Liberals pray more because more, I believe, because they are committed to a structure of daily prayer and weekly Communion. Even on a public holiday - MLK Day - there was a service of morning prayer at St Barts where I am attending at 8am (led by a Reader by the way)
The consequences of my observation are twofold: first, evangelicals
should be slower to judge the faith and motives of more liberal
Christians. True lots of people pray, including those of other faiths, but this is specifically Christian prayer accompanied by bible reading (though interestingly no confession as such in the order we used) Second, we should be willing to learn from more liberal Christians. Here is the spiritual pattern and discipline we frequently lack. Even when we do pray publicly our prayers can often lack the depth and resonance of more traditional forms e.g. the intercessions at Redeemer last night, whilst thoughtful, had less power and substance than most of those I hear back home. Happy to report that there are signs that
this is happening, not least in the Emerging church, even if we have a way to go.
I was once told by a clergyman that he was refused permission by his College principal to be absent from chapel to attend the birth of his first child. Sounds crazy on our terms of reference and I'm not saying it was right, but is there not a danger that the pendulum has swung too far the other way? We fit prayer around our timetables whereas our timetables should be fitted around prayer
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2 comments:
On the subject of prayer, it's global nature was demonstrated at the inauguration of President Obama. On a personal note ask you to pray for Paul, husband of Maggie (Mary's youngest sister), father of four aged four to fifteen. Just been diagnosed with cancer of the lungs and liver..
Brother Peter
Interesting thoughts on prayer. As for liberals caring for the poor better, I'd actually challenge that. I think this may have been the case 35 years ago (you know more about that than I) but now, I think it's an out of date stereotype. Sure, they may talk about it more, but the real cynic in me says that's because it's all they've got to talk about once they've abandoned hell and all that. But yes, we can definitely learn from all different traditions.
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