Thanking or Asking?

We had a fascinating conversation (through interpreters) with the pastor of the church we visited last week in the northern part of our city.  We were talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the church here and likewise in the States.  We pointed out that in the States so many people have a comfortable life-style and feel like they can do everything for themselves, so they don’t feel the need to look to God for anything.  It’s more common that when things are going badly and people find they can’t do everything on their own that they turn to God for help.  The pastor here thought it was often just the opposite in Muslim cultures.  Many people only think about God when things are going well for them and so then they see they have reason to give thanks to God and be involved in worshipping God.  If things aren’t going well, then there isn’t much reason to be involved in worship or spend time thinking about God.  Maybe this is just a matter of perspective even in our own culture, but it seems to me to be a fundamentally different way that we think about God and the importance of thanking and asking across these cultures. 

The pastor can be seen in the middle of the photo getting ready to follow the youth choir procession