Common prayer

At our Thursday evening service last week, the seminary student from our church, who was in town on Christmas break, preached. Her topic was liturgical prayer.

How do you feel about liturgical prayer? I've spoken to people who call the prayer we do in unison in worship "a script" for a "show." Do you feel that way about it? Do you believe this prayer has any power?

What about "pre-prepared" prayer -- prayers in a common worship book or prayer written by someone else to be prayed by us? How do you feel about those?

I see possibilities for grace to enter our lives through all of these.

1. I think that the spirit can move through a congregation when they pray the same prayer, in unison. There is something special about the unity that can be felt when a group of people pray the same prayer. It can be liturgy written by someone in a congregation, or it can prayers written by someone long ago. Do you feel continuity with Christians from the past when you prayer the Lord's Prayer -- prayed by Christians for hundreds of years?
2. When the prayer is written well, or when God transforms it for us, do you feel the "Amen?" Do you want to say, "Yes! That's exactly what I wanted to say."
3. One of the most personally effective uses I have found for pre-written prayers is to create in myself an attitude of prayer. Have you ever heard of prayer beads? I've found them on the web over 1 1/2 years ago on the site Full Circle Beads. Using the information on that web page, I made myself a set of them. The design of the beads matches the prayers that go with them. If find the use of the repeated prayer to be a great way to leave behind the rush of the world and to draw up a chair with God.

I received the very special gift of a new set of prayer beads today. They are beautiful, and I will always treasure them. The beads have a tactile quality and a weight that makes them special.

Images: Last Friday, when we took J to his skating party. The two pictures in the post are of the sky -- same sky -- one ot the West which shows a fansastic sunset. Turn around the other way, and see a rainbow.