Awareness Sunday - Should a Christian participate?

[Todd]

If you look at the material presented by Awareness Sunday it includes Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, Muslim prayers. Even one by the Theosophical mystic, Clifford Bax. Should a Christian join in prayer with those of different "faiths" who pray to different gods? Or to no god at all?

 

And yes the Awareness Sunday materials does have a section where people of all faiths will join together in prayer. See here and scroll down to around page 13 and the following pages.

[Scott]

I believe the Lord's grace and wisdom will be present to each church community that participates in this present opportunity, to do it in accordance with their conscience, all the while trusting He shall graciously and wisely deal with all other followers of Christ who are His.

 

The opportunity is there. Some will participate. Some will not. And we will wake up on the 12th September still looking to be salt and light, making the good news of Jesus known, and even considering how we can help understand one another past the prejudices we might have towards one another.

 

I pray He lead us in grace and truth.

[Rey Reynoso]

The Gospel is absent from that site. I don't know how anyone can expect peace when the Gospel is preached; similarly I don't know how any peace is real if the Gospel is not preached.

 

--I didn't bother reading the PDF--

[Scott]

Ser -

 

No, I am not a universalist. Who are the followers of Christ? Those born again in Christ.

 

If one participates in the Westminster Abbey service in London on 11th Sept, and there are others present besides Christians, if I sense such is stepping beyond the line of my conscience, I will trust God to work and make His plans known to those participating in that service. I cannot control everyone, but I can approach this in accordance with my clear conscience before God as I believe he is leading me to approach it with our church.

[Scott]

Damian -

 

I do believe other religions have prejudices and wrong understandings towards Christians. We would want those cleared up. It is helpful and good.

 

I believe we, as Christians, can have prejudices and wrong understandings of those of other religions (i.e., some actually believe all Muslims are under demonic oppression or are militant). It would be good to clear some of that baggage away so that pathways can be produced to see people drawn to Christ. It sometimes takes a long process, and other times shorter. This one, with its multi-century long prejudices and baggage might take a long while to make some way to smooth over the past, to make that pathway towards making Jesus and the good news known to them.

[Scott]

Rey -

 

Do you think this event might present an opportunity for us to consider how we can faithfully make the gospel known in the midst of this?

Rey Reynoso said:

The Gospel is absent from that site. I don't know how anyone can expect peace when the Gospel is preached; similarly I don't know how any peace is real if the Gospel is not preached.

 

--I didn't bother reading the PDF--

[Rey Reynoso]

Stand up and say "Men of Israel and Mecca: you have rejected the Holy God and have followed idols. Repent."?

ScottL said:

Rey -

 

Do you think this event might present an opportunity for us to consider how we can faithfully make the gospel known in the midst of this?

[Scott]

Rey -

 

Yes, that is one way, definitely. And it might be what is needed. But could it be like leaven spreading through dough?

[Rey Reynoso]

The Gospel, unlike leaven, must be preached to spread.

[Scott]

Yes, but proclamation is not necessarily standing up and saying in loud voice (or microphoned voice) those exact words you quoted above.

[Rey Reynoso]

Yes, the message can also be "Christ is the One and Only God: You Jews have been very zealous but not according to knowledge and you Muslims worship what you do not know. Repent."

 

And, um, Preaching is proclamation. 

ScottL said:

Yes, but proclamation is not necessarily standing up and saying in loud voice (or microphoned voice) those exact words you quoted above.

[Chris Williams]

Yes, it is true that the Awareness Sunday website contains prayers from the traditions of many religions that believe in prayer. It is not just Christians that pray. Some pray to a God whom they, 'do not know'. Nowhere is there a call for Christians to pray alongside those of other faiths. That would be crossing the line and presumptive.

 

Awareness Sunday is not interfaith, it is Christian. The real question is, 'what is Christian'? Amos 3:3, used in the way suggested, would surely have precluded Jesus being a 'friend of sinners'? Unless it is being suggested that his friendship stopped short of walking with them...

[Cherylu]

The quote below is from the PDF.  For crying out loud folks, the suggested order of service for awareness Sunday starts out with folks having to change the understanding of the Bible in Exodus 14 and 15.  Mariam and the Israelites were wrong after all to rejoice in the victory God gave them over the Egyptians!!

 

And this is something we should all participate in?  And I haven't even gotten to the prayers that were mentioned in the OP.

 

1. Lectionary readings:

Continuous:

Exodus 14: 19-31

Emphasise God leading his people to new life, away from oppression and fear to the possibilities of freedom. Acknowledge God charting a pathway for us through the complexity of the last ten years since 9/11. Face the contrast of victory (for the Israelites) and defeat (for the Egyptians) head-on by emphasising that such a way of reading events is inherently dangerous. The rabbinic tradition (earliest reference by Rabbi Johan who died in AD279) offers this telling comment which has come to us in the form of a prayer:

O Lord our God and God of our Fathers, we pray that, in this moment of victory, we may remember the legend handed down to us by our Doctors: that when, after the crossing of the Red Sea, Miriam raised her voice in exultation, and the angels at the throne of your glory began to take up the refrain, you rebuked them, saying: "What! My children are drowning, and you would sing?"

Explore the all-too-human desire for revenge, to see not just evil vanquished but evil-doers receive their come-uppance (which is often different to justice). Think back over the last ten years to key moments – like the execution of Saddam Hussein or the death of Osama Bin Laden – when less than temperate language from some who hold religious convictions did not seem to enhance but to diminish the quest for peace.