a church or some sort of service that is different then the one you normally go to as it could open your eyes to some new ideas.

I decided to attend a Catholic mass for my experience it assignment. I attended St. Jude's catholic church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota with some of my family friends. This was a totally different experience for me. I attend a Baptist church every Sunday and it is very different. My church is much more modern and contemporary. The music was one of the biggest differences that I noticed. My church has modern christian rock type music, while at St. Judes i was singing more classic hymns. The catholics receive communion like every week, this is much more often than my church does which is interesting. Overall i thought that St. Judes Catholic church had a much more formal and classic feel to it. I truly loved this experience. I actually am looking forward to attending another catholic mass someday. I have actually watched a little bit of the Catholic channel EWTN and it has taught me quite a bit about Catholicism. I would definitely recommend attending a Catholic mass if you are not already doing so. It gives you a totally different perspective on church.

What did you experience? (Please be specific enough so that someone else could attempt the same experience if they were interested.)
Why did you choose this particular experience?
Provide a brief overview of what you experienced?
Would you recommend this experience to others? Why or why not?

This past sunday I had visited Our Savior's Lutheran Church with a friend of mine in Stillwater. Now I haven't been to church in many many years so this was a curve ball for me. I knew I had to do something like this and took full advantage of my friend going. This church was incredibly filled and I was very interested in the service. The church itself was so beautiful and had many different paintings and had a huge ceiling with beautiful stained glass. Now I was getting a little annoyed with the constant sitting and standing throughout the whole service but I know that his is part of their faith and tradition so I respectfully did as the other Lutherans did. I would recommend visiting a Lutheran Church service because it is a really cool thing to experience a religion not like your own.