Public prayersphere (does that rhyme with “Shakespeare”?)

I didn’t even know I had this little paperback edition of Shakespeare sonnets. Must’ve picked it up at a yard sale. In straightening & reorganizing around the house this summer, I came upon it and it picked it up. Anyway, according to the editor, C.S. Lewis once likened a good sonnet to a good public prayer: “the test is whether the congregation can join and make it their own.”

Aside:  sometimes I write theoretically, sometimes it’s unabashed opinion, and many times it’s out of experience. I think this combines all three of those. First, the opinion and the theory (skip a paragraph if you’re only interested in real life!). . . .

I’m of the opinion that public prayer is much-overemphasized in Christendom. The plural pronouns in the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” (which really isn’t) do seem to indicate a validity in collective prayer-thought, i.e., unison prayer-verbiage from a group of people. And 1 Corinthians 14 implies a spoken-out-loud-ness mode of prayer.  But one is hard-pressed to find nearly as much example or instruction concerning public praying as about private praying.  I do find that there’s an art to public praying, and it’s in the ear of the auditor.  Personally, I’m a better oral reader than a public prayer, so I tend to work a little harder at the latter.

In my own public prayersphere of late, I’ve had two opportunities to lead our group of gathered saints. A couple of weeks ago, I led what I consider the “main” prayer in our assembly. (In print, it’s known as the “Adoration and Confession” prayer, and it tends to gravitate toward one or the other, depending on the intentions or inclinations of the given leader.) On that occasion I spent a couple of hours collecting and arranging thoughts in advance.  My intent was to blend the notions and practices of 1) adoring God worshipfully and 2) confessing our humanness to Him.  I think I failed rather decidedly.  The preparation was–as usual for me–more fruitful in terms of Kingdom work than the actual spoken prayer was in the assembly.  The prayer was, in one sense, pretty well constructed, but I really don’t think it was very effective in bringing along other hearts before the Throne.  I’m just guessing here, having heard from no one.

Today, I led the “closing prayer.”  You know the one, if you’re in my branch of Christendom–it’s the prayer they usually ask the least “ept” guys to lead, because it’s the least embarrassing if you mess it up.  Not because of this stereotype, but more because of my own frame of mind, I opted out of advance preparation this time, figuring I could probably tie things together in a relatively brief, effective public prayer without much thought.

Last Sunday, the Adoration and Confession prayer was theologically deeper, more polished, and more prepared.  Today, the closing prayer appealed to faith examples of Hebrews 11 (from the sermon), other examples of living folks nearby, the Apostle John’s particular testimony (being one who had seen and touched the risen Lord Jesus), and the experience of Jesus and Thomas, post-resurrection.  All this was in less than a minute, and my closing words were something like this:  “Now help us all to move from simple belief in the reality of the risen Jesus to a living, intimate trust relationship with Him as we live this week.”

I have no real point to make about preparation or lack of it here; it’s only a bit of personal experience.  Take it for what it’s worth. . . .