{"id":33659,"date":"2018-11-19T21:02:19","date_gmt":"2018-11-19T21:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/?p=33659"},"modified":"2018-11-19T21:02:19","modified_gmt":"2018-11-19T21:02:19","slug":"rename-the-community-prayer-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/?p=33659","title":{"rendered":"Rename the ‘Community Prayer Breakfast’?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When you see a billboard advertising an upcoming “community prayer breakfast,” you might be inclined to think of it as an inclusive event that welcomes people of all faiths.<\/p>\n

I certainly would.<\/p>\n

With that, I am going to venture briefly into an area that I am certain is going to bring some potentially scathing criticism to this blog.<\/p>\n

Amarillo is going to play host Tuesday morning to its annual “Community Prayer Breakfast.” I attended quite a few of them over the years when I lived in Amarillo. They’re lovely affairs with lots of fellowship, a nice breakfast served to crowds exceeding 1,000 individuals who get up early in the morning to attend the event at the Civic Center.<\/p>\n

However, it’s not a “community” event that welcomes people of non-Christian faith. If you’re a Jew, or a Muslim, or a Buddhist you don’t feel welcome necessarily. These events have the look, sound and feel of a Christian revival meeting. There’s a bit of evangelism going on.<\/p>\n

I am acutely aware that the Texas Panhandle is an overwhelmingly Christian community. But it’s not exclusively<\/em> Christian.<\/p>\n

I aim any criticism only at those who continue to call it what it is not. The broadest definition of Amarillo’s “community” has to include those who worship non-Christian deities. Were they to walk into this event, they wouldn’t feel as welcome as those of us who do<\/em> worship Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

I say all this as one who was baptized as a Christian. I have been a devoted Christian my entire life. I believe in the salvation that comes with a belief that Jesus is the Son of God.<\/p>\n

But I speak only for myself. Not for others. Thus, the “Community Prayer Breakfast” needs either a new name — one that reflects its Christian emphasis — or it ought to consider broadening its appeal a more ecumenical audience, which is what the National<\/em> Prayer Breakfast seeks to do.<\/p>\n

Prayers from a rabbi or an imam would be a start.<\/p>\n\n

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When you see a billboard advertising an upcoming “community prayer breakfast,” you might be inclined to think of it as an inclusive event that welcomes people of all faiths. I certainly would. With that, I am going to venture briefly into an area that I am certain is going to bring some potentially scathing criticism … Continue reading Rename the ‘Community Prayer Breakfast’?<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[8127],"class_list":["post-33659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religious-news","tag-community-prayer-breakfast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33659"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33660,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33659\/revisions\/33660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}