REMEMBERING IN PRAYER OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE JEWISH AND MUSLIM FAITHS Whoever bids other folks to do right but gives an evil example by acting the opposite way, is like a foolish weaver who weaves quickly with one hand and unravels the cloth just as quickly with the other. Saint Thomas More PRESENCE of GOD Let us pause and remember that God is with me, but more, God is within me, giving me existence. Let me dwell for a moment on God's life-giving presence in my body, my mind, my heart and in the whole of my life. HYMN He is mighty, He is mighty May He soon reunite His house. Speedily, speedily and in our days, soon. God, unite! Fill us with love. He is distinguished, He is great, He is exalted He is glorious, He is faithful, He is faultless, He is righteous. He is pure, He is unique, He is powerful, He is wise, He is King, He is awesome, He is sublime, He is all-powerful, He is the redeemer, He is all-righteous He is holy, He is compassionate, He is almighty, He is omnipotent
O God, You are the Source of life and peace. Praised be Your name forever. We know It is You Who turn our minds to thoughts of peace. Hear our prayers. Your power challenges hearts. Muslims, Christians and Jews remember and profoundly affirm, that we are followers of the ONE GOD, Children of Abraham, brothers and sisters; enemies begin to speak to one another; those who were estranged join hands in friendship; nations seek the way of peace together. Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these truths by the way we live. Give to us: Understanding that puts and end to strife; Mercy that quenches hatred, and Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance. Lover of all humankind, share Your eyes of love so that we will see the beauty of all creation. Let us, God, as we pass this way make it a way that sings the glory of all Your creation and celebrates the infinite variety of Your divinity in all and through all. Help us to understand that the violence of isms whether racism, sexism, heterosexualism or militarism is a violation of Your creative will. Help us to understand, God, that we have neither knowledge nor power to know the infinite designs of worlds where by Your grace we may inhabit. Help us to explore the heights and depths of our need to love and be loved to understand that what we hate is often our sense of incompletion. We shout against creations that we cannot love because we fear and do not understand, We need to understand because we need to bow before them as being Godly as we too are Godly. Help us, God, to stand by the cross of our own humanity loving it and knowing that dying to hatred is the only way to salvation. We make this prayer in the name of the Holy One. Amen.
OUR COMMISSION From Alaska to Nebraska, From New York to Mexico, From Balboa to Samoa, From Iraq to Idaho, From Savannah to Havana, From Quebec to Timbuktu, We must tell all the world. We must tell them all of God s great love and mercy. We must show God s love and mercy to one another. A PRAYER For a very long time two brothers have been at war with each other and have made the heart of their father sad. One is the Jewish people, born of Isaac; The other, the Arabs, born of Ishmael. Both are the sons of Abraham. You also, Lord Jesus, are a son of Abraham! You Who by Your cross have destroyed hatred and established the peace of God, reconcile Your brothers so that the people born of Abraham and Ishmael may finally be people of peace. And at the time foreseen according to Your mercy, let them recognize You as their Savior and their Brother. Biblical Prayers Lucien Deiss HYMN: GOD IS GOOD Great is Your faithfulness, O God our Father; There is no shadow of turning with You; You change not, Your compassions, they fail not; As You have been, You forever will be. Refrain Great is Your faithfulness! Great is Your faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Your hand has provided; Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, unto us!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Your great faithfulness, mercy and love. Refrain Pardon for sin and a peace that endures Your own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all ours, with ten thousand beside! Some Basic Facts about Judaism date founded c. 1300 BC place founded Mesopotamia founder Abraham adherents 14 million main location Israel, Europe, and USA major sects Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox sacred text Tanakh with the Talmud original language Hebrew spiritual leader rabbi (rebbe in Hasidism) place of worship synagogue ("temple" in Reform Judaism) day of worship Saturday (Shabbat/Sabbath) theism monotheism ultimate reality One God (YHWH) human nature created good purpose of life obedience to God how to live obey the law and atone for sin
afterlife views vary: Gan Eden, Gehinnom, nonexistence, or reincarnation major holidays Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year (1 Tishri) Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement (10 Tishri) Sukkot: Festival of Booths (15 Tishri) Hanukkah (25 Kislev) Tu B'Shevat: New Year for Trees (15 Shevat) Purim (15 Adar) Pesach: Passover (15 Nisan) Shavuot: Pentecost (6 Sivan) Seven days of creation Separation of light from darkness. Separation of water above and waters below. Separation of land from water. Sun, moon, and stars. Sea creatures and birds. Land creatures and man. God rested. {1} Ten Commandments Worship no other gods. Do not worship idols. Do not misuse the name of the Lord. Keep the Sabbath holy. Honor your father and mother. Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false testimony Do not covet. {2} Twelve tribes of Israel Reuben Levi/Simeon Judah Issachar Zebulun Benjamin Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Ephraim Manassah {3} 13 Articles of Faith God exists
God is one and unique God is incorporeal God is eternal Prayer is to God only. The prophets spoke truth. Moses was the greatest of the prophets. The Written and Oral Torah were given to Moses. There will be no other Torah. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men. God will reward the good and punish the wicked. The Messiah will come. The dead will be resurrected. {4} Some Basic Facts about Islam Why do we need to know about Islam? Understanding that we are all children of God, good creations, it is important for us to understand and to value the perspectives of our Muslim neighbors. Dialogue helps us gain knowledge about Islam and build relationships with brothers and sisters in a related Abrahamic faith tradition. What is Islam? The word Islam means to submit or to obey, derived from a word for peace. Muslims believe that they are to conform their lives in accordance with a divinely revealed path of submission to God. Islam teaches that God is merciful and compassionate. God promises the faithful peace and equality and entrance to eternal life. Who is Allah? Allah is the Arabic word for the one God. Muslims believe that there is no other God but God, and that there are no divisions in the Godhead. Who is Muhammad? Muhammad was born in the year 570 C.E. Muslims believe that, when he was 40, the angel Gabriel appeared to him in a cave where he was meditating, and, over the next 23 years, revealed to him messages from God. These messages were compiled into the Qur an. Muslims do not regard Muhammad as divine with God, but as the last of the prophets. Muslims believe that the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus were true prophets, but in Muhammad the prophetic tradition was perfected. Who Is a Muslim? A Muslim is a person who is a member/follower of the religion of Islam. The word Muslim means one who is submitted to the will of God.
There are Muslims all around the world, with large populations in Africa, Central and Southeastern Europe, and Asia as well as in the Middle East. In the United States, about 1/3 of Muslims are African American. There are about 6-7 million Muslims in the U.S. Most Muslims are not Arabs, and not all Arabs are Muslim. How did Islam Begin? Islam was founded in the 7th century C.E. by the prophet Muhammad based on revelations he received from God. The community took shape around the Qur an and the teaching and example of Muhammad in the cities of Mecca and Medina in today s Saudi Arabia. What Are Some of the Basic Aspects of Islam? 3 There are Five Pillars, or basic practices and beliefs of Islam: * Witness / Shahadah: Declaration that there is no God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God. * Prayer / Salah: Prayer offered at five times during the day. * Giving / Zakah: Almsgiving, and annual gifts to assist the poor. * Fasting /Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan from sunrise to sunset, which includes abstaining from all food, drink and sexual activity. * Pilgrimage / Hajj: A pilgrimage to Mecca (the site of God s revelation to Muhammad, and the sacrifice made by Abraham) for those who are physically and financially able. What Is the Qur an? The Qur an is the sacred scripture of Islam. It has been preserved in its original language for over 1400 years. The Qur an is a record of the words revealed by God to Muhammad. Although there are many interpretations of the Qur an, only the original Arabic words and form are considered authentic. The Qur an addresses humanity regarding worship, belief, just relationships, wisdom, law and other guidelines for faithful living. How Does Islam relate to other religions? Islam is one of the Abrahamic family of faiths that also includes Judaism and Christianity. Muslims recognize Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other Biblical figures as part of this tradition. What Are the Branches of Islam? There are two primary branches, the Shi ite and the Sunni. The majority are Sunni. Those who believe that Ali (Muhammad s cousin and son-in-law) was the rightful successor to Muhammad, and that leadership of the community should remain in the family line of the prophet, are called Shi ite. Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism. Sufis place emphasis on the inward experience of God, and on individual acts of spiritual discipline.
What Is Jihad? Jihad means struggle or exertion in the way of God. The greater jihad is the struggle against temptation and evil within oneself. The lesser jihad is working against injustice or oppression in society. Sometimes this external form of jihad can include using armed force, within prescribed ethical limits. Psalm 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10 R. LORD, YOU ARE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for to You we call all the day. Gladden the souls of Your servants, for to You, O Lord, we lift up our souls. R. LORD, YOU ARE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS. For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon You. Hearken, O LORD, to our prayer and attend to the sound of our pleading. R. LORD, YOU ARE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS. All the nations You have made shall come and worship You, O Lord, and glorify Your name. For You are great, and You do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. R. LORD, YOU ARE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS. May You, O God, the God of all peoples, give us the wisdom and humility to accept with our differences, one another as brother and sister in the family of God. May we all work for peace and understanding in our world.