Is the Obama White House vetting prayers? Dan Gilgoff of U.S. News and World Report reports that this represents a "new tradition" established by the administration of President Barack Obama. As Gilgoff revealed, "In a departure from previous presidents, his public rallies are opening with invocations that have been commissioned and vetted by the White House."....
..... sign me up as an opponent of any prayer that is vetted by any government official or agency. ....(continue article here)
Using the “potential for upsetting people” as a reason to pray or not to pray in the name of Jesus? Not valid.
I hardly think Jeremiah Wright even merits a mention in this conversation. More a performer than a true evangelist, his prayers reflected as much. I have listened to Rev. Wright and have concluded that Christ was just another prop to bolster his angry agenda. My concern about this news story, the reason I posted it, is that I see the President's massive ego, not only moving in to control the health, life (think abortion and rationed healthcare where the feeble and Seniors ALWAYS lose) and death of his fellow citizens, but NOW HE sets himself up as "The One" to determine to whom we may pray to in his presence?....health, life and death are not enough, now he lays claim to the hereafter? Forget separation of church and state, that is irrelevant to this discussion.
Stepping back into the issue of public prayers however, I understand the reality of being “forced” to overhear unchristian prayers.
Growing up in Southeastern Idaho, teachers, fellow students, coaches, all in the community, saw it as their duty to pray before concerts, games, ....even some classes, when the teacher happened to be an RM (returned missionary) in the Mormon church. So, since public school (junior and senior high for me) was spent in a virtual Mormon parochial system (we were Conservative ACTIVE Lutherans), I was given an amazing opportunity to develop all kinds of insight and empathy for folks who resent public prayers. Mormon friends would send missionaries over to my house, sometimes they would literally corner me between classes or at lunch.... Difficult? Yes. Impossible? Not at all. I am so thankful for all that now, it forced me to know my faith and freed my tongue to express it.
My habit? I didn't bow my head, but I did show respect for the folks present by standing quietly as everyone else would fold their arms (they don't fold their hands, a dead giveaway that the praying person is LDS by the way) and at those times (and they DID come) when WE had the opportunity to pray, you can bet we didn't walk away from it.
Since my prayers are not directed toward the other people in the room, (nor did they start with the Mormon mantra "our heavenly father") but ALWAYS were specifically addressed to "Christ, the Lord and Savior - who with the Father and the Spirit is worshiped and Glorified..(insert the rest of it here)..In JESUS name, Amen."
“They” heard something different. And I always trusted that God would take sinful persons and use us, since other Lutheran/Christian classmates were sometimes “even” given the opportunity to lead some prayers at times.
Again, I don't know if you have ever been a religious minority, but I spent the first nineteen years of my life being one, so when I had the opportunity to share Christ, I seized it like a starving child grabs a piece of bread. God used those opportunities; I was amazed at the WONDERFUL conversations, even some transformation we were privileged to observe. The Word does the work.
More recently, just a little over five years ago, when my husband took a call and we moved to Northern California, I was asked by a women's civic organization that I had joined, to give the introductory and meal prayer at their monthly luncheon. I told the leaders, that since I am a Christian, Jesus would be who I was addressing, and if that ever became a problem, "you'll need to find someone else". I always preceded my prayer with a Bible verse, often from the Psalms, since many of the folks in the room had deep family anguish, or health issues, or deaths in their families....Never a problem, not once in the four years I prayed, until we were called elsewhere and have now moved. By the way, it is supposed to be illegal to pray in Jesus name at public events in California. The police never came to arrest me, in fact, since it was a political organization; they were often at the meetings, as a guest speaker, or to drum up political support.
In fact the president of the organization also asked me to submit a column in their monthly newsletter, and often I would borrow items from Dr. Dale Meyer's newsletter...(always crediting the source of course). And people were simply grateful. They wanted to hear more. It started because I prayed as a Lutheran, in Jesus’ name.
Since Christ’s name was a part of the conversation, His being mentioned provided opportunity for folks to at first hesitantly, then with increasing confidence, query me on what we believe.
I speak from no synodical echo-chamber, but I am not the issue. Prayer in the name of Jesus is the issue. We do not push, but more, we must NEVER apologize.
