Shared Prayer Space

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ComplineSanFran

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I don’t find many postings here from things on Facebook, but I was quite taken with this exchange so I thought I would see what people’s take on it was. The exchange took place in the Chapel at the Atlanta airport (ATL) and was on FB page ‘Vicar of ATL’.

There have been discussions here of shared space of prayer. I think (hope) this is how it’s supposed to work.

In the Concourse F chapel this afternoon about 4:50 PM:
Young Muslim Man: “Hi, I’m Muslim; just looking for the place to pray.”
Vicar Of ATL: “You have found it. Assalamu alaikum.”
Young Muslim Man: “Wa alaikum assalam.”
Vicar Of ATL: “The qibla is right there in the corner.”
Young Muslim Man: “Thank you. I’ll be finished and out of your way before the 5:00 PM service.”
Vicar Of ATL: “Please take your time. We are often praying at the same time in our own way in here. It’s really beautiful.”
Young Muslim Man: “That’s really nice. Do you need any help setting up for your service?”
Vicar Of ATL: “No, thank you; I’m ready to go.”
About 4:57 PM: on his way out of the chapel…
Young Muslim Man: “Thank you. Good luck with your service, er, what should someone say?”
Vicar Of ATL: “‘Have a good service’ is nice. Or ‘Good luck’ is probably fine.”
Young Muslim Man: “Have a good service then.”
Vicar Of ATL: “Thank you. Assalamu alaikum. I hope you have a safe flight.”
Young Muslim Man: “Wa alaikum assalam. Thank you. Have a good day.”
Interfaith. Airport. Chapel.
 
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What a wonderful example of the true Spirit of the Age.

Thank you for sharing 🙂

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What a wonderful world it would be if we could all live in peace & harmony.
 
What I like and very much appreciate about how the Vicar of ATL creates space that is not so much neutral - ‘Come in and sit reflectively looking at this lovely rainbow’, but rather has a designated holy space (the qibla, in this instance) that allows a person to pray as desired. I don’t know if the Sacrament is kept in the chapel but it would be interesting to find that out.

Can a Muslim - or a Jew or a Hindu - pray in a space where the Sacrament is kept? What do you think?
 
I don’t know what a Vicar is…is it like a priest?

I don’t necessarily agree with wishing the Vicar a good service; to me, it seems as though it comes close to giving an approval of what goes on therein, which would be against Islam. Regardless, they were both respectful. They spoke in a spirit of charity, it would seem. I’m pleasantly surprised that the Vicar used the Islamic greeting.
 
drac16 said:
I don’t know what a Vicar is…is it like a priest?
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Vicar is a good English term, and yes, it is a priest. And if you were in charge of an interfaith chapel, why would you not greet someone respectfully and use their own religious terms? If it were Sabbath and people who were Jewish wanted to use the chapel to pray, one would wish them ‘Shabbat Shalom.’ Yes?
 
I agree with this shared prayer space. I think it could help foster respect for each other. I have the same question about prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament
 
ComplineSanFran said:
Vicar is a good English term, and yes, it is a priest. And if you were in charge of an interfaith chapel, why would you not greet someone respectfully and use their own religious terms? If it were Sabbath and people who were Jewish wanted to use the chapel to pray, one would wish them ‘Shabbat Shalom.’ Yes?
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OK. Thanks. 🙂
 
ComplineSanFran said:
Vicar is a good English term, and yes, it is a priest. And if you were in charge of an interfaith chapel, why would you not greet someone respectfully and use their own religious terms? If it were Sabbath and people who were Jewish wanted to use the chapel to pray, one would wish them ‘Shabbat Shalom.’ Yes?
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In the US Episcopal church a Vicar is Priest in charge of a mission church, one that can’t afford parish status.

A Rector is in charge of a self-supporting parish.
 
andrewstx said:
In the US Episcopal church a Vicar is Priest in charge of a mission church, one that can’t afford parish status.

A Rector is in charge of a self-supporting parish.
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Yes. And in the UK, it’s a bit different. Vicars are in charge of a parish church. I actually like the term. It is gender-neutral too.
 
drac16 said:
I don’t necessarily agree with wishing the Vicar a good service; to me, it seems as though it comes close to giving an approval of what goes on therein, which would be against Islam.
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Interesting question. (Of course for many of us the question would be in the reverse, ie whether it’s appropriate to say the same to a Muslim.)
 
Strident Lutheran Position:

Horsewollop!

Christians and muslims don’t worship the same God - and as such, this shared prayer room sets up an expectation and proclamation that "One religions is probably just as good as any another. Coexist sticker on a Prius. Rainbow colored chasuble. Feelings. " (2 Peter 2:1)

We help out museum neighbor best when we proclaim Christ Jesus to him or her, not encourage them in following a false prophet (Mathew 7:15). We can recognize the threads of truth in Islam as a way of urging him or her forward to Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5 ).
 
benjohnson said:
Strident Lutheran Position:

Horsewollop!

Christians and muslims don’t worship the same God - and as such, this shared prayer room sets up an expectation and proclamation that "One religions is probably just as good as any another. Coexist sticker on a Prius. Rainbow colored chasuble. Feelings. " (2 Peter 2:1)

We help out museum neighbor best when we proclaim Christ Jesus to him or her, not encourage them in following a false prophet (Mathew 7:15). We can recognize the threads of truth in Islam as a way of urging him or her forward to Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5 ).
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It is an Interfaith Chapel, however, created with the intention that it is a ‘place of prayer for all people’. (Isaiah 56:7).
 
ComplineSanFran said:
It is an Interfaith Chapel, however, created with the intention that it is a ‘place of prayer for all people’. (Isaiah 56:7).
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In your example you mentioned a ‘service’ - that’s not just prayer.

The fundamental problem is that the Christian Divine Service (Mass) is fundamentally incompatible with bowing down toward a line in the wall, intense sticks in front of a statue of Buddha, and whatever the JV do in their halls.
 
benjohnson said:
Strident Lutheran Position:

Horsewollop!

Christians and muslims don’t worship the same God - and as such, this shared prayer room sets up an expectation and proclamation that "One religions is probably just as good as any another. Coexist sticker on a Prius. Rainbow colored chasuble. Feelings. " (2 Peter 2:1)

We help out museum neighbor best when we proclaim Christ Jesus to him or her, not encourage them in following a false prophet (Mathew 7:15). We can recognize the threads of truth in Islam as a way of urging him or her forward to Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5 ).
Click to expand...
Do Christians and Jews worship the same God?
 
benjohnson said:
In your example you mentioned a ‘service’ - that’s not just prayer.

The fundamental problem is that the Christian Divine Service (Mass) is fundamentally incompatible with bowing down toward a line in the wall, intense sticks in front of a statue of Buddha, and whatever the JV do in their halls.
Click to expand...
Maybe I’m showing my bias as a lifelong Catholic, but I do tend to think “just prayer” when I hear “service” rather than “liturgy”. (Before you can respond, I’ll preemptively say that I know *liturgia *literally means service.)
 
benjohnson said:
In your example you mentioned a ‘service’ - that’s not just prayer.

The fundamental problem is that the Christian Divine Service (Mass) is fundamentally incompatible with bowing down toward a line in the wall, intense sticks in front of a statue of Buddha, and whatever the JV do in their halls.
Click to expand...
I don’t think we know if Mass was said in the Interfaith Chapel. It could have been Vespers, or any other service. But haven’t you seen other Interfaith places where Mass is offered? Hospital chapels? They tend to broadcast them for people in the rooms. Or military stations? Universities?
 
Jon_Mallory said:
Do Christians and Jews worship the same God?
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Yes - the Jews just don’t accept the fullness of what God has revealed to us.

I presume your follow up question and answer:

Muslims specifically deny both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as persons of the trinity - repeatedly. Their strong testament of their faith is written on the Dome of the Rock - it’s a denial of Christ Jesus.

I pray that God finds their religion pleasing, even though it is in error.
 
Peter_J said:
Maybe I’m showing my bias as a lifelong Catholic, but I do tend to think “just prayer” when I hear “service” rather than “liturgy”. (Before you can respond, I’ll preemptively say that I know *liturgia *literally means service.)
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Lutherans probably suffer from not being able to hear “service” without thinking that “divine” is involved.
 
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