I have had the opportunity to do a lot of speaking this year and this past week has been no exception. I was at a local school this past Wednesday and “it” happened again. “It” has happened to me a lot lately, two weeks ago I speaking to our church and they did “it” too. Every time I start to pray people fold their hands and bow their head. I think it must be some from of religious tourette’s! I can’t find any where in the bible that says when someone prays the proper protocol is to bow your head and fold your hands together. Yet people do it as some kind of involuntary nervous reaction. I wonder what God must think when he sees us doing these seemingly religious acts that he never ask us to do? We must look like we have religious tourette’s. Clucking our prayers with our heads bowed and all the other religious acts church people pride themselves on. How entertained God must be… but is he happy with it? Have we gotten to a place where we are so comfortable with what we do that what we are isn’t as important? I hope and pray that the head bows and folded hands aren’t just a way to seem involved in prayer. The bible says to pray without ceasing, that might just mean you’ll have to pray with your eyes open! Don’t use someones prayer as a quick mental time out. Don’t disconnect from what’s happening or about to happen. Instead when someone prayes connect with them in agreement however you can. And by all mean stop tring to bite your spirtual ear with all religious stuff you do. God doesn’t care what you wear, how long your hair is, or even if you have a tattoo. Just Love God and others and the rest will work itself out.
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Thad White is the Youth Pastor of Third Place Youth Ministry at the Soldotna Church of God, produces the Alaskan Christian TV show "A Hope For The Future" on KYES channel 5, Loves meeting people, and adding to their lives. -
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What exactly do you want them to do? Look at you while they pray? Look at each other? Look at the ceiling?
We close our eyes to minimize the distractions of the material world & focus on the spiritual.
We bow our heads as a gesture of humility towards the Almighty.
I agree that it would be better if they understood why they are doing it, but to stop doing it because they don’t understand it is not the answer either.
This traditional posture of prayer has meaning and purpose – ie. it is useful as well as reverent. It’s worth keeping.
I agree with the last comment however the Pentecost religion is anything but traditional
I enjoy reading the feed back this post has generated. That being said I’ll respond to Quo’s question:
Yes I would actually like to have them look at me while I’m praying. Here’s why: In a church setting most of the distractions are mental. People thinking about lunch time or the argument from last night, how much should I give in the offering, or should I give in the offering, the list of mental distractions goes on and on. As a communicator I know that when I have their eyes I have their attention. While praying I rarely close my eyes especially when I’m on stage. If people would engage with me eyes open and agree with me for what ever the prayer subject may be, instead of the “distraction of the material world” winning attention time faith would be strengthened, because their engaged and in tune with whats going on. I’m not suggesting that this is a cure-all solution, it’s just my observation.
I’ll leave you with this thought:
Just because it’s traditional doesn’t make it right.