Assignment: Field Trip Report

As part of this course in comparative religions, each student is asked to attend a religious service different from their own. Students are free to visit any church, synagogue, mosque, or temple in their locality. Please answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible in your own words. Since this is an informal report, it does not require documentation unless you use direct quotation within the paper. This paper should be 2-3 pages in length. Feel free to add any thoughts and/or feelings you had after the visit.

Did the exterior of the worship facility add to the overall religious feeling of the visit? Describe your first impression as you pulled up to the building. Did the architecture lend itself to worship? Add specific details to support your answer.

Describe the nature of the worship facility service you saw. This will probably be the longest section of the report, so be as thorough as possible. For example, what was the overall religious program? What was the theme of the message for that day? Were there any rituals that struck you as different from your own? Elaborate.

What was your overall reaction to the service? Was it positive or negative? Did any members of the congregation talk to you, and if they did, what was the nature of the conversation?

Please feel free to be personal and honest in this report.