By Anja and Anjali
On our third day of the Sacred Spaces IL, we traveled to two different sacred spaces of two distinctly different religions.
Hope Community Church
Our first Sacred Space of the day was the Hope Community Church on Main Street, Moorestown. While there, we saw that the Hope Church is not like other traditional churches, nor does it have a designated denomination; its congregation is open to Christians of all denominations. During our visit, we saw this reflected in the chapel’s architecture. The church lacks any statues, symbols, or depictions of the Bible. The only symbol is a single cross that is not always visible. The design of the chapel in itself is intentional in its simplicity, intending to be open to everyone who enters.
We also learned that HOPE uses the Bible to preach and teach in a practical form, relating it to everyday life. Additionally, they do not have Communion as often as other denominations of Christianity. They only have it in relation to their current sermons and teachings, rather than as a tradition.
GCLEA Mosque
After lunch on Main, our group visited the Gracious Center of Learning and Enrichment Activities (GCLEA), which is a mosque and community center in Cherry Hill. During our trip, we took a tour of the mosque and visited the clinic within its facility. The clinic serves as a place where people without medical insurance can receive free care and even free food. The clinic has very few full-time employees and is run mostly by volunteers.
The mosque itself was very simply designed and furnished. This is because the members of the community are supposed to reach an undistracted state of mind while praying, and overly complicated decorations could distract them. In the mosque, they have kids’ rooms along with separate prayer rooms for men and women.
We also observed afternoon prayers. They were mostly silent, but occasionally they started chanting in unison.