Today's Scripture Reading (July 26, 2022): Psalm 138 & 139
Many years ago, I held a
seminar on the beliefs of Islam. Together, we read some passages from the Quran as we discussed both the ideas and practices of our Muslim cousins. The purpose of
the evening was not to be critical of another religion but to go through some
of their practices to gain a better understanding of them. And one of the things that we did in that evening session was to pray in the various
Muslim positions. And I explained that the term "Allah" was nothing more than the Arabic name for God.
Christians with Bibles written in Arabic also call our God "Allah." But on this night, we made the Muslim prayer
positions a little less uncomfortable by replacing the name "Allah" with the more familiar "God." And so, we prayed, "God is Great," "Glory to God the Almighty," "God listens to him who praises him," "Glory to God the Most High," and "Peace be with you and the mercy of God." But another part of this time of prayer was to turn
toward the East as we prayed. I explained that our Islamic friends turn east
and pray toward Mecca, their holiest place. Like our Muslim friends, we too can turn east to pray, but, as Christians, we
are not praying toward Mecca but toward Jerusalem.
The evening was a stretch for
many who attended. Some
attendees just sat in their seats rather than participate in
this strange prayer time. I was okay with that. I understood why they sat out, but I was also
encouraged by those who turned east and repeated the various prayers as they
stood, knelt and placed their foreheads to the ground, and then prayed, turning their heads to the right and then the left. I hoped that those gathered on this night found some strength and wisdom
through
this discussion and practice concerning Islamic belief.
David comments that he will
bow down in the direction of God's Temple. The Muslim practice of praying toward Mecca
shouldn't be as foreign as it is to those of us who place our trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. David, too, found it proper to pray, bowing toward the
Temple in Jerusalem. In turning toward the Temple, David indicated that he was willing to follow the dictates of God wherever they might take him. He was ready to turn his focus to what God wanted to accomplish in this
world. Anglican Theologian John Trapp (1601-1669) leaves us with this thought; "Wheresoever I am the face of
my soul shall turn, like the needle of a dial, by sacred instinct, towards
thee, in the ark of thy presence, in the Son of thy love." (John Trapp)
Maybe we need to recapture this practice in our prayers, physically reminding
ourselves that whatever we do, it needs to be in the spiritual direction of the
God we serve.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Psalm 140 & 141
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