When I arrived at St. Paul's United Church Bowmanville a decade ago I was surprised and pleased to discover that there was a roster of people who led the Prayers of the People. I had never heard of this before, but it works. That group changed over time with some finding that preparing was a big challenge while others realized that it was just too emotional an experience for them. I would send a copy of the sermon to the pray-er for that week on Friday so the person would know my theme and he or she would prepare. There weren't more than a handful of times in the ten years where I wanted to say afterward"those prayers did not reflect the editorial/theological position of the minister!" Instead I was touched by the sincerity and the thoughtfulness of what was offered. Sometimes our young people would lead the prayers collectively and with considerable grace. These really were prayers of and by the people.
Practically speaking, it gave me the only real opportunity other than the anthem and scripture readings to worship, since I was "on" the rest of the time. I'm sure God was grateful. I have prayed publicly so many times through the years I sometimes wonder if God's response is "huh, you again?"
Now I am at Bridge St. United Church and I'm back to leading the congregation in these prayers. It is additional work, but it has pushed me into prayerful, contemplative reflection to prepare. I have done what I started at St. Paul's a couple of times here, inviting prayers "from the floor" of the congregation and then weaving them into my pastoral prayer. I would never have considered this sort of extemporaneous prayer earlier in my ministry but I am more comfortable now.
What should the Prayers of the People look like and sound like in your congregation? What was your response at St. Paul's, those of you who attend there? What about Bridge St.? What should we strive for?
4 comments:
Another HUGE question, David !
Prayers of the people - that requires getting to know the real needs of the people in the Congregation - and I am not talking about fund raising for a building or its furnishings - if we get back to the idea that the People are the Temple, and think about how that Temple might look and act, with the Spirit guiding, then we can formulate some real prayers of the people ... of course, there are folk who are struggling with tasks that are difficult (I am thinking of spouses who have partners in long term care facilities, and of the extra spiritual and physical strength - and support from others - that they need) , but also those who are doing some tough visioning for their future and what that should look like, at the personal and community level
I think you do a marvellous job of articulating the prayers of the people, David . I like the idea of asking for petitions from the floor, too... I was pleasantly surprised by the number of folk who spoke up in one of our summer services. And in the speaking up of our needs and prayers for blessings for others, we are drawn closer together as Community in Christ.
Prayers of the people done by members of the congregation really do take the pulse of the church, when we were at Richmond Hill united its was a regular occuarnce for other folks to do thise prayers or ther minister would ask individuals that were somehow connected to a worthy prayer event that happened in the world, ie i was asked to to do thise prayers the first year after 911 as i work for the fire serice... When filling in up in the bancroft for pulpit supply some of the churches just have a book and a pen at the front of the church for those to shy to speak up for requests from the floor... the book is brought up with the collection...
David I enjoy your prayers you really hit the nail on the head some weeks prayer is such a personal thing something to be discussed on anther blog at another time
David,as a member of your 'prayer team' at St. Paul's, I was both awed and inspired by your skill in taking prayer requests from the congregation and then weaving them seamlessly into a polished prayer, without having to write any of those ideas down. I remember (jokingly) wondering with others on the team, if your wife, Ruth, quietly took notes for you and then held up cue cards for you to read, while worshippers heads were bowed in prayer!
Despite appreciating the skills of 'the Master', I did very much appreciate being able to participate in the prayers, finding it both enriching in the worship experience, and a way of deepening my own faith. I also appreciated seeing the variety of approaches used by different 'pray-ers', particularly the youth who participated.
I strongly encourage other lay people to give it a try, if they don't already practice it. It can be a very faith-inspiring experience.
Thanks to the three of you for taking the time to frame thoughtful answers.
And thanks Mark for encouraging others to consider this opportunity for worship leadership. C'mon in,the water's fine!
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