How to Make Interreligious Worship Kind and Respectful

by

Special to United Methodist Insight

As soon as pastors pull themselves through the crush of Advent, Christmas, and New Year, they must plan another special service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25 or for MLK’s birthday.

Ecumenical or interreligious worship requires care. When done well, it is wonderful.  Done poorly—such as a Thanksgiving service during my first year in a new appointment where Jews were asked to sing “in Christ we are set free” – they can be appalling.  Here are some suggestions:

Ask participants what they would like to do. In one church I served, none of the local clergy would have guessed the tiny Bahai group had an excellent choir. A Catholic who has endured Protestant suspicion that he knows little about the Good Book may be delighted to read Scripture. A rabbi who has suffered insensitive prayers by Christians might be happy to pray. Someone uncomfortable preaching outside their own faith community may be glad to offer a Benediction. A Buddhist, my friend Bob Festa suggests, might chant the short Heart Sutra, which summarizes the teaching of Buddhism, or lead a brief guided meditation.

Embrace diversity.  Hearing a Jewish cantor, or a Muslim call to worship, then seeing a Greek Orthodox procession around the altar or a Native American prayer to the four directions can enrich a community service immensely. Minority folks, though, often are asked to sing and dance but seldom invited to speak: Hearing them might be interesting and refreshing. If you want to celebrate varied national origins, don’t ask them to wear “your native costume.” Angelino that I am, mine is swim trunks, T-shirt, and sandals.

Hosts do not need to remove all symbols of their faith, but don’t expect others to pay obeisance to them.  Few will object to processing behind a Catholic or Episcopalian who is swinging incense--except, perhaps, militant nonsmokers. But it is rude to ask non-Christians to march behind someone bearing a cross or suggest that they bow before the altar: Most Christians would not want to genuflect before the Book of Mormon or kneel before a Hindu icon. 

Don't ask the audience to join in a prayer that ends "in the name of Jesus, we pray.” It is fine to say "I believe thus-and-so" but not to expect others to affirm what you believe.

If you want everyone to recite or sing something together, tread carefully. You might consider Reinhold Niebuhr’s “Serenity Prayer,” the Prayer of St. Francis (“Make me an instrument of your peace”), or the Prayer for Peace Mother (Saint) Theresa adapted from the Upanishads:

Lead me from Death to Life, from Falsehood to Truth.

Lead me from Despair to Hope, from Fear to Trust.

Lead me from Hate to Love, from War to Peace.

Let Peace fill our Heart, our World, our Universe.

Give people permission to participate in varied ways. Rather than saying "all rise," it is more polite to invite those who are comfortable standing/or kneeling to do so. When among Romans, I generally do as the Romans, but sometimes this can be awkward or inappropriate. You may never find a hymn both Jains and Jews can sing, so leave it up to each person whether they wish to sing any song. Invite them to join in a litany if it reflects their beliefs, rather than asking all present to read the bold print. Encourage others to pray with you if they would like to do so rather than assuming that they are so inclined.

Make cues clear. Don't expect people to guess when they are invited to stand, sit, or remain silent. Do more than put the number of the hymn in the bulletin: tell them to turn to page X in the hymnal. If there are refreshments in the parish hall, tell how to get there. If some food is kosher, halal or vegetarian, label it clearly, Actually, make sure some is kosher, halal, or vegetarian.

Ask permission before making contact. I love to hold hands when we pray or sing "We Shall Overcome," but telling a Hindu or Sikh or Muslim to take the hand of someone of another gender may be offensive. Rushing to embrace a colleague may be traumatic to somebody who survived abuse. Or anyone who is smaller than I am, and I am 6’4”.

Aim higher than civic religion. We often seek lowest-common-denominator civic piety for MLK’s Birthday, Memorial Day, or Thanksgiving, asking everyone to sing "My Country 'Tis of Thee.” I love America and am devoted to its ideals, but patriotism is not religious faith. And not everyone in my community is a citizen of my nation. When I studied in France, I respected my neighbors but did not pledge allegiance to their flag.

Much of interreligious etiquette is common courtesy. Ask; don't assume. Invite; don't expect. 

The Rev. Thomas W. Goodhue is a United Methodist clergyman who has pastored churches in Hawaii and New York and led the Long Island Council of Churches for 17 years. He is the author, most recently, of Queen Ka‘ahumanu of Hawaii (McFarland Books).