Lesson 5 – Part 6: Social Dimension – The Temple as Its People
Original journal entry from July 27, 2025 – Response to Lesson 5: Introduction to Religion (Part 6: Social Dimension). This was my reflection on how the Temple community lives out religion socially — through shared challenges, online/offline balance, open-minded syncretism, collaborative learning via journals, and intentional in-person connections.
Here at the temple, I have observed that even without specifically saying it, there is much emphasis on doing life together. What this teaches me is that the temple does not have to be a physical place or a temple building like one might see in different parts of the world, but rather the temple here is its people. Online, for example, posting our “100 days of…“ or the doctrine reading for July, not only gives everyone an opportunity to get to know each other, but also ways to encourage each other and cheer each other on to complete the challenge.
The IP is foundational for the temple, and I would add, Jedi in every corner of the universe. Working through it and posting my thoughts is to some degree an online activity, but much of the work that goes into writing a journal entry such as this one, in my opinion happens off-line. At least for me, I spend much of my days thinking about what I want to write about in my journal entry for the specific part that I am working on. I have gotten into the habit of dictating some of my thoughts into my notes application on my phone when I’m out and about. Because I’m thinking about it even when I’m not online. Yes, I do have discord on my phone too, but I don’t use it when I’m driving(!). I find that after a 30 or 40 minute drive I have spent some time thinking about the lesson and I have some thoughts I want to write down so that I don’t forget them. Later on, when I’m at home and in front of my computer, this is when I bring all these thoughts together and combine them into a whole. This is why you will sometimes notice my journal entries showing up in clusters of 2-4 at a time.
I don’t want to forget the social dimension where I believe the online intersects with the off-line experience. I’ve seen here and there that there are in person events, such as the (I think?) gathering that happened a few weeks ago in Indiana. And then Pastor Carlos mentioned a camping gathering happening at his place. I would like to take him up on his offer to visit with him, hopefully, in the near future. I do have family north of Chicago who I would most likely visit in the same trip, because I only visit them every several years or so, but at the same time, I don’t want going to the gathering at Pastor Carlos‘ farm to just be a stop on the way to something else. I’d want each visit to be very much intentional.
Jediism being a syncretic religion, I see how the temple is enriched by the views, backgrounds, experiences, and upbringings of all the people coming together. My experience has been that everyone is very open minded with not only their current beliefs, but also hearing the beliefs of others. Even now, as I work on the IP, I don’t feel like someone is scouring over my answers and looking at what is right and what is wrong. Instead we are more interested in learning about each other’s perspectives. I know we are encouraged to read each other‘s journals as we work on the IP. I have enjoyed a few other journals so far, but I have also made it a point to only read the lessons that I have already completed myself. In several previous work environments, I have always enjoyed the more collaborative team environment. I find that bouncing ideas off of each other not only helps us grow as a community, but often produces the better result than what just one individual could have produced on their own.
Umalohókan
House of Twin Suns
TM: Carlos Martinez
"You don't have to see the whole staircase just to take the first step."
(Signature links to IP Journal, Apprentice Journal, A.div Journal, and Degree Tracker omitted for brevity — these were forum navigation links at the time.)
The following user(s) said Thank You: RosalynJ
Looking back now: This entry captures the social heart of the Temple experience — shared challenges, online/offline balance, open-minded collaboration, and intentional in-person connection. It shows how the program helped me see community as essential to spiritual growth, not just individual study.