I am continuely amazed at the south and how different the church experience is down here compared to home.
One of the things that really stands out is the question "does anyone have any prayer requests?"
Every time prayer happens here that question is asked, the person who is going to pray writes everything down, and then goes for it. I don't think we ever did that in youth group and I am not sure what to think about it. In the right situations, that is a great question and true prayer can take place. But in the south we have to pray before and after EVERTYHING we do.
for example:
1) In my chemistry class the teacher would start each class asking for prayer requests. then someone would volunteer to give the same mundane prayer. it goes something like this: "dear God, we thank you for the opportunity to learn, and to be at oklahoma christian. help us to learn today and continue to grow. God, help those that are in need and please heal (insert name) if it be your will. in Jesus name. Amen" I hate that.
2) After every intramural basketball game we huddle up at center court and another monotonous prayer is said. "dear god, thanks for sports. thanks for no injuries. help us to injury free for the rest of the season. (sometimes they throw in the "thank you for the your son Jesus who died to save our sins") and help us through the week. in Jesus name. Amen"
At this christian institution, we for some reason feel the need to squeeze in these prayers everywhere. I may be way offline but I'm not sure God appreciates these very much. They are so heartless and forced. These prayers almost become the substitute and justification for it to be okay that we don't take our own spiritual/prayer lives as seriously as we should. Prayer needs to be genuine. Let's take out our hearts and plop them before God, holding nothing back.
here is one last thing to add some more insight to the south. at our basketball game on Saturday morning the first half buzzer went and everyone was called into the centre of the court. The guy who had been running the scoreboard then started to preach! It lasted for like 5 - 10 mins and then it was game on. I was so confused. I asked my teammate what the heck happened and he said that they do a "commercial for God" at every half time throughout the day. priceless.
4 comments:
hmmm..
thank you for blogging.
amen...?
That was a good honest Blog... and now I am going to think out loud on your blog.
I think I get part of where your coming from, but I am not %100 sure that not praying at all is better then prayer with out heart. I do agree that prayer lives will not grow if you are not putting effort and focus into what is being lifted up to God. Geniune prayer encourages and mundane repeatative prayer can be annoying, no question about it.
You are in a place where it is hip and trendy to be Christian, and if is trendy people seem to do things 'just because', if that makes sense. Praying due to obligation can definetly bring out the weakest of prayers.
At wcc, there was a lot of forced prayer happening too which was not good, but once in a while some one would show character and heart in their prayer when people were not expecting it. And that was very good.
I am no expert but Check out
1 Thes. 5:16-18.
I appreciate your passion for God, and think it is good to go out of line sometimes.
Commercial for God in the middle of a B-ball game. For some reason, that sounds so American.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.
Wow.
John
I also have some WCC experience and one of my greatest joys when I arrived was that we could pray anytime - quite a difference from my public school experience. I think you may be presupposing that the prayers you mention that happen at your school are forced and meaningless or whatever it was that you said. Isn't what is happening in people's hearts what really counts here? You may not be very connected to what they are praying but maybe the pray-er is and maybe even lots of other people around the pray-er. Just a thought!
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