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"Free Ticket to the Palace Ball"
One of the unwritten job duties of any pastor is to be ready to say a public prayer on demand. Praying, or at least praying so other people can hear it, is one of the greatest fears of the general public. Why? Because it incorporates two significant elements.
First, according to recent statistics, only half of American adults (44%) report that they say any kind of prayer. The act of praying, which is really, really simple, requires that a person acknowledges the existence of a greater power. It also requires that a person admits the greater power has the ability to answer questions, fix problems, or receive credit for something special. Praying demands that we have some kind of faith, which lots (half) of people don’t have or want. If you are someone who believes in prayer, you might be shocked to learn that half of Americans don’t pray to anyone or anything. Zero. No belief. No faith. No nothing.
Second, several sources report that a fear of public speaking impacts 75% of adults. So, if only half of all adults pray at all, and if 75% of those who pray are too frightened to pray in public, then that should mean that only 12.5% of people who believe in God would be comfortable to say a prayer in public.
I know that the math is correct, but I also know that the math is wrong. There is no way that
1 out of every 10 people would be comfortable to pray in front of people. The statistic must be closer to 1 in 100. Any man who has hosted a rehearsal dinner for a wedding knows that the blessing was more painful than paying for the bill. Any woman who has hosted a casual meal with friends knows that blessing the food beforehand can feel so uncomfortable that they skip it entirely.
Yes, praying in public is terrifying. In my examples, I mention the blessing for meals because I think that’s the easiest place to overcome one’s fear of praying in public. Even the most dedicated atheist would understand if the host of a meal said a blessing. After all, the meal didn’t cost the guests anything so why not allow the host a few seconds to express their belief in God.
Oh, don’t fly off the rails. If you are clergy, you probably recognize I left a lot of things out of my argument. So, if you are clergy, please understand I can’t write a full thesis in a weekly newsletter. I don’t have that much room and people’s attention spans are short. Lots of people stopped reading after they figured out what I was discussing. They don’t want me to make them feel bad because they won’t pray in public. You and I both know that nobody wants to pray in public. They don’t invite us to rehearsal dinners because they like us; they invite us so that they can avoid saying the blessing. Maybe we should charge an additional fee for our public prayers.
I am often invited to pray at public gatherings. It’s an unwritten requirement of our vocation as pastors to do so. We pray at town meetings, athletic events, and all kinds of special gatherings. Fortunately, since people are terrified of public prayer, this part of our job allows us to be invited to some very special moments that we otherwise would not be able to experience. We don’t really get paid for it, but it occasionally earns us a Free Ticket to the Palace Ball. I suppose that makes all the education, expense, training, and practice worth it.
Blessings, Rev. Brock
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