More on a Praying Church

I appreciate all of the responses I have received with regard to my question as to what a praying church might look like.

One thing I wanted to clarify: when I asked what a church might be doing to become known as a praying church, I didn't mean that in a "branding" sense. Anyone who knows me knows that I am pretty hesitant about adopting into the church marketing strategies appropriate to business.

If I recall correctly (and that may be a stretch), I was thinking along a couple of lines. First, it seems to me that nowadays churches are known by their size (as in "mega" or "small"), their denominational affiliation, or by their level of perceived activity. (as in "such and such a church is a dynamic church") Perhaps there are other ways by which churches are "known" but those seem to me to be the most popular ways of characterizing churches.

That in and of itself ought to give us pause. Does it suggest that churches have become so homogenized that they are not known for anything in particular?

Second, I believe I was thinking in terms of how a church might distinguish itself from the non-church social/ cultural context in which it finds itself. It seems to me that sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish Christian folks from other good, moral non-Christian folks. (Of course, that assumes that Christian folks are good and moral.)

In thinking about a "praying church", I don't mean to suggest that of all the marks of congregational character a church should pick and choose their "mark of choice" and only become that. We haven't gained anything if we only retreat into our safe walls and pray prayers that are deaf to the cries of the suffering.

There may be a bit of irony here. It may turn out that a truly praying church is not so much known as a praying church. Rather, such a church, while praying, may be known for how it takes the gospel into the larger community.

In other words, such a church may be known more by its fruits than by its prayers.

Please keep thinking with me. Drop me an email through my contact link or just comment below. (Remember...you have to register to comment to my blog posts. It's easy)

Jim – April 5, 2007 – 10:17am

Missional – Prayer

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A Sports Metaphor (for us simple folk)

It's been a while since I've engaged the deeper discussions of seminarians. I'm a bit rusty on theological terms since I invest most of my spiritual conversations with simple folks in south Georgia workplaces, my daughters' middle school friends, and my son's wrestling team. Yet, I'll risk exposing myself as a simpleton by throwing out another metaphor. By the way, I like the viral idea! Just don't know enough biology to intelligently respond.

Perhaps churches are somewhat like athletic teams. Great teams take the activities on the practice field as well as the locker room conversations very seriously. Yet few are 'known' for their practice drills or strategy talks. Teams are known for what they do 'in the game'. But what they do in the game is determined by what they have 'done' in practice. Few teams perform well consistently without a consistent unified commitment to 'off-field' preparation.

Many of us have played on a 'successful' sports team which almost never practiced and certainly did not practice well. So one might suppose my metaphor is flawed based on these experiences. But alas, how have we defined success? Is our 'success' based on comparing ourselves with other teams rather than to our potential?

I suspect the prayers of a praying church are like the 'preparation' of the team, in that only those closest to them understand the intensity and commitment. Yet like the team that takes preparation seriously, I suspect the praying church is 'known' as extraordinary. But perhaps it's not extraordinary prayer that it's known for. Maybe it looks a lot like what Paul calls us to in Philippians 2: united with Christ, being one in spirit and purpose, considering others better than ourselves, self-humbling, taking on the attitude of Christ, working out our salvation, without complaining or arguing, without fault, shining like stars in the universe, holding out the Word of life.

Of course if you're true to form (at least your 1995 form), you'll push back and want to 'flesh out' each of those phrases to get to what it actually 'looks like'. As much as I'd like to engage that notion, right now I need to shift gears and 'prepare' for my 6:30 a.m. bible study and post my own overdue blog.

In summary, I'd suggest that it's God's nature and character that a praying church is known for. I've found the more serious talks I have with my wife on a subject (I married up!), the more I tend to sound like her on those issues when addressing others. Hopefully, the more I connect with God on everyday issues, the more I resemble Him everyday.

john crosby – April 5, 2007 – 7:53pm

1995?

1995? Has it been that long? Wow! You must be getting old, John.

I think you are spot on with your practice analogy. I have often used George Will's description of Tony Gwynn in Will's book Men at Work. Will described the great hitter's practice regimen as including hours upon hours of batting practice- including a couple of hours after the game! My take on that is that it demonstrates that a great hitter doesn't wait until the 9th inning and two outs to start batting practice. i.e. he doesn't wait until the moment of crisis to begin practice.

Likewise, we are to engage the practices (prayer is only one of many!) so that we may become not only a people prepared for crisis but so that we may become a people at all.

Of course, no practice is intended as a substitute for the ongoing, heart-shaping grace of God. The practices are themselves forms of grace. (We don't just know that we should pray and even if we did we wouldn't know how. That we know what to do and how to do it is itself a form of grace.)

Gee, John...Hanging out with wrestlers, middle school kids and ordinary folks and especially talking to your dear wife is sure making you a insightful guy. You are wearing your (many) years well!

Jim – April 6, 2007 – 7:58am

This thoght reminds of an

This thoght reminds of an old fight that I have, mostly with myself, about just what Jesus was up to--one which has become more conscious to me after reading Ehrman's Lost Christianities and noting all of the furor over third century texts such a the gospel of mary and the gospel of judas. Was Jesus setting an institution replete with all the acoutrements of any other such--state, family, religion--or was he interested in the human equivalent of a virus that was pwered by love and forgiveness, guided by the memory of Jesus' words and actions, evident by the extent to which the followers imitated their lord. If the latter, then prayer may well be the fluid that greases the virus, if you will pardon my mixing metaphors.

tdillon – April 5, 2007 – 3:32pm

Greasing the Virus

Ha! Well..that is an interesting metaphor or mix of metaphors. I will say I had never thought of the virus metaphor although we often say that "faith is more caught than taught." So, maybe the metaphor has been lurking back there all along.

As a historian, it would be interesting I would think to think of movements in terms of the virus metaphor.

Let's pray that this virus spreads madly!

Jim – April 5, 2007 – 3:51pm

James 24:7

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