RELG 312: Guidelines for Field Visit

You are required to make five visits to worship services on your own this semester. You are encouraged to do more if your schedule permits. Often one discovers things on our second or third visit to a church that we don't see the first time. For example, behavior that seemed spontaneous happens the same way week after week. Or, behavior that services that seem complicated or formal actually have a simplicity and spontaneity about them once one is familiar with the basic pattern.

Learn something about the tradition and congregation you will be visiting.
Valuable resources include:

Web sites

• Allow sufficient travel time so that you arrive at least five minutes before the service begins. Do not be late!
• Dress neatly and appropriately. This will depend on the congregation or type of service. If you wear "church clothes" (e.g., a coat and tie) to most Roman Catholic churches you will be overdressed.
• Respect the tradition of the church you are visiting.
  A few specifics: If no one, or almost no one is talking before the service, don't talk. The congregation sits of kneels in silent prayer prior to the service in most Episcopal and Catholic services.
  Episcopalians, Catholics, and many Methodists do not take Bibles to church with them. Leave yours in the car.
• On receiving communion: I hope you will take part in the worship services you visit as fully as you feel you can. In some churches, however, it may be inappropriate to receive communion. The eucharist, Holy Communion, or Lord's Supper is universally recognized as the sacrament of Christian unity. It celebrates the unity of Christians in the one body of Christ. In the present situation, when Christians are divided into many churches and denominations, various traditions are of different minds as to how respond to this scandalous division at the Lord's Supper.
  In Episcopal, and most other Protestant churches all baptized Christians who receive the sacrament in their own church are invited to receive communion.
  The Lutheran congregations suggested for you to visit follow this same rule.
  Many other Lutheran Churches in the area belong to the Missouri Synod. They welcome all baptized Christians who agree with them on certain doctrines. Generally these congregations are good at making this clear.
  The Roman Catholic church regards the eucharist as a sign of full unity, consequently non-Catholics are normally expected not to receive communion. See the attached statement on this.
  In Orthodox churches generally only Orthodox Christians who prepared to receive the sacrament by confession and fasting are invited.
• Sit, stand, or kneel as appropriate. (If kneeling would be disingenuous for you, simply sit).
• If you talk to people before or after the service, be honest about why you are there (if the subject comes up).
• Do not take extensive notes during the service, unless it is common for worshipers to do this (as during the sermon at some churches).

What to look for: observe the spirit of the service without overlooking important details.
Things to think about include:

• What is the worship space like? How does it "feel?" What does it look like? What are the focal points? What art works are included? How do other people act in it?
• Who is in the congregation (age, gender, apparent economic class)? How are they dressed?
• Who leads the service (clergy, laity, choir, praise team, band, folk group)? How are they dressed? How do they act (formal, informal, serious, carefree, warm, cold, etc.)?
• What can you say about the theology or message of the worship service? What is the purpose of worship? What is this congregations picture of God or of Jesus? What is their understanding of the gospel? What does it mean to be a Christian?
• What can you say about the style of the various parts of the service? How does this relate to the type of people who are present? How does it relate to the theology?
• Be sure to consider, prayers, comments, hymns, anthems, solos, actions, sermons, skits, etc. in answering thinking about these last two topics.

Sit down and write down notes on what you observed and felt. Use the above questions as a guide. It is often helpful to do this before you talk to anyone else about the service. If you are far from home, stop, get a cup of coffee, and write.

Review you notes, supplement them as appropriate. Highlight things to talk to other class members about. Begin to think about how this relates to course materials and assignments.

The requirement is for you to attend a major Sunday eucharistic liturgy (i.e., one where the Lord's Supper is celebrated, "Mass," "Holy Eucharist," "Holy Communion"). Many churches have early Sunday morning services or mid-week services, but because these are somewhat sparsely attended and often lack music, I will only approve these if you can make no other service. There are many other churches in the area you can attend, but do check with me before you do.

Roman Catholic

Episcopal

Lutheran

Presbyterian

Orthodox–Strongly encouraged, but does not count for first visit requirement