Hey sweets,
The other day my friend was talking about her Catholic family member’s love for the rosary. She remarked at the “old school” aspect of the tradition. I smiled as I reached into my purse and grabbed my pocket rosary.
“But you aren’t Catholic!” She said.
I understand her shock because the rosary is a Catholic prayer tradition. Although I was raised Catholic and grew up in an Irish Catholic family, I no longer identify as Catholic.
So why do I pray the rosary?
The Lord has given us many tools to become closer to Him, the rosary is just another way to pray. Specifically, when praying we are asking Jesus’ mother to pray for us. It also is a great way to meditate on many important events in Jesus’ life. The rosary has been a great tool for me to use in order to hear from God in a different way and to calm down when I am feeling anxious or nervous. When I was studying abroad in Switzerland I always had the prayer beads close, so I could turn to the Lord when I felt overwhelmed or upset by something. It is a beautiful tradition that never fails to make me feel closer to God.
The Lord has given us many tools to become closer to Him, the rosary is just another way to pray.
Another tool is praise and worship in the evangelical tradition. It is an important time in the church service to grow closer to God through music. I love singing to contemporary Christian music in a room full of Christians. While everyone has differing degrees of emotional involvement while singing, this part of the service reminds me of the joy the Lord brings into my life. Even in a song that focuses on struggles, I am reminded again that God is close and will never leave me. This aspect to the church service helps me to feel an emotional connection to Him. It can be easy to develop a routine and become passive with my relationship with the Lord. When I am singing my favorite “Jesus jams” He feels close, and present, and is talking to me in a way I understand.
In the Protestant tradition, the "coffee hour" held before or after church service on Sunday is a sweet time of fellowship. Something as simple as having a cup of coffee and a doughnut reminds me to take the time to enjoy the company of my friends and family, as well as to reach out to someone who is new or who I have never met. It is so important to remember that we are not alone in our faith journeys and sometimes having a quick conversation with 80 year old Betsy is the perfect reminder of that!
Another tradition I have adopted from the evangelical faith is “quiet time."
This is a time, most often in the mornings, when Christians take time to read their Bible or devotional in order to start the day with the Lord. Personal Bible study, although something all Christians are encouraged to do, tends to be most emphasized in the evangelical faith. My quiet time has been such a great way for me to get to know Jesus. What better way to learn about a person than to read through multiple biographies on Him (the Gospels)?
Here’s the thing: it’s all the same Jesus and all the same to Jesus.
These different traditions have helped me to grow closer to God and understand who He is in a different way. The rosary has taught me the tradition of discipline and meditation in the Church. Contemporary praise and worship has shown me what it looks like to be ready to praise the Lord at any moment and to be open to Him daily. Coffee hour has reminded me to keep sharing and learning about God with others. Finally, quiet time has taught me the importance of choosing God daily and to seek Him in different ways throughout my faith journey.
Here’s the thing: it’s all the same Jesus and all the same to Jesus. There are many ways to worship the Lord. In the end, everything points back to Him. These traditions are all beautiful ways to understand God in ways that may not be natural to you at first. They have challenged me to embrace my faith in a new way and to find what works for me. Next time you talk to your Baptist friend, Catholic neighbor, or Quaker co-worker ask them what kinds of things they do to grow in their faith. You might notice a lot more similarities than differences and pick up a few new traditions to try, too!
How do you embrace different faith traditions? How has your walk with the Lord changed over time? What are some of your favorite traditions?
Peace and blessings,
Shaina
I loved the suggestions you had instead of partying! Very creative! Shaina, your points about being open to thoughts from different religions seems to me exactly what Jesus would say! Thanks for sharing with us!