Is It Prayer?

Last week, I wrote about a moment of accidental brilliance I had. This week, I write about a moment of unintentional snobbishness.

As I’ve grown spiritually over the years, my prayer life has changed. When I talk to God, it’s usually very personal. Pretty casual. Always respectful, of course, but intimate, spontaneous and friendly. My team I work with at school is the same way. Our prayer times in the morning before the kids come in are very meaningful to me. I feel like Jesus is sitting there in the room with us, loving us and enjoying our chat with him.

Prayers at my church are different – and I was irked by that during a recent service. My church is rather liturgical (which was a new thing for me), and this is usually evident in the prayer time. Most of the prayers are read. And to be honest, I just don’t care for that.

Because for me, reading is not praying. It’s reading. Praying is a conversation, not a recitation. I wouldn’t have a conversation with friends by reading aloud to them stuff I wrote down ahead of time. That’s weird.

Now, I totally understand that some people get up to pray in front of others and the nerves kick in, so they write stuff down as a backup in case their mind goes blank. I really do get that. I do the same sometimes.

But that’s a very different thing than composing an eloquent bit of prose that you stand and perform for the people on Sunday morning. What bothers me most is when it seems like the pray-er is saying things for the congregation’s ears, not the Lord’s – when the words they use are not even actually addressing God.

This is not prayer, people – it’s something else. It may be meaningful and beautiful and powerful, but it’s poetry, not prayer.

Right?

Sigh . . . okay, maybe I’m wrong. 

One of my mantras in my drama classes with Christian students is that theatre can be an act of worship and an act of ministry. It can point people to God and give him glory, and it can minister to people’s hearts. So . . . could it possibly even be an act of prayer? A way of communicating with God? Maybe. But even if not, I suppose I would have to concede that poetry certainly could be.

A couple months ago, I watched my daughter and new son-in-law say vows to each other at their wedding ceremony. They were quite eloquent -- carefully thought-through and written ahead of time -- and they were read straight from the page. Were they a less meaningful or sincere form of communication because of that? No, not at all.

I have a couple friends for whom written prayers are very special and meaningful. And in fact, I have a book called Every Moment Holy with liturgical prayers for a variety of occasions. I have enjoyed the poetry of many of these prayers – and yes, I have even prayed some of them. I suppose there is a time for casual chats with my friend Jesus and a time for reverent, purposeful poetry for the Almighty.

So, fine. Like Job, I’ll humbly put my hand over my mouth and stop whining. We all have different learning styles, different love languages, and different prayer practices.

However, you do it, brothers and sisters, let's all just keep praying.