COMMENTARY
An opportunity to explore, understand all faiths Imagine a worship service, the primary Sunday morning service in a Christian church, that begins with a 9-year-old Muslim boy offering the Islamic Call to Prayer, followed by a woman lighting candles on a table set with bread, wine and grape juice and offering the Jewish prayers that begin the Sabbath worship, followed by an Episcopal priest offering the “collect of the day.” So began the June interfaith service held at Christ Episcopal Church, Dearborn. Parishioners at Christ Church requested the service after reading about the Faith Shared project on the Episcopal Café website. With permission granted by Bishop Wendell Gibbs Jr., and with the support of the church vestry, work to create the service began. Planning it was complicated by the fact that the rector, the Rev. Terri Pilarski, began her ministry only a month earlier. The challenge was in knowing whom, from the other faith traditions, she could invite to help organize and participate in the service. Thankfully the scheduled date for the service fell at the conclusion of the 10th anniversary of the Worldviews Seminar. Co-created by Christ Church, Episcopal Relief and Development, the University of Michigan, Dearborn and the Islamic Center of America, this seminar offered a weeklong course on world religions. Worldviews was created as a response to the tragic events of 9/11. At a reception honoring 10 years of work, contacts were made allowing for the creation of this service. It became a natural progression from the teaching elements of the seminar to the experiential worship of the service. The service included portions of Muslim, Jewish and Christian
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Mr. Makki, father of Younes Makki and Yousi Makki, the Rev. Terri Pilarski, Gail Katz and Eide Alawan meet at Christ Church, Dearborn.
worship, honoring each tradition brother, Younes, explained the in the process. Beginning with meaning of the Arabic prayer in each tradition’s call to prayer English. Katz also shared the Parashah and worship, the service conof the week – the Torah portion tinued with readings from and reflections on the sacred texts read that week in synagogues all of the Torah and the Gospels, over the world. Reading from plus a reading from the Quran, Numbers (16:1-35), Gail exwhich was chanted in Arabic plained the story of Korach, who and translated into English. Gail organized a rebellion against MoKatz, co-founder of Women’s In- ses and Aaron, and she reflected terfaith Solutions for Dialogue on our personal struggle as huand Outreach in Metro Detroit man beings between our “inner (WISDOM) and member of Moses” and our “inner Korach.” Temple Israel in West Bloom- Younes followed the sharing of the Torah porfield, brought her tion with a readfamily’s Sabbath “The more we learn ing from the candlesticks. Afabout the faith-based Quran. Prayers ter lighting the over a meal were Shabbat candles, practices of our offered by each she blessed them neighbors...the more tradition, and in Hebrew and we find our the bread, wine welcomed everycommonality as and juice were one to what was human beings and shared among a beautiful interunderscore our the gathered faith service. similar missions of congregation. Yousif Makki, unity, peace, Each coma member of the community-building ponent of the Islamic Center of and mutual worship offered America in Dearthe comparable born, chanted understanding.” element from the Muslim Call each tradition – to Prayer, and his The Record/Fall 2011
Muslim, Jewish and Christian. The only unusual aspect of the service was that the various elements were woven into a typical order for a Sunday morning worship service in the Episcopal Church. And, in place of Holy Communion, a sacred meal was shared. Prayers to bless the wine and bread were offered in Hebrew, prayers to bless a family meal were chanted in Arabic, and prayers for a meal from page 835 of the Book of Common Prayer. The bread, wine and grape juice were then shared among the gathered congregation with the simple phrase, “It’s a blessing to share this meal with you.” Not every Jewish or Muslim worship experience would include all of these elements in one service, although they are each a component of faithful practice in the life of a Jew or Muslim. Dearborn, home to the largest Muslim community in the United States, is a unique community that honors its diversity and enjoys sincere hospitality and compassion among the people of this city. While this worship service was a first for the community, it Episcopal Diocese of Michigan