My cultural submergence focal point is on the spiritual war in Nigeria. One of the interesting things I found in my research was that. in Nigeria the Christian religion and the Muslim religion represents the greatest per centum of faiths. I besides learned that the Christians and Muslims pray every twenty-four hours several times a twenty-four hours. With that being said. I wondered if they believed in a higher entity prayed every twenty-four hours. who they are praying to? And what is their belief system based on? ( inquiry 1 ) Since their Christian religion seems to be divided into Catholic. Protestant or some other. I decided to go to a typical Catholic Church service and a Friday mid-day Muslim supplication service. Possibly I should non hold used the word typical to depict a Catholic Church service.

Me. being from a culturally full Baptist background. it was anything but typical. First allow me get down by stating. St Joseph Catholic Church is Macon Georgia. is one beautiful church on the interior. but the service its ego was highly long and slightly deadening. Coming from a Baptist background. I decidedly had a civilization daze. To acquire the feel of the church. I arrived really early. Because I was a visitant. they welcomed me. I filled out a visitor’s info card and I was lead to a place. The choir is singing as I’m being lead to a place. so I’m presuming this is the Praise & A ; Worship portion of the order of service. Again I say. “Coming from a Baptist background in an African American church. our Praise & A ; Worship clip is much different.

After the vocal. the priest came out with the gap supplication with perennial poetries. The priest would state the poetry foremost and so immediately. the fold would reiterate the poetry. I think they refer to this portion of the service as the Kyrie. Then another priest said another pray and began to state slightly of a narrative. I didn’t rather acquire it. but it looked as if the remainder of the fold received it good. After the narrative stating. we hugged everybody around us agitating their custodies as good. After this. we read the Nicene Creed. which I ne’er heard of and the Apostles Creed and ended with an chance for my ain soundless supplication.

After the soundless supplication clip. I’m believing it’s clip to disregard. non! We had to pray once more to bless the staff of life & A ; vino. It was clip for Communion. After Communion. and 2 hours of anguish. I about felt myself running to my auto. I had ne’er felt that sort of anguish before in church. Don’t justice me. I went with an unfastened head. anticipating something different but non that different. The other event I attend was a Friday Mid-day Muslim Prayer Service with one of my pupils at the Islamic Center of Macon GA. My pupil advised me on how to dress. In other words. do certain the top of my outfit was long arms and the underside was long plenty to cover all of my legs. I thought I was ok. until I got at that place ; they gave me a scarf to cover my caput.

Oh. I forgot to advert. I had to take off my places and leave them before I entered into the topographic point of supplication. I guess you can name it a sanctuary. One thing I found odd was the work forces and adult females do non pray in the same topographic point together. Since I was a invitee of my pupil and really a participant of the supplication clip. the wudo. which is a ritual of purification. was non necessary. My pupil prepared me for the experience really good. She said. “Ms Finney. when you enter the mosque. merely travel in with the mentality that you are at that place to speak to Allah himself. ” That’s where she lost me. I’m down with Jesus. but I didn’t state her that.

The women’s supplication session was really warm and the ladies ( sisters ) . were really willing to reply any inquiries I had about any portion of the Prayer of Gathering Service. After the Prayer of Gathering Service. that was when the existent instruction service began. I couldn’t remain for that. The Friday Mid-day Muslim Prayer service lasted and hr and a half and I couldn’t give another hr and a half to the lesson of the twenty-four hours. Because I was at that place as a invitee and perceiver. I was permitted to go forth. ( inquiry 2 ) On this inquiry. I had to mention back to my research. Harmonizing to ( Adogame. 2010 ) . he stated. “While Nigeria’s Christian population is big. they declare they pray every twenty-four hours. With that said. in the Catholic Church service. I was anticipating to see merely that.

I was anticipating to see a spirit lead service. but what I experienced was a service of rites and formalities. It was anguish for me. Not because it was something new to me. but because it didn’t feel like a true bosom felt sincere service ; it seemed about staged. One of the things I noticed in the church was a board on the wall that had the vocals Sung during the service. This is all right I guess ; it merely doesn’t leave any room for the Holy Spirit to take over. I would hold understood if the vocals were congregational anthem. but that wasn’t the instance. I looked up the word rite in the lexicon and it is defined as the prescribed order of a spiritual ceremonial.

And that’s what the Catholic service felt like to me. The Muslim service was wholly different in assorted ways. First. I was all covered up and shoeless. Second. the work forces and adult females did non pray together ; they were separated. Third. the women’s pray service was similar to the Women’s Prayer & A ; Praise at my church. It was merely last longer. ( inquiry 3 ) I’ve ever be a type of individual. that it didn’t affair wherever I found myself. I would ever suit right in. But the Catholic service I attended made me feel like I was genuinely an foreigner. the minority. Even when I was being lead to my place. it was about as if. the Ussher was merely dong it because she was supposed to make it. I didn’t feel welcome. I’m non stating that I wasn’t. I merely didn’t feel welcomed. I didn’t experience that manner at the Muslim service.

After I got over that I had to go forth my places at the door. those ladies ( sisters ) made me experience like I was one of them. I appreciated the fact they were willing to reply any inquiries I had about the order of the supplication service. Even after we moved to what they called the Community Hall. where the existent instruction takes topographic point. they were really attentive. Although both services were different from what I’m accustomed to. I’m really appreciative of both chances to hold shared in two culturally different worship services. ( inquiry 4 ) Looking at my cultural background. all I know is the name of Jesus. The Catholic Church referred to Him as the Son of Mary.

The Muslims referred the name of Allah. My cultural background taught me that at the name of Jesus every articulatio genus shall bow and every lingua will squeal that He is Lord ( Romans 14:11 ) . My cultural background besides taught me that there are non-believers who consider themselves as trusters. John 10:16 says. “I have other sheep that are non of this sheep pen. I must convey them besides. They excessively will listen to my voice. and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ” I guess what I seeking to acquire across is. the ground I responded in an disagreeing affair towards the services I attended. is that all my hope is built on the hope of Jesus Christ.

All the instruction from my parents. grand-parents. Sunday school instructors. and sermonizers about Jesus Christ were lessons on love and integrity. I didn’t see any of that at neither service. ( inquiry 5 ) I’ve ever been told that with every new experience. you should seek to larn at least one thing. The one thing I learned with the Catholic experience was Nicene Creed. I didn’t know what they were really declaiming. so when I got place I did a Google hunt on it and found the credo. I think that was the lone clip I heard the existent name of Jesus.

The one thing I learned about the Muslim religion is that they are really large advocator of distributing the instructions of Allah. in the community along with community development. They go out in the community in Numberss. Whether it’s merchandising documents. bean pies. or distributing Allah’s instructions. The Muslim religion is following Jesus’ learning in the Great Commission and don’t even cognize it. Merely believe how many people would be drawn to Jesus if we. as Christians lived and followed the Great Commission merely as Jesus instructed.

Mentions

Chukuwemaka. O. O. . Eze. R. C. . ( 2012 ) . Ethnic-religious struggles and the parturiencies of national integrating in Nigeria’s 4th democracy. Canadian Social Science. 8 ( 2 ) . 79-85. DOI:10. 3968/j. cesium. 1923669720120802. 2220 Ojo. M. A. . Lateju. F. T. . ( 2010 ) . Christian-Muslim struggles and interfaith bridge-building attempts in Nigeria. The Review of Faith & A ; International Affairs. 8 ( 1 ) . 31-38. Department of the interior: 10. 1080/15570271003707762 Adogame. A. ( 2010 ) . How God became a Nigerian: Religious urge and the flowering of a state. Journal of Contemporary African Studies. 28 ( 4 ) . 479-498. Department of the interior: 10. 1080/02589001. 2010. 512742 Dokubo. C. . Oluwadare. A. J. . ( 2011 ) . Nigeria’s function in conflict declaration: A new Paradigm. Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences. 3 ( 3 ) . 551-580. Department of the interior: 10. 3968/j. cesium. 1923669720110704. 054 World Wide Web. Stanford. edu. ( n. d. ) . Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Stanford. edu/class/e297a/Nigeria % 27s % 20Religious % 20and % 20Cultural % 20C The Mormon minute is now – Washington Post. ( n. d. ) . Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //articles. washingtonpost. com/2012-04-11/national/35452732_1_anti-mormon-mo rmon-church-brother-romney

My daughter’s keeper. ( n. d. ) . Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. mydaughterskeeper. org

Cultural beliefs as factors act uponing interpersonal… ( n. d. ) . Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. savap. org. pk/journals/ARInt. /Vol. 1 ( 1 ) /2011 ( 1. 1-17 ) . pdf