Reflect Contemporary Political Ideologies. Hillsong Church

Question: Describe , How Hillsong Church Activities And Values Reflect Contemporary Political Ideologies. Answer: Introduction Personal observatory report is a research process that involves a participant observing a particular event in order to analyze the findings based on personal perception and values. This Ethnographical research is based on three day report on the events that happen at Hillsong Church on three separate occasions. Therefore, through this research the paper is to determine how Hillsong Church activities and values reflect contemporary political ideologies. Further the paper will provide analysis on the perception and values of this ethnographical research. Overview of Organization As the world continue to advance the political ideologies and beliefs of religion continues to be regarded as a declining force. As time goes by religion is slowly but gradually considered as a liability and the advance in science and technology is believed to replace the religion in influencing contemporary political ideologies and beliefs (Ahu Nukhet 2011). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to critically analyze these ideologies from the context of Hillsong Church. Despite the strong presence of western culture in Australia Christianity has continued to influence political ideologies and beliefs regardless of personal values and beliefs (Armour 2004). Through the analysis on activities at Hillsong Church we the paper will be able to conclude on the extent to which these activities influence political ideologies and beliefs and personal perspective and values as in an ethnographical research. Research Methods The method used in conducting this research process is an ethnographical research which involves personal observatory where events were collected through personal observation of the activities that took place at Hillsong church for three different days. The observations were recorded down including the interviews and the observations were used to assess whether Hillsong Church activities and values reflect contemporary ideologies and belief. Also, my personal perspectives and values were used to consider to determine how it influences ethnographical research (Barro McCleary 2003). Research findings My personal observatory report is based on Sunday church service held at Hillsong Church on the 11th of September 2016. Hillsong Church is located at 2/196 Bourke Rd, Alexandria. The observational report took two hours from 17: 30 to 19:30. I began with an interview with the church leader. As we discussed on a few issues I could see two young people standing at the entrance of the church welcoming the congregation who just outside the door (Bernholz 2006). The people looked happy judging from how they were communicating with one another. Hillsong Church sells CDs to their congregation beside the entrance and there is also a caf area adjacent to the entrance of the church. The church also has Bibles placed the front of the church and there are also computers for people to browse whenever they want to research on a particular issue (Freeden 2003). After the interview with Jimmy the church elder, the service immediately starts at 18:00 and everyone seem friendly and welcoming. This is because as I entered the church, the people greeted me and inquired who I was. Three other people approached me and talked to me before the worship songs began and the church was energized as people sung with joy. While in the church I could notice that the congregation came from a diverse background and people were dressed casually (Hammersley Atkinson 1995). There were about 600-700 people in attendance and as the band was playing it reminded me of a concert I had attended before since it could be heard from a far distance. The church had two leading singers, four backup singers, two bassists, a pianist and a drummer which show that they enjoy praising the lord with wonderful worship songs. The church was lively as everyone was involved with singing which shows that they were united for a particular purpose (Evans 2012). Everyone in the church was standing, singing and clapping with both hands raised up in the air. People were very friendly to each other and they could hug each other.None of the congregants was in low spirits since everyone participated fully and happily in singing and praising the almighty. Whenever a new song came up, people joined in quickly and one could hear the ground shaking because of the energy and positive vibe that was in the church (Kindon, Pain Kesby 2007). After the new members have been welcomed to the church, it is now 18.30 and time for donations, baskets for donation are produced and people donate although not much was donated (Kelly Gibbons 2008). Thereafter, Hillsong church gives updates on its activities and they are featured in Today show in England, the church is informed that it is one of the biggest churches in Australia; Hollywood approached them to produce a movie named Hillsong United. The church has 69 services in 28 locations across the country. The church values other people and it has a live connection that broadcasts video proceedings of the church activities. The video is broadcasted at Hills, Doody, and Danks campus. By 18:42 a senior pastor in the church begins to give a speech on Negativity (Booth 1993). The senior pastor tells the congregation that verbal abuse is negativity and is bound to cause chaos. Further, he suggests that negativity is a reflection of inner defeat, it chooses your friends, magnifies and distract the truth, it makes a sweeping statement a harsh judgment, it is toxic to spiritual life and is limiting the present while sabotages the future(Rouleau, de Rond Musca 2014). The senior pastor concludes his teaching on negativity and at 19:19 singing resumes and people sang several songs such as God of endless worth, take charge of your mouth, way we think about yourself and talk about yourself, give ownership of your life to lord Jesus Christ. After singing Pastor Brian asks whoever wants to be prayed for to go to the front and five people from Doody walk to the front (Booth 1993). The prayer is about declaring one's mouth and believing in the heart that God raised him from the dead thus we will be saved. In the prayer, Brian mentions that Hillsong Channel is going on Foxtel as of 13th October 2016.After the prayer is over, a song is sung to mark the end of church service and people start to move in all directions in a disorganized manner as they walk out mingling and headed for the caf to have a drink while they continue chatting (Camp 1994). Second day During the Star Connect (Outridge) program, the interview with Jeremy the pastor of Doody took place from 18:00 at 600 George Street, Star Bar. People on the first floor were eating as they chat with each other. On the menu were chicken schnitzel, pizza, burgers and other menus. This was a great moment to interact with people as well as an opportunity to hang around and just have fun. At the bar there were around 40-50 people and the low turnout might be as a result of the program being new because this was the third time it was happening since 20,000 people in East Australia go to Hillsong. There is also a school called Hillsong International Leadership College in which students come from across the globe to learn music production, helping the community, pastoral among many other programs. Courses run for a period of four years maximum and will depend on what wants to specialize in such as a certificate, bachelor's program, masters and PhDs program. I managed to talk to a girl named Kai from Singapore who is a student at the college and she studies music (Levine 2009). By 19:00 hours, setting begins and the room is lit up by dim colorful lights as people are singing and dancing. The people are very friendly and also welcoming even to strangers. A Chinese girl walked up to me and we struck a very healthy conversation and she got saved the first time she prayed because she believes that God answers prayers through other people (Driscoll, 2007). For about 40 minutes, there was no barrier as people were happily interacting with each other and at this point, a guy walked up to me and hi-fived me several times and offered me a seat. Among the people who had attended the Star Connect was a photographer, pastor, guitarist, a singer and Church leaders. The people have then grouped into three different groups colored post notes and one thing that one would bring to an island is 2 truths and a lie. The Girl from Singapore played guitar as she sung and a few people held t heir phones up in the air. At around 19:45 Nate gives a speech on what is life (Edwards 2010). He insinuates that we are not free to think for ourselves since the culture had it that we learn from people around us. He reminds the audience that he has a heart for Australia because he is a Filipino and when he first came to Australia he had problems getting by such as language and rough childhood because his father was not around and he was not even sure about his sexuality. At the age of 12, he was already taking weed, alcohol and watching pornographic and thought that culture was responsible for who he was (Funnell Williams 2014). Two years down the line he left high school and joined a football league. He also worked at a construction and made $4,000 per week. He later becomes popular and had all the money but he felt empty on the inside. One day, when he was having a hangover, he came across an African church (Outright, judgmental and stuck on their own cliques) and he remembers the phrase Here in the church is where broken people come to get saved. At the age of 17, he bec ame angry at everyone and one day as he flipped through the Bible he found a beautiful story about bringing life back to the community and he did not know what being saved meant (Gutmann 1999). Third day On the last observation day, the Sunday church service was taking place as from 17:30 to 19: 30 on the 18th of September 2016. The topic of the day was Ceilings and Floors and the verse of the Bible was from the book of Psalms 45:16 Instead of your fathers shall be your sons, whom you shall make princes in all the earth from the New King James Version. This Bible meant that people should always build for the future and that people should not try to keep the past alive. Other verses were from the book of psalms 92:13-14, 2nd Timothy 1:12 and Proverbs 18:24 of the same version (Hall, 1997). He advises the congregation that we are a generation of good starters and not finishers, it is better to be doing rather than a critic and that people should not be equipped with for the world that no longer exists. In addition, he also said that the world is a university and everyone is a teacher, and people should not forget to attend classes (Johnson Tamney 2001). Critical Analysis This activities reflect my political ideologies in that welcoming visitors is a social order which Hillsong organization and society should follow whereas my perspective and values agree to the social order that people should be welcomed in any given setting. People should be assisted and by placing the bibles and availing computers is a good thing my perspective and values agree that providing access makes the congregation feel comfortable Galeotti, Mattozzi 2011). Believing in sharing and serving are attributes that reflect political ideologies and I concur because this is how the society should work and my values and perspective agree completely through my ethnographical research (Gaskill 2003). My contemporary political ideologies agree that people should be born again but my perspective and belief does not agree since being born again through baptism is just a show and it is supposed to be a conviction in ones heart (Castellanos 2006). My political ideologies and belief agree that even gay people should be accepted by my perspective and values do not agree that such people should be welcomes in the denomination. This shows that Jimmy is judgmental since he considers everyone a sinner including himself who is a church leader. Dressing in the church should be restricted because its a holy place according to my contemporary political ideologies while my perspective and values strongly suggest that is should be a choice (Maddison Scalmer 2006). Being friendly to each other is how the society should work and reflects my political ideologies though in my perspective it does not have to be because its a church since it should reflect everywhere. Political ideologies and beliefs is that people should pray for everything but my values on the ethnographical research is that people should thank the lord for the far he has brought then and not what they want to accomplish. People go to the bar to drink and political ideologie s and beliefs agree but my perspective disagrees to the fact that if they want to pray for drunkards they should invite them to church (Bardes, Shelley, Schmidt (2010). My perspective and beliefs is that if one is born again it does not mean you should leave the things you have been doing unless it affects the people around you. My perspective and values agree completely because we learn through environment and we should be alert always which reflects contemporary political ideologies. Although I feel conscious about what I say and cannot say whenever am in a new environment because am not a Christian and it is hard for me to relate to a different social group (Heywood 2012). People belong to various social groups as well as political groups for their belief in the groups that they conform to for identity and purpose of belonging (Le Compte Goetz 1982). Nevertheless, to me I consider church to be a room in a major place of God and a few people may think the world is over if individuals all of a sudden change Churches I do not trust this as much, I accept that we are all Christians and us as a whole can serve the same God and that we should not segr egate which Church to go. More importantly, on the off chance that we do one-day change chapels it should be like we have changed room's but still in God's home (Tunalp L 2014). Limitations The limitations of the study was interviewing less people and groups. I would be interested in interviewing many people on what their perceptions and activities of the church influence the way they carry on their daily activities. Another research study is therefore relevant to understand the perception of Christians in the church in relation to activities that go on inside the church such as welcoming gay people into the church and expanding to China to spread the word of God (Jos, Atilano Snchez Santos 2008). Conclusion Different organizations, social groups and political beliefs and based on the findings of this personal observatory report. The characteristics as observed while at Hillsong Church and Star Connect program attest to the fact that they show a strong correlation with values that reflect a contemporary political ideologies and beliefs. 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