prayer as crowd control
I was at a youth meeting recently at a local church and leaned over to a good friends and whispered, “Prayer as a crowd control.” He happened to be a veteran youth worker, and a huge grin formed over his face as he nodded repeatedly.
Have you ever done this? I know in years past I was “guilty as charged.” You just hear the phrase and you know of what I am speaking, right?
You walk up in front of a crowd of students (or other audience) to welcome or to introduce someone or the next item on the agenda - and no one seems to be listening. You try again, repeatedly attempting to get folks attention (seconds of failure turn into a minute) and people start shushing and saying, “quiet down.” Then it happens. You raise your voice just a bit and utter the magic words, “Let’s pray.” You pause and bow your head. Just like that - shuffling stops, voices diminish and a stillness sets over the crowd.
Prayer as crowd control…
Prayer isn’t about controlling others. Prayer isn’t about pushing our agenda or a technique to acquire what we want - but too often we use it in such a fashion.
Let’s make a resolution - no more prayer as crowd control - instead let’s work harder at gaining the attention of our audience with other techniques. Let’s leave prayer as a means to give God our full attention and to align our lives to His will.
On earth, as it is in Heaven.
peace.
I always found it easier to just go stand right by the instigators and continue talking. It was fun for me and got the point across.
A bullhorn works great, too, but only if you’re preaching hellfire and brimstone as your prayer…
;-P
Seriously, good point. It’s used with adults, too. Like when somebody stands up in a church service and prays a particular social/political agenda, and somebody who disagrees decides that church (and therefore Jesus) isn’t for him/her…
God, make us to love YOU more, make us to love our neighbor more, make us to care about getting our own way LESS!
We always used prayer as a de facto “scene change” in “big church” when I was growing up. Somebody prays, the musicians leave, the pulpit is drug out, etc… then AMEN. Ta Da! empty stage with a preacher! I’m glad to see somebody notice such things!
Kyle
I have seen that one to, Kyle - prayer as a programmatic transition - just another element to produce our slick presentations. Seems to belittle prayer and seems a bit silly that we can’t STOP and pray with everyone in a public setting - rather than all this “set change.”
Thanks for chiming in.