Church of the Most Holy Trinity

I had read some information and saw pictures of the church prior to the visit but once I arrived there, I realized that the website did not do justice to how magnificent it is. Once I was seated in the pews, I let the beautiful surroundings just soak in. There was gold detailing throughout the church, ornamentation, columns, arches, stunning stained glass windows with biblical depictions, dim lighting, rows of wooden pews, and an organ up on the balcony above the entrance.

I thought it was remarkable that the church is about 150 years old and was built during the Civil War. The pastor was very knowledgeable, composed, and knew what he was talking about. He used the metaphor of a memory chip throughout the presentation and constantly made references to it. He stated that the church symbolizes the Christian community and its history and the heroic virtue of the saints through its symbols. The symbols include the stained glass windows, stations, and icons painted throughout the church. Even the architecture reflects the past. The style is of the Romanesque revival and features asymmetric architecture, with the tall steeple on the right and a shorter tower on the left. The Romanesque period is known for its heavy and strong style, but there is often scrollwork, which adds a light and delicate touch. The pastor referred to the church as an architectural gem. He also explained that the stained glass windows serve as a Catholic memory and helps them remember where they are from. All of the Catholic churches may differ in styles and sizes, but they are joined together because of their purpose. People are reminded by symbols, hear scriptures, and as the pastor said, “It becomes our own story and we become the holy people…We are surrounded by the words of God.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this visit because of the great presentation given by the pastor and how beautiful the church was. With all of the past visits, it has been very valuable to be able to connect the material that we have read and learned about in class to the visits.


Word Count: 354

Reflection

While in the process of planning and writing the interdisciplinary essays, I had misunderstood the guidelines. Like many of my classmates, I thought that the essay was supposed to be a concise essay that provided a quick summary and analysis, and was straight to the point. Instead of elaborating and proving that I knew the material, I felt like I was holding back and had to shorten my paragraphs. After the clarification in class, I was still unsure of what a good essay would entail. I think that the change in format and omission of themes for the next essays will result in less misinterpretations and I am hoping that I will be able to do well. I like the fact that the focus will not be on the themes like before because I felt like I was spending all of my time trying to make connections between the literature, art, and music to the theme. I would try to find abstract ways to connect the concepts to the themes and it affected my analysis. Hopefully, the new format will allow me to concentrate on the pieces themselves. I am also trying to do a better job with keeping up with the material and reading assignments in order to start preparing earlier for the exams.

I thought that the lab on Friday was very useful and that I have a better grasp of what an exemplary analysis would have to be like. Now that I know what kinds of details should be used, I will be sure to include them in my essays. The school website with the pictures of paintings and architecture and their descriptions will certainly be a great resource as well. Prior to the lab, I probably would have described the pieces, analyzed them, and applied them to the themes. However, after the lab, I have learned that we should include much more details and apply them to the bigger picture.

Word Count: 324

As-Salamu Alaykum

Muslims greet each other with the phrase, “As-Salamu Alaykum,” meaning “peace be upon you.” Our visit to the Islamic Society of Augusta has been my most favorite one so far. Mjad Sabke, the imam, had a really refreshing sense of humor while possessing a lot of wisdom and insight. He is from Lebanon but has been living in the United States since the 1980s. It was very evident that he is proud of his roots and is very devoted to his religion.

He explained about the Five Pillars of Islam and went into much detail for each one. The first one is the belief in one god and that the prophet, Muhammad, is the messenger. Muslims must pray five times a day; in the morning before sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset, and night. Next, Muslims must pay charity out of their savings and not their income whenever it is possible. Lastly, they must perform a pilgrimage (hajj) once a year at Mecca. As for the beliefs of Islam, they believe in the oneness of God and that he is watching over them, the existence of prophets and messengers, and revelations. Also, they believe that everything that happens is a result of God because he is the one in control. Muslims also believe that there is a judgment day where they will be put on trial so that their actions can be judged.

One part of the presentation that really stood out to me was the part about relationships. Sabke explained that differences are good and that there is nothing wrong with disagreements. Having disagreements are normal and even the best relationships must have them. The best community is where people share commonalities yet they respect differences amongst themselves. Each of us has our own methodologies but we still have the ability to join together as a community. This statement had a lot of significance to me because I have always had the same mindset. Many people believe that disagreements are not good when it comes to relationships, but they actually strengthen relationships. The fact that one person can get along with another despite their differences really says something.

Word Count: 357