This is a most minimalist way to describe the religious activity (earning a D-)

During service it reminded me a lot of going to church.  They had chants and prayer and readings.  I heard some in Hebrew and the rest in English.

In contrast, the following offers much more descriptive detail, walking the reader through step by step what happened (earns an A):

The entire service occurred for around an hour and a half. The service opened with a musical performance with a guitar and two vocalists, followed by a hearty and warm welcoming by Rabbi [Jane Doe]. Following the speech is yet another musical performance with the two musicians. This particular song sang “Shabbot Shalom,” a common greeting on the day of Shabbat. After the performance, the candles were lit and a prayer celebrating the light of the candles was read from the Torah as well as sung. The congregation then rose to recite and as well as sing several more prayers from the Torah, each introduced by a short description of the prayer and followed by a musical performance. After the sung prayers, the congregation returned to their seats and read several prayers, including “The Prayer for Peace” which celebrated the young people and the ones we have lost in the war. Following the prayers was the sermon, and a truly inspiring one at that. In light of today’s wars and natural disasters, Rabbi [Doe] celebrated the people of  Israel who continue to help those in need, such as wounded soldiers and the homeless in Haiti. She also describes how everyone is a light, a partner in God’s plan of creation, and in lighting one candle for God and one for yourself, you are celebrating yourself as a member of God’s people. Following the sermon was a special musical performance by a group of high school girls known as the Gimmel Girls. The concluding prayers began shortly thereafter with the congregation once again rising. Included in the prayers were the celebration and mourning of those that the congregation had recently lost.

This is the most minimal sort of "dialogue" one might have. This would be an example of a "D-":

I did talk to someone before I drove away just to let them know why I had came up there.  The man I spoke with was wearing something that looked to be a long orange/reddish skirt. The man stated that nothing was going on that night,...

In contrast, the following is a most extensive and in-depth discussion with a number of people from the religious group. This is most definitely an A+ for dialogue (although not for the report/experience as a whole because it did not involve experience of any religious activity or actually visiting a site where they do this activity):

The people that I met from this group were extremely pleasant, actually they seemed overly friendly. Some of the members of the group were Trudy; she is the secretary for the Pagan Alliance. Then there was North, who is the chief engineer. There was also a woman named Wendy and I met Tei and Ember. While I was talking to Ember, she explained to me that the atmosphere during the ceremonies were very relaxed and serene. When they have the ceremonies in the park I am told that it is such a wonderful encounter. The grass is so green and the birds are flying high in the air and then they suddenly swoop down. You can feel the cool breeze blowing on your face and feel the warmth from the sun. They open with meditation whether they are sitting or standing, and they sing songs but not Christian songs. The members dress casually, but there are some members that prefer to wear dress clothes. I learned that Ember is the Grove organizer and she is very dedicated to the group. She explained to me that she used to be a Muslim, but converted to a Druid-Neopagan religion about seven years ago.

I met another member of the group who was named Tei. After talking quite awhile to him I found out that he was married to Ember. He was an extremely intelligent young man and he has a degree in psychology. Tei told me he used to practice Christianity and then he changed over to the Druid-Neopagen religion. I asked him what made him decide to change religions and he told me after thoroughly studying their ways and what they believe in he knew that their religion was what he has been searching for. I found out that Tei and Ember, as well as other members of this religion have alters in their houses and they also have a fire alter in the backyard. Members of this type of religion worship fire, nature, and well Gods. Tei explained to me that he and Ember believe that by having a fire alter outside they are connected to earth and the spiritual powers of the earth and this creates a unity between them and the Gods. I learned that ADF stands for A Druid Fellowship and it is an international organization. Some of their organizations are located in Korea, England, and Canada besides having local groups. This group has about 27 members that attend the ceremonies. I did learn that the ADF is inclusive and they faithfully give personal offerings. When the members have their ceremonies it’s done in a quiet setting with a few candles and they spend time on the reflection of their lives. Ember didn’t say who or which God they prayed to and I was extremely interested in what she had to say that I forgot to ask her.

I started asking why each member chose their religion and I got quite a few different reasons. One member told me that it was for personal satisfaction. Then a young man said that he honestly believed that it was the right choice for him, but he wouldn’t explain why, even though I asked him numerous times. When I asked Ember this same question she told me that she believed in their teachings. I found Tei and Ember to be the most interesting members of the group. Tei seemed to want to talk about his religion and try to convince me that it is the best religion. He stated that his type of religion was consequence faith which was not considered good or evil, and that it is a religion that you always practice. I noticed that he really believed that his religion and his daily life are integrated and that there is no separation between the two of them. I think that the most important element of this religious group is when they open their rituals or ceremonies with prayer. I sincerely believe that by praying a person is connecting to a higher God, which is very important to me. The next question that I asked was what does earth worship mean to you in your religion. This time I generally got the same answer or close to it. Most of the members believed in everything that nature has to offer and that man should protect, sustain, and worship it to the best of their abilities. Then I asked the members of the group what is the most important thing that you would want other religions to understand about your religions. Ember stated that her religion isn’t much different from other religions. We all have or want to believe in something, and even though we may practice our religion in a different way the end result is that we all believe in a higher power. Another member wanted other religions to understand that we are all created by God and we are all God’s children, no matter how we choose to serve him.

One of the most interesting questions that I asked the members were what type of challenges you have experienced in your religion, and I got many interesting answers. One member told me that one of her biggest obstacles was her family. They no longer speak to her and have excluded her from all family functions. I think that it’s really sad that a person can be so narrow minded and abandon your children just because of the religion that a person has chosen. When I asked another member the same question he told me that his biggest obstacle was people in general. He told me that people consider his religion to be heathenism. He said that people want to believe the worst and that all Druids or Neopagans are evil or wicked and that really isn’t true.

Created by Laura Ellen Shulman 
Last update: August 02, 2010