A sermon by a guest preacher, May 20, 2007
Sarah, Ryan, Andrew, Finn, Xander, Sally, Lauren, Joanna, Lyndsay, Rachel, Christine, Matt, Silas, Hannah, Molly
Reader 1: Do you ever wonder why somebody worships in a different way? Ever wonder how a person becomes a member of another faith? Ever wonder what other people do at the places of worship and prayer? Just what is a Jew, Christian, Muslim?
Come along with us on a journey:
• A baby is baptized with water.
• A teenager recites the Torah.
• Another person kneels, sits back, then bends forward to touch his head to the floor in prayer.
Reader 2: Then there are the sounds of strong voices calling the faithful to prayer, the solemn chants, the melodious hymns, the majestic organ, the rhythms of resounding scriptures in sacred languages. Today we will learn about the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faiths, just some of the living religions of our friends and neighbors .
Understanding their faith will help us better understand our own, as we will see how they are different and also how much they may have in common.
To begin, we’ll explore the Jewish faith.
JUDAISM: Colin, Andrew (wearing cloak carrying tablets), Finn (wearing Yarmulke and shawl carrying Torah scroll), Xander (wearing Yarmulke, carrying Menorah).
Reader 1: – Colin: Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. The name Jew comes from Judah, the name of a great grandson of Abraham. The history of Judaism begins with the covenant between God and Abraham about four thousand years ago. It is one of the oldest religions and it has influenced other religions, such as Christianity and Islam.
God later commanded Moses to lead the Jewish people from slavery out of Egypt. God gave them the Ten Commandments and the Torah. The Torah contains the first five books of the Bible.
Reader 2: – Andrew: Our place of worship is a synagogue. A yarmulke or kippa is a small cap worn by most Jewish men while praying or studying. Prayer shawls may be worn during prayer services too.
Reader 3: – Finn: one important symbol is the menorah used in celebration of Hanukah which is the festival of lights. Other important holidays are Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Jews may fast (which means not eating) and pray in atonement for their sins.
Reader 4: – Xander: Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Passover is a holiday that celebrates the Jews fleeing from slavery out of Egypt. Join us as we talk to God!
ALL PRAY: Our God, God of all generations, may the sense of Your presence never leave us; may it keep us ever faithful to Your covenant. Make us responsive to your teaching, that we may walk in your ways. Fill our souls with awe, and our hearts with love, that we may return to you in truth, and with all our being.
GOD [Matt]: That’s music to my ears!!!
ISLAM: Lauren (carrying Crescent), Sally (carrying Koran), Joanna
Reader 1: – Now we turn to Islam. Followers of the Islamic faith are called Muslims. They call God Allah. An important Muslim leader was the great prophet of Islam, Muhammad. He preached that there was only one God, Allah. His inspired words from Allah were recorded into a sacred book called the Koran.
One important way of worshiping for Muslims is to pray five times a day at sunset, night, dawn, noon and in the afternoon. Whatever a Muslim is doing at those times, they are to stop, kneel and pray.
[Reader 1 and 3 kneel and pray]
Reader 2: – Besides prayer and traveling to Mecca, our holy city; helping the poor and fasting are important in Islam. Muslims fast for 12 hours a day for a whole month, the month of Ramadan. Ramadan marks the time when the Koran was being revealed to Muhammad. Belief in resurrection is very important to Muslims. Muslims worship in mosques.
Reader 3: – An important symbol is the crescent. The crescent is the new moon and is a reminder for a call to devotion. Join us as we talk to God!
ALL PRAY: Give me friends to advise and help me, that by working together our efforts may bear abundant fruit. And, above all, let me constantly remember that all my actions are in vain unless they are guided by your hand.
GOD:[Matt] “That’s music to my ears”!
CHRISTIANITY: Rachel (carrying cross), Lyndsay (carrying banner), Christine
Reader 1: (Rachel) Now we turn to Christianity. Christians get their name from Jesus Christ. Christ means, anointed, or chosen of God. And Jesus means a helper of Jehovah (which is another name of God). Christians follow the teachings of Jesus and like Jews, share in the Hebrew scripture, or Old Testament and expect a messiah, or savior. For Christians, the messiah has come in the person of Jesus.
Reader 2: (Lyndsay) Christianity affirms that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but may have eternal life. The New Testament portion of the Bible tells of Jesus teachings. To Christians, Jesus, as the son of God came to earth is at one with God and with the Holy Spirit — a special presence or force that aids and influences Christians. Together, God, Son and Holy Spirit form the Trinity. Some important symbols are the cross that symbolizes that Jesus died for us. The symbol of a fish in early Christian art stood for “Jesus Christ Son of God Savior.”
Special Holidays celebrated are Easter which is a celebration of Jesus resurrection after death, and Christmas which is a celebration of his birth.
Reader 3:(Christine) There are many different branches of Christianity, such as Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Congregational. Like us, most Christians worship in church on Sundays. Generally to become a Christian you are baptized. Join us as we talk to God!
ALL PRAY: God, give us the strength to respect other people’s traditions, help us to be open to other’s wisdom, and help us to be true to our own faith so together we may help build a better world.
GOD: [Matt] That’s music to my ears!
PUNK ROCKERS: Silas, Molly, Hannah dressed as such.
ALL 3: “This is one way we talk to God” Sing rock song praising God
GOD: [Matt] That’s music to my ears!!!
[With special thanks to script-writers: Lynn Howard, Carol Zechman, Lisa Harrington and Deb Theriault]