K
KathleenGee
Guest
So then Muslims do not rest on Friday’s, work, but then each day you pray 5 times a day?
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S
Sister_Amy
Guest
Yep. Before dawn, just past noon, mid afternoon, just past sunset and again at night. Every day.
Why should the worship of God take a break?
P
Publisher
Guest
Friend Amy,Yep. Before dawn, just past noon, mid afternoon, just past sunset and again at night. Every day.
I agree with you on this…we who call ourselves Christians live in the First Day of the New Creation…there is no “rest” from working for God…in Genesis the first day of creation was just the beginning of God’s work…so too is our new First Day. The “sabbath of rest” for us…at least according to Friends…is found in Christ…He is our True Sabbath Rest…there is no time for us to “rest” any longer…we have much to do working for the Kingdom of God…
Friends “go into meeting” several times a day…usually in the morning…sometime during the day…and usually in the evening…sometimes before bed…sometimes before dinneer…sometimes after dinner…but every day is an opportunity to “be about our Father’s business”. There is no rest from the worship of God…there should be no “breaks”.
K
KathleenGee
Guest
Sister Amy,
Commendable your structure of prayer…I love to see the Muslims daily devotion. Because of working conditions, our daily traditions of prayer have changed…not intentionally but because of the times we live in.
There is a mystical teaching from within the Church that as we rest, Christ is alive and working through us…we receive the Body and Blood of Christ through the Eucharist.
Mary appeared at Fatima, and the movement renewed the grace to offer up one’s daily life through the Morning Offering, to unite our lives with the Mass being said throughout the world. There is the other prayer form, the Angelus. Parochial schools in America have ended up being super achiever schools. But at the expense of prayer and devotion.
My children attended a parochial school in Seattle where they were free to go to daily Mass before school started. The priest and parochial vicar would take the children to confession every two months. We had experienced teachers with solid faith. You could have 10 children and the tuition most affordable. It was a simple school with few toys…a swing set, a barrel of balls, jump ropes, and monkey bars. But the school achievement was number one in the whole archdiocese. There was not this frantic activity…the school based on prayer, the Catholic faith the number one priority.
Some day, according to St. Padre Pio, if the daily Mass were to cease, – as it is the greatest power of goodness–Christ being revealed to us through our own humanity–the world would then collapse into darkness…not his exact words…
Commendable your structure of prayer…I love to see the Muslims daily devotion. Because of working conditions, our daily traditions of prayer have changed…not intentionally but because of the times we live in.
There is a mystical teaching from within the Church that as we rest, Christ is alive and working through us…we receive the Body and Blood of Christ through the Eucharist.
Mary appeared at Fatima, and the movement renewed the grace to offer up one’s daily life through the Morning Offering, to unite our lives with the Mass being said throughout the world. There is the other prayer form, the Angelus. Parochial schools in America have ended up being super achiever schools. But at the expense of prayer and devotion.
My children attended a parochial school in Seattle where they were free to go to daily Mass before school started. The priest and parochial vicar would take the children to confession every two months. We had experienced teachers with solid faith. You could have 10 children and the tuition most affordable. It was a simple school with few toys…a swing set, a barrel of balls, jump ropes, and monkey bars. But the school achievement was number one in the whole archdiocese. There was not this frantic activity…the school based on prayer, the Catholic faith the number one priority.
Some day, according to St. Padre Pio, if the daily Mass were to cease, – as it is the greatest power of goodness–Christ being revealed to us through our own humanity–the world would then collapse into darkness…not his exact words…
R
Rightlydivide
Guest
Let me correct your correction.
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man’s eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107
1
1beleevr
Guest
Attendance at church is encouraged, but not mandatory! If my wife and I are on the road, we always find a church to attend wherever we land.We just feel awkward, if we are not in church. The Sabbath was established in Genesis, and the fourth Commandment is the only one which begins with,'remember". Were ther days of the week when God established the Sabbath> What does it mean to honor this sacred day? One definition of sabbath, is rest, or take a break! “Six days shall a man work, and on the seventh day he shall rest from his labor.” Which day is it? Did the Jews, who celebrate Shabat(from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) pick the day? Wsa it directed from God? Are those of us who remember the Sabbath on Sunday going to Hell, or are we breaking the Commandment? Our church teaches that Christians take one day of the week, and dedicate it to the Lord; no work. Worship, pray, fast. etc.
C
cooterhein
Guest
I don’t really have a denomination, but in my experience with a variety of different pastors, ministers, and missionaries, there’s a tendency to acknowledge the fact that Sunday is not the Sabbath, it’s the only one of the Ten Commandments that wasn’t reiterated in the New Testament in some way, there’s been a tendency for different Christians at different times and places in world history to develop different kinds of Sunday traditions that are all essentially equal insofar as they aren’t legalistic or overly prohibitive, and the most common expression of the modern Protestant tradition in America is to express a desire that all seven days be given to God and kept holy, though it’s good to take enough time off on Sunday to reconnect with your church family. There is some variety of positive and negative feeling toward this general principle, and because it’s something that has changed significantly in America’s (relatively) recent history, the age of the person you ask does tend to matter. Generally speaking, however, that’s the kind of thing you tend to see.
No. Typically, the attitude of Protestant ministers toward church attendance is comparable to that of a college professor (except Protestants don’t actually take “church attandance” like you’d see in a classroom- people would take offense at that). This is how it’s similar, though.
A college professor (let’s say it’s a woman) gives lectures and helps train people because she knows she has something of value to share that will be of value in the students’ future vocations. When a group of people agrees to get together at a certain time each week, go through the training, make that investment in human capital (ie., themselves), and work toward the goal that is accomplished by the training, the professor knows it’s beneficial for her students to show up and she’ll make them aware of how important the class is.
That said, when you’re attempting to appropriately prioritize your life, the professor’s class won’t always make it to the top of the list. The professor knows this, and as long as she believes you’re making an honest effort to act in your own best interest (by helping her invest in you), she’ll readily acknowledge the fact that some things- depending on the week- make a more pressing demand on your time and attention than the class.
There are two things to add to this. There’s always plenty of people who don’t make “class” a high priority at all, and pastors know it when they see it, too. It can and does go both ways. Additionally, there’s always some students who show up to class, “punch their card” (as it were) without participating or really getting anything out of the class, and leave. Pastors know when that happens, too, and if you ask any of them, they’ll probably tell you it’s better to go to church than sleep in late and watch football all day. But it’s vastly preferable when people show up, interact with the material in a meaningful way, get involved, and actually make a good investment of the time spent there. That’s when a pastor (or professor) is most pleased.
In the end, it’s a little more complicated than just a question of whether we show up at church or not. Protestant pastors/ministers tend to have a pretty narrow focus on the value of the interpersonal interaction and personal growth that is happening as a result of the investment they’re making in their people, and very often, one of their goals is to help the congregants see why that’s the focus of their attention instead of just getting people in the door.
B
benidict
Guest
i have finally gotten used to the loudspeakers when i get up in the morning. right about 5 a.m. is the first call. what is it they are singing anyway? is there a set song? Peace to you and yours.Yep. Before dawn, just past noon, mid afternoon, just past sunset and again at night. Every day.
C
Cat
Guest
My husband and I were evangelical Protestants for 47 years before converting to Catholicism in 2004.
To evangelical Protestants, the important thing is not attendance at a Sunday worship service, but rather, the admonition in Hebrews 10: 25–“Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”
Although many evangelical Protestants believe in “once saved always saved,” most evangelical Protestants believe that when a believer stops associating with Christians, he/she is in danger of becoming a “carnal Christian,” i.e., a believer who no longer is close to Jesus and other Christians. Carnal Christians are often entangled in sins, oppressed by Satan and his demons, and caught up in wrong doctrine because they are away from the Body of Christ. Evangelical Protestants believe that Christians need to stick together to be “safe.”
This “assembling together” can occur on any day at any time. In many evangelical Protestant churches, the Christians are urged to attend meetings with other Christians during the week so that there will be room in the sanctuary (= nave, and it’s not a sacred place for evangelicals) for the “seekers” who may or may not be Christian.
At Willowcreek, a megachurch in Barrington, IL, as many as 20,000 (twenty thousand) seekers will attend Sunday morning “seeker services,” while the actual members of Willowcreek attend meetings and studies throughout the week. The idea is that when the “seekers” make a decision to commit themselves to Jesus Christ and invite Him into their hearts, they will then join the “members” during the week, thus making room for more “seekers.”
Again, the important thing is maintaining regular fellowship with other Christians. There is no liturgy in a Sunday worship service and no weekly “Communion” in most evangelical Protestant churches (one exception is the Christian churches, Churches of Christ, and Disciples of Christ denominations, which actually call themselves “non-denominational”).
The Sunday morning worship service in an evangelical Protestant church is no more significant than any other meeting of Christians, except that there are usually more things scheduled for the service that will appeal to “seekers”, “inquirers,” or “non-believers.” E.g., the music on Sunday morning is usually very good, often done with a band or orchestra or pipe organ/piano. Many evangelical Protestant churches still hold “Traditional” and “Contemporary” worship services on Sunday, and both types of services usually have beautiful music in the appropriate style. (rock/jazz/pop in the Contemporary worship service, and classical/traditional praise in the Traditional worship
service).
I don’t know why your friend was “offended.” I think most evangelical Protestants would simply say, “Thank you, but I’ve already made the decision to stay home and relax” or something like that.
It’s possible that your friend is upset with the idea of a “requirement” to attend a Sunday service. If your friend is part of one of the evangelical Protestant denominations, he/she will believe that any “work of man,” including any “required good deeds,” is an insult to the finished work of Christ on the cross. They will believe that you are practicing a “salvation based on works rather than faith.” That will be upsetting to an evangelical Protestant, as most of them believe in “faith alone” for salvation.
Another possibility is that your friend was repulsed if you unknowingly selected worship services from among the “liberal” Protestant denominations; e.g., the United Church of Christ. When we were evangelical Protestants, we had NOTHING to do with these denominations, which teach approval for abortion, gay marriage, sex outside of marriage, etc, as well as such theological wrongs as a “symbolic rather than actual resurrection of Jesus,” and “the Bible is not the Word of God.” As a Catholic, I still find these churches and their teachings repugnant; they lead people away from God and toward “new age” gnosticism and and false, man-centered or even Satan-centered spirituality. All Protestant churches are definitely NOT alike.
In conclusion, I would say that it is best to allow Protestants to select their own Sunday worship services. Often they have a “grapevine” in which people advise them about “good” churches to visit in various towns. And don’t worry about their choice to just stay home–that’s OK for Protestants.
One thing you might want to try if your friends are opting to just stay home on Sunday is to invite them to attend Mass with you! A lot of Protestants, especially the evangelical Protestants, are very curious about Mass. Just make sure to provide them with some sort of tract or pamphlet or even printout from Catholic Answers explaining the Mass, either Ordinary or Extraordinary Form. Above all else, evangelical Protestants want to know the “Biblical basis” for Mass, so make sure they get this information before Mass. And tell them that it’s perfectly OK for them to bring their Bibles, and before the Mass starts, show them what the readings of the day will be. They will take notes during Mass, so don’t be surprised. And unless the hymn is about Mary, they WILL sing out!
My husband and I started attending Mass as evangelical Catholics because of our conviction to obey the admonition in Hebrews 10:25. Because of figure skating practices on Sunday mornings in Chicago, we were unable to attend any Sunday morning worship services (Sat evening worship services weren’t being done until after 2004). So after a few months, we made the decision to obey the Bible and attend Mass, where we knew there were other Christians. In other words, we became Catholics because we were determined to obey the Bible!
To evangelical Protestants, the important thing is not attendance at a Sunday worship service, but rather, the admonition in Hebrews 10: 25–“Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”
Although many evangelical Protestants believe in “once saved always saved,” most evangelical Protestants believe that when a believer stops associating with Christians, he/she is in danger of becoming a “carnal Christian,” i.e., a believer who no longer is close to Jesus and other Christians. Carnal Christians are often entangled in sins, oppressed by Satan and his demons, and caught up in wrong doctrine because they are away from the Body of Christ. Evangelical Protestants believe that Christians need to stick together to be “safe.”
This “assembling together” can occur on any day at any time. In many evangelical Protestant churches, the Christians are urged to attend meetings with other Christians during the week so that there will be room in the sanctuary (= nave, and it’s not a sacred place for evangelicals) for the “seekers” who may or may not be Christian.
At Willowcreek, a megachurch in Barrington, IL, as many as 20,000 (twenty thousand) seekers will attend Sunday morning “seeker services,” while the actual members of Willowcreek attend meetings and studies throughout the week. The idea is that when the “seekers” make a decision to commit themselves to Jesus Christ and invite Him into their hearts, they will then join the “members” during the week, thus making room for more “seekers.”
Again, the important thing is maintaining regular fellowship with other Christians. There is no liturgy in a Sunday worship service and no weekly “Communion” in most evangelical Protestant churches (one exception is the Christian churches, Churches of Christ, and Disciples of Christ denominations, which actually call themselves “non-denominational”).
The Sunday morning worship service in an evangelical Protestant church is no more significant than any other meeting of Christians, except that there are usually more things scheduled for the service that will appeal to “seekers”, “inquirers,” or “non-believers.” E.g., the music on Sunday morning is usually very good, often done with a band or orchestra or pipe organ/piano. Many evangelical Protestant churches still hold “Traditional” and “Contemporary” worship services on Sunday, and both types of services usually have beautiful music in the appropriate style. (rock/jazz/pop in the Contemporary worship service, and classical/traditional praise in the Traditional worship
service).
I don’t know why your friend was “offended.” I think most evangelical Protestants would simply say, “Thank you, but I’ve already made the decision to stay home and relax” or something like that.
It’s possible that your friend is upset with the idea of a “requirement” to attend a Sunday service. If your friend is part of one of the evangelical Protestant denominations, he/she will believe that any “work of man,” including any “required good deeds,” is an insult to the finished work of Christ on the cross. They will believe that you are practicing a “salvation based on works rather than faith.” That will be upsetting to an evangelical Protestant, as most of them believe in “faith alone” for salvation.
Another possibility is that your friend was repulsed if you unknowingly selected worship services from among the “liberal” Protestant denominations; e.g., the United Church of Christ. When we were evangelical Protestants, we had NOTHING to do with these denominations, which teach approval for abortion, gay marriage, sex outside of marriage, etc, as well as such theological wrongs as a “symbolic rather than actual resurrection of Jesus,” and “the Bible is not the Word of God.” As a Catholic, I still find these churches and their teachings repugnant; they lead people away from God and toward “new age” gnosticism and and false, man-centered or even Satan-centered spirituality. All Protestant churches are definitely NOT alike.
In conclusion, I would say that it is best to allow Protestants to select their own Sunday worship services. Often they have a “grapevine” in which people advise them about “good” churches to visit in various towns. And don’t worry about their choice to just stay home–that’s OK for Protestants.
One thing you might want to try if your friends are opting to just stay home on Sunday is to invite them to attend Mass with you! A lot of Protestants, especially the evangelical Protestants, are very curious about Mass. Just make sure to provide them with some sort of tract or pamphlet or even printout from Catholic Answers explaining the Mass, either Ordinary or Extraordinary Form. Above all else, evangelical Protestants want to know the “Biblical basis” for Mass, so make sure they get this information before Mass. And tell them that it’s perfectly OK for them to bring their Bibles, and before the Mass starts, show them what the readings of the day will be. They will take notes during Mass, so don’t be surprised. And unless the hymn is about Mary, they WILL sing out!
My husband and I started attending Mass as evangelical Catholics because of our conviction to obey the admonition in Hebrews 10:25. Because of figure skating practices on Sunday mornings in Chicago, we were unable to attend any Sunday morning worship services (Sat evening worship services weren’t being done until after 2004). So after a few months, we made the decision to obey the Bible and attend Mass, where we knew there were other Christians. In other words, we became Catholics because we were determined to obey the Bible!
S
Sister_Amy
Guest
It’s not so much a song as a call. It goes like this:i have finally gotten used to the loudspeakers when i get up in the morning. right about 5 a.m. is the first call. what is it they are singing anyway? is there a set song? Peace to you and yours.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (x2)
God is Greater
Ash-shahadu an-laa ilaaha illa Allah (x2)
I bear witness there’s nothing worthy of worship except Allah
Ash-shahadu anna Muhammadan ar-rasool-Allah (x2)
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
Hayy 'ala as-salaah (x2)
Come to prayer
Hayy 'ala al-falaah (x2)
Come to success
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
God is Greater, God is Greater
Laa ilaaha illa Allah
Nothing deserving worship except Allah
Unless you’re in a Shi’a area, in which case it might be slightly different than that. This is called the “Adhan.”
A
arosesum
Guest
The group I work with follows that commandment. Only difference is, we see each day as The Sabbath. And we see that our own Tabernacle of the body/mind/Soul singly and together with all Souls is the proper Church. Life itself is therefore the required worship service. And one is never out of Church. How exciting!
G
Georgia
Guest
The Fundamentalist OSAS church into which I was born believed that one should go to church on Sunday, but missing was not a really big deal. Our extended family always held family reunions on Sundays, meaning that when we were all concentrated in the center of our home state, a hundred or so of us missed church.
Oh, we heard the quote about not forsaking to assemble ourselves together, but that was really directed to long-term skipping worship. Now that I have crossed the Tiber, there are occasions when my extended family is a bit perplexed in wondering why we don’t skip church on Sunday for joint activities. I don’t know the number of times I have heard something like “Can’t you skip this Sunday?” That has always come from people who go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and other times when things are happening at their independent Baptist church.
Oh, we heard the quote about not forsaking to assemble ourselves together, but that was really directed to long-term skipping worship. Now that I have crossed the Tiber, there are occasions when my extended family is a bit perplexed in wondering why we don’t skip church on Sunday for joint activities. I don’t know the number of times I have heard something like “Can’t you skip this Sunday?” That has always come from people who go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and other times when things are happening at their independent Baptist church.
B
benidict
Guest
thank you sister amy. so the call to prayer has veriations depending on which branch of Islam you are? interesting. Peace
S
Sister_Amy
Guest
I have heard some people say that the Shi’a have a different call to prayer, but I haven’t heard it myself. And since Sunni Muslims account for 85% of Muslims around the world, I wouldn’t have even mentioned it except that you’re in Iraq, where it’s as likely you’ll be around one group as the other, so it might make a difference. The caller might add an additional line about Ali, but as far as I know that’s the only difference you’ll ever find in the call to prayer around the world.thank you sister amy. so the call to prayer has veriations depending on which branch of Islam you are? interesting. Peace
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