Worship: Christian and Muslim Perspectives

Worship: Christian and Muslim Perspectives

Importance of Worship Spaces

  • Anonymous Quote: "Any house of worship where the name of God is mentioned ought to be a place to mention God."

  • BC Student Quote: "It is one thing to read the Word of God. It is another to sit with God."

The Church

Building the Body of Christ

  • Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) expresses that the followers of Christ embody His presence on earth:
    "Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which He looks compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are His body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours."

  • Highlights the active role of believers in performing Christ's mission.

Structure of Worship

  • Central components of worship include:

    • Eucharist/Holy Communion: Central sacrament in worship.

    • Parochial Masses: Follow the Church calendar.

    • Votive Masses: Offered for special intentions.

    • Liturgy: A set order for formal worship consisting of:

    • Ordinary Things: Consistent elements every week.

    • Proper Things: Changeable elements each week.

    • Liturgy of the Word: Includes forgiveness and preparation.

    • Liturgy of the Eucharist: A key highlight of the service.

    • Charismatic Service: Guided by the Holy Spirit.

Christianity

Sacraments

  • Roman Catholic Sacraments (7 total):

    • Baptism

    • Eucharist

    • Confirmation

    • Penance

    • Marriage

    • Holy Orders

    • Anointing of the Sick/Last Rites

  • Protestant Sacraments (2 total):

    • Baptism

    • Holy Communion

Baptism

  • Signifies the formal membership within the Church.

  • It is viewed as God forgiving Original Sin, with varying beliefs about age:

    • Orthodox belief: Sacrament accessible to all ages, including infants.

    • Charismatic/Pentecostal: Typically only for adults (ages 13+), symbolizing an expression of sincerity toward God.

  • Represents grace as a divine gift.

Eucharist/Holy Communion

  • Commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper.

  • Transubstantiation: Belief in Roman Catholicism that during Eucharist, bread and wine become the true body and blood of Christ.

  • Consubstantiation: Some Protestant beliefs hold that bread and wine remain as symbols, with Jesus' presence being supernatural.

  • Some Protestant denominations view bread and wine as entirely symbolic.

  • It fosters communion between believers and God, employing varying methods of administration:

    • Common cup

    • Individual cups

    • Intinction

Liturgical Calendar

  • Major seasons and events:

    • Advent: The 4 Sundays leading to Christmas.

    • Christmas: December 25, celebrating Christ's birth.

    • Epiphany: January 6, celebrating Christ's revelation to all.

    • Lent: 40 days leading to Easter, starting with Ash Wednesday.

    • Palm Sunday: Commemoration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.

    • Maundy Thursday: Commemoration of the Last Supper.

    • Good Friday: Remembrance of Jesus' crucifixion and death.

    • Triduum: The three days leading to Easter.

    • Easter: Celebration of Jesus' resurrection.

    • Ascension: Jesus' ascension into heaven.

    • Pentecost: Marks the descent of the Holy Spirit and the Church’s birthday.

    • All Hallow’s Eve: October 31.

    • All Saints Day: November 1.

Islam

Conceptual Foundation

  • No Sacraments: Unlike Christianity, Islam does not recognize formal sacraments.

  • No Priesthood: There is no clergy class in the sense of intermediaries between believers and God.

  • No Original Sin: Believers are not born sinful.

  • Emphasis on Individual Accountability: Each person is accountable for their actions.

Core Beliefs

  • Three Roots Shared by Sunnis and Shia:

    1. Tawhid: Monotheism or belief in one God.

    2. Nubuwwa: Belief in prophethood.

    3. Qiyama: Belief in Judgment Day.

Worship in the Mosque

  • Friday Prayer Service (Jumaa):

    • A significant congregational act intended to provide unity within the Ummah (community).

    • Some Shia communities hold worship on Thursday nights instead.

    • Services are led by an Imam, who may deliver a sermon (Khutbah) from a Minbar.

    • The Mihrab denotes the direction of Mecca for congregational prayers.

Concept of the Mosque

  • Unity of Worship: "The Entire Earth is as a Mosque to you."

  • This reflects the Islamic principle of worship being universal, not confined to physical structures.

The Five Pillars of Islam

  1. Shahadah: The declaration of faith: "There is no god but The God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God."

  2. Salat: The performance of five daily prayers.

  3. Zakat: Almsgiving, set at 2.5% of total wealth.

  4. Sawm: Fasting during Ramadan, culminating in the festival of Eid al-Fitr.

  5. Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca, required at least once in a lifetime for those able.

Jihad

  • Definition: The term "Jihad" translates to "struggle" or "striving" and is significant but not one of the Five Pillars.

  • Inner Jihad: The personal struggle to live a life of righteousness.

  • Outer Jihad: Defensive actions taken to protect the Muslim community, which can include various forms of non-violent actions like charitable acts.

  • Ethical Implications: It is emphasized that Jihad does not necessitate violence; offensive actions are prohibited.

Ancillaries of Faith for Shia Muslims

  • Khums: An annual tax of 20% to be given directly to Imams for redistribution to the less fortunate.

  • Jihad and Morality:

    • Commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong.

    • Expressing love towards good and dissociation from evil.

  • 12ers: Recognize usul al-din (pillars of faith) which include:

    1. Absolute monotheism (Tawhid)

    2. God’s justice

    3. Prophethood

    4. Succession to Muhammad through Imams

    5. Judgment Day and Resurrection.

  • Ismailis identify 7 pillars, maintaining the original five along with:

    • Wilayah (guardianship through love and devotion to God, prophets, Imams, and missionaries).

    • Jihad and declaration of faith is also integral for both sects, albeit articulated differently.

Hajj Rituals

  • Ihram: A status of purity and simple clothing representing a mental and physical state of readiness.

  • Important acts include:

    • Circumambulating the Kaaba.

    • Sa'i: Re-enacting Hagar’s search for water by running between the hills of Safa and Marwa.

    • Drinking from the Zamzam Well, signifying Hagar's prayers being answered.

    • Stoning of the Devil: Literal casting of stones at symbolic representations of evil.

    • Spending the night on the Plain of Arafat, a foundational aspect of Hajj.

    • Celebrating Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, during the pilgrimage.

  • Honorific titles: Recipients of Hajj are called Hajji for men and Hajja for women.

  • Umrah: Minor pilgrimage which, while beneficial and blessed, does not carry the status of Hajj unless performed during the designated time.

Ashura

  • A significant observance for Shia Muslims observing the martyrdom of Husayn, Muhammad's grandson at Karbala, on the 10th of Muharram.

  • This observance holds similarities to the Passion of Christ, particularly emphasizing communal participation in mourning.

  • Taziyeh: A traditional form of Islamic drama commemorating the events of Husayn's life.

  • Eid al-Ghadir: Celebrating Muhammad's announcement of Ali as his successor (a belief held exclusively by Shia).

  • Observance of birthdays (mawlid) of sacred figures like Muhammad, Ali, and Fatima.

  • Ziyarah: Pilgrimages to shrines and tombs of Imams and important figures in Islamic history.

Prayer

  • Types of Prayer:

    • Salat: Formal ritual prayer.

    • Du'a: Informal prayers or petitions.

    • Dhikr: Remembrance of God.

  • Direction of Prayer: Muslims pray facing Mecca, indicated by a mihrab in mosques.

  • Ritual Purity: Necessary before prayer, requiring either minor ablution (wudu') or major ablution (ghusl), representing the cleansing of heart, mind, and body.

  • Prostration: This act symbolizes complete submission to God during prayer.

  • Gender Segregation: Observed norms in physical prayer spaces.

  • Jumaa (Friday Prayer) presents challenges in modern work environments, reflecting the intersection of faith and daily life.

Dhikr

  • Definition: Means remembrance, emphasizing the importance of keeping God in one’s thoughts and life.

Prayer as a Spiritual Practice

  • Functions of Prayer:

    • To "beg" or "beseech" God.

    • Supplication, entreaty, and praising God.

    • Petitioning for intercession and expressing gratitude.

    • Culpability is recognized with an emphasis on repentance for wrong actions.

  • Prayer can be both formal (ritualistic) and informal, personal and communal.

  • Special prayers include The Lord’s Prayer and The Prayers of the Church, essential to Christian practice.