Strangers & Aliens

My last thoughts (for the moment) on leading a congregation in a Sunday meeting are on the subject of prayer. I've left it till last, because it is one of the most important and overlooked subjects. As a church, we're looking for a new pastor, and in our elders' meetings where we have discussed various qualities and gifts, we have all agreed that we are looking for someone (amongst other qualities) who can lead us in prayer.

I think public prayer is important because:
(a) it models prayer to others
(b) it sets the tone for the whole meeting
(c) it teaches; you know it does, even by silence
(d) it can be prophetic - I mean in the sense that often the pastor's prayers (in our church at least) touch people's lives and issues in ways that could never have been envisaged.

I have a book on my shelf called "The Pastor in prayer" - communion prayers of Spurgeon which I warmly commend every leader to read. You will see something of what I mean.

On the practical side:
Speak up. How you lead in prayer if you are mumbling. Remember that to lead a church in prayer is not the same as giving the church a window into your own devotions.
Take care. Your prayers teach by omission and commission. What you say and how you say it teach people not just about prayer, but about God and about humanity.
Be Trinitarian. I suppose I mean make sure your prayers have suitable depth. Think about phrases and forms of address. I was very struck by reading Letham's "The Holy Trinity" on this - a deep, sometimes hard book, but worthwhile. There is a chapter in it on worship and prayer.
Be balanced. I tend to pray two significant prayers if I am leading - one at the start (generally focusing on who God is, or some aspect of his nature), one later on responding to events, the world or a current situation.
Don't be overlong. You may lose some Christians. Better to pray two prayers of substance separated by a song, than one long rambling one. Length may be your problem, or..
Don't be too short. Brevity may be your problem. One of the ways we communicate the awesomeoness of God is through prayer and a brief prayer can communicate (even if you don't intend it to) that you don't care much for God.

For this reason, I tend to plan prayers. I am not liturgical - not by any means, but public praying is so key that I need to take care for myself and what I am going to say. So, I write out my opening prayer. Like a sermon MS, I often don't pray it for word for word, but it has direction and structure (I hope) and ties in with what we are singing etc. With some reservation , I have included one below. Perhaps one of my greatest delights, on announcing that I was leaving, was someone asking me if I would create a book of my prayers for the congregation (A: No. (a) the new pastor doesn't want the old one hanging over him, even in print and (b) learn to pray them yourself; that is my prayer for the congregation!).

[Sung after "All hail the power of Jesus' name" in a service about the power of Christ over the demonic world - Luke 8.26-39]

O Christ, our Lamb and Redeemer, we come before you today and repeat what we have just sung: your name is high over all.
high over the events of the last week
high over the state of our hearts
high over our family life
high over our work, or search for work
high over our schoolwork
high over our retirement
high over our church
high over the Universe
high over angels and demons
Your name is high over all.
And we know it is high because you came down.
You came to this earth and lived as one of us.
You came to this earth and died for us.
And you rose victorious and went to your heavenly home.
There you sat at your Father's right hand and you are high over all.
You are supreme
You are the ruler
You are King of Kings
You are Lord of Lords
What comfort your great name brings us today!
What praise you deserve from us!
And yet, how little we offer.
We may praise you well today, but we have not done so throughout the week.
We've lived for ourselves and exalted ourselves
We've lived for others and exalted others
We've not lived for you and exalted you.
Devotions have been a burden.
We've spent less time with you than with our TVs and the internet
O Christ our Lamb and Redeemer, thank you that you came to die for our stubborn rebellion.
Come now, by your Spirit,
and renew us
and change us, inside and out
Start here. Start now. Today. This morning.
That with every fibre of our being, we may truly cry out;
"We bow before you, Jesus the name high over all."

At least, that is what I prepared. I can't say if that is actually what came out!