Prayer-It Really Must Be Complicated to Be Right...Right?

A nine year old girl took me up on the offer to close a meeting in prayer. Then she asked me what she should say. I have always preferred long, involved ritualistic phrases that circle around the point six or seven times and sound like they could be part of some kind of magical incantation.

I told her to say something like, "Lord, see us safely home. Amen."

I began our children's time in church with a deliberate, prolonged silence. I had half the congregation looking around with me when I glanced up in the air, when I looked to the doors to the right and left of the sanctuary, wondering what was going to happen. I had a couple gesture for me to get on with it. I couldn't see the kids faces because I was having too much fun watching the adults.

The punchline was about listening for Jesus when in prayer.

Tonight, we had a prayer service for Al, who died this past week. I think I mentioned him in a previous entry. Not sure what I said exactly, the Spirit was giving me utterance along that path. Had a little trouble finding the end when I go freeform like that.

I was kind of hoping for an inspired grand finale after those little vignettes but I got nothing. That kind of makes sense though. Prayer isn't something in need of a grand finale or a complex opening. Let me take the format of a good Christian Reformed Church sermon to wrap it up, three points and a question...

Point 1: K.I.S.S. or "Keep It Simple Stupid"

Point 2: K.O.L.S. or "Keep On Listening Stupid"

Point 3: Know what you need to pray, but haven't got the words? The Holy Spirit will fill in the vocabulary. The Spirit will even pray when we are too deep in our own shit to pray for ourselves.

So what's the question? Did I really need to break up this mini-sermon with a crude word like s**t? No, will you just do it? Will you just pray? It's how we talk to Jesus.

Amen.