Tough Issues: How Public is Prayer?
Dr. Jim Wilson, January 13, 2008 The November 13, 2007 CNN news story headline grabbed my attention: “Georgia’s governor prays for Rain on the Capitol steps.” I eagerly began to read the story. “As Georgia descends deeper into drought,” the report began, “Gov. Sonny Perdue has ordered water restrictions, launched a legal battle and asked President Bush for help. On Tuesday, the governor called on a higher power. He joined lawmakers and ministers on the steps of the state capitol to pray for rain.” Then the reporter offered something of a preemptive strike in defense of Perdue’s action. He wrote, “While public prayer might raise eyebrows in other parts of the nation, they are mostly shrugged off in the Bible Belt where turning to the heavens for help is common and sometimes even politically expedient.” Yes, there were objections raise, but as the article reminded its readers: “Christianity has more a place in the culture here than in some other regions. And it’s only natural, in a way, for the public to pray for rain.” So, how do you respond to Governor Perdue’s praying for rain on the capitol steps? Do you find it---amusing? A violation of the separation of church and state? A faithful act? An arrogant, even oppressive act? Whatever your response, I think we can say that the Governor’s act raises the question: “How public is prayer?” In a highly diverse society, where any public gathering would likely include persons of a variety of religious persuasions, from committed Christians to agnostics to Muslims to atheists to Jews to whatever, how does one offer a prayer that is not overtly offensive on the one hand and has a sense of integrity on the other? I think of this conflict each time I am asked to pray at a non-church public function whether a village board meeting, some community function or the weekly Rotary meeting. Do I conclude the prayer “In the name of Jesus Christ” knowing that could be offensive to the Jew or the Muslim present? I don’t really worry much about the atheists. They’re honked off by the very fact that I am praying regardless of what I say. Those of us who have been a part of the school prayer issue in this country have wrestled with the issue of public prayer for long time. We have heard he arguments about how school prayer violates separation of church and state. We have heard on the other side how prayer promotes values and sets a tone for the school. And we have heard the Courts, including the Supreme Court, prohibit prayer at school activities from football games to commencement. Yet, we also have heard the Courts allow prayer at the opening of legislative sessions, including the United States Senate. I guess the Courts know which group stands in greater need of Divine help. Just how public is prayer? This is another tough issue. On the one hand prayer in the public arena is, I believe, an appropriate expression both of our nation’s traditions and of the role of religion in our society. On the other hand, as the culture becomes increasingly diverse, it becomes more difficult to offer a prayer that is meaningful and yet has a sense of integrity. Furthermore, a quick glance at the brief History of Public Prayer on the insert in your bulletin, reveals the somewhat schizophrenic attitude we have had about public prayer. Perhaps we can find some clarity abut this tough issue by hearing Jesus’ instructions on prayer for his disciples. These instructions are part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The particular context is a warning against making a public display of one’s religion, turning an act of faithful discipleship into theater seeking applause. “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them,” warns Jesus, “for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” It is all about motive. Specifically, Jesus cautions his disciples against behaving like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Jesus has in mind some of the Pharisees. I think we must hear these words not as a wholesale criticism of Judaism but as a caution about what can happen among his own followers. “Instead,” says Jesus, “when you pray go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” I don’t think Jesus is prohibiting public prayer. After all, he himself prayed in public---at the feeding of the 5000 and at the raising of Lazarus, to name two occasions. Of course, he frequently also went apart to pray in private also. Rather, I think he means that when disciples engage in common public prayer they must be free of self-consciousness, as if they had gone into their room and shut the door. I hear Jesus advocating public prayer, both by example and instruction. Jesus further instructs his disciples, “Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, as if they will be heard because of the length of their prayers.” Jesus is an advocate of simple prayers from the heart, not theological discourses or some homespun rambling. I wonder if he would ban the word “just” from all prayers. The point is that it is not length, or for that matter the brevity, of the prayer that makes it faithful. It is its substance. As Jesus reminds us, we do not have to inform God about what is going on as if God were uninformed. Rather, we have to confess we stand in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and we know it. Jesus concludes his instruction by offering a model prayer, one that is truly a public prayer. How public, however, is another question. So, what can we say about how public prayer is? I would suggest three guidelines based on Jesus’ instruction. As I listen to both Jesus’ instruction and his public prayers, I hear a call to offer our prayers in a spirit of humility. Public prayer is not an occasion to call attention to self nor is it an opportunity to claim superiority for one’s own faith tradition over that of others. I find any sense of imperialism in public prayer not only offensive to those gathered but also offensive to God as well. Public prayer begins by bringing the gathered people before God and that in itself is humbling. Then the public prayer speaks of the gratitude and thanksgiving, the needs and concerns of the people. It is not born out of arrogance but out of a love of neighbor, a recognition that God is indeed Lord of life. Personally, when I pray publicly, outside the church family, I have no problem asking God’s blessings on our community, our nation, even the Rotary Club. However, I find public prayers that remind God of how great we are and how fortunate God is to have us around offensive. Public prayer, I believe needs to be offered in a spirit of humility. When I was in seminary, quite often I would leave Evanston on Friday afternoon and drive out to Sterling where my good friend, Jim Scott, was the high school football coach. I would step back into my previous life as his assistant, walking the sidelines, offering advice and encouragement. On one of those first visits, Scotty asked me to offer a prayer at the pre-game meeting in the locker room. I said, “What do you want me to pray for?” He looked at me in disbelief and said, “A win, of course.” I replied, “I can’t do that. It’s just too risky and it’s not right.” Again he looked at me in disbelief and said, “What?” I responded, “Look Coach, there’s probably some guy in that other locker room praying that they will beat us while I am praying we will win. If they win, what happens to my reputation? It’s just too risky!” “Besides,” I added, “prayer doesn’t work like that. I’ll pray that the guys do their best, and all will be safe, but let’s leave God out of the wins and losses.” Public prayer is to be offered in humility. A second guideline for public prayer calls for public prayer to be offered with a particular focus. This focus sets it apart from private prayer. When you and I pray to God in private, we focus on our lives---our joys, our concerns, our hopes, our fears and so on. When we pray in public that focus changes to the needs and concerns, the joys and hopes of the community. When Pastor Cynthia and I offer the Morning Prayer each Sunday, you do not expect to hear about our personal lives. You expect to hear about our life together, about our common life in the world. Governor Perdue did not pray for rain for his lawn alone. He prayed for rain to fall on the entire state of Georgia and beyond. Again, as Jesus points out, this is not a matter of informing God about is happening. It is about placing ourselves and the gathered people before God and seeking God’s blessings. About six or seven years ago, Mary Beth and I were coming home from a Northwestern football game. The ‘Cats had won in the last minute in a real thriller. As I was driving, Mary Beth announced from the back seat, “Daddy, I knew Northwestern was going to win.” I replied, “Really? How did you know?” She said, “I prayed to God that they would win.” I realize I had to tread carefully here. So, I thought for a minute and then said, “Well, honey, I am happy that you prayed. But don’t you think God has more important things to worry about than whether or not Northwestern wins a football game?” There was a long silence. Finally, Mary Beth replied, “Like what?” Suddenly, I realized two things. First, she was definitely my daughter. Second, it is very difficult to shift the focus of our prayers from the personal to the public. But shift we must! A third guideline for public prayer I hear in Jesus’ instructions reminds us that public prayer is offered to God. God is the audience. Now, I realize at first hearing that may sound like stating the obvious. Maybe it is. But, I also believe that it is something that is often forgotten in the controversy over public prayer. Let me illustrate. A few months back, a very lively controversy broke out among the members of the Ministerial Association. For several days the emails flew back and forth. The issue concerned offering the invocation at the Barrington Village Board meetings, more specifically, whether or not to conclude this public prayer with the words, “In the name of Jesus Christ.” One group argued the prayer should be inclusive and not offend anyone who was not a Christian. They argued for different words to conclude the prayer. A second group countered by arguing that as Christians we must pray, even in public prayers, in ways that are faithful to our tradition. They indicated that if the condition was enforced that prayers could not conclude “in the name of Jesus Christ,” they simply could not in good conscience pray at the Board meetings. As I read the emails, it occurred to me that what was being forgotten was who is the audience for our prayer. To focus exclusively on the gathered people as the determiner of the prayer, it seems to me, misses the point of Jesus’ instruction. God is the audience, not the people. Offensiveness to those gathered is not the primary consideration. Faithfulness to God is. I found this reminder helpful. If I am asked to pray at a public, none church, gathering am I to forget who I am? Am I to ignore my beliefs and the tradition in which I stand in order not to offend? I choose to be who I am, a Christian pastor which means God will be the audience primarily and the prayer will probably conclude with some form of “In the name of Jesus Christ.” This does not mean, however, that I will disregard those of different traditions. I will move from a love of neighbor. It simply means I must be both authentic and faithful. I expect the same response from a rabbi who is praying, from an imam, from a Buddhist monk. To affirm each other in our faith traditions without taking offense, it seem to me, would be a real engagement with diversity. Somehow, I think God would be pleased with that. How public is prayer? It is as public as we can offer it with integrity; that is, with a spirit of humility, with a clear focus, and with God as the primary focus. Such prayer, I believe can be both faithful and gracious, have integrity and express love of neighbor. By the way, did you notice, Georgia has received a good deal of rain in the last month or so? Thanks be to God! Amen! |
