"And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you."
Jesus
Would this instruction include prayer in restaurants, before a meal??
Good question.
ReplyDeleteFollowing Jesus' command at restaurants would do away with that awkward moment when you want to pray but you aren't sure if the waiter is coming back right away with coffee or my side order of mayo.
It would also do away with the guilt of rattling off a quick prayer so that you aren't noticed. Then again, if there is an element of shame involved, perhaps the prayer should be prayed publicly.
Anyway, great question.
"Would this instruction include prayer in restaurants, before a meal??"
ReplyDeleteYes -- but only if you stand to pray, clear your voice to draw attention to yourself, raise your hands in the traditional Jewish manner, and pray at the top of your lungs so that everyone in the restaurant can hear.
Um, yeah Brad, I think I've met that guy...
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid it felt as if that guy was my father.
ReplyDeleteActually, we don't always pray visibly or audibly in restaurants. Sometimes we do and usually I'm comfortable with that now. But I suspect my kids may feel as self conscious about it as I did when I was younger. Frankly, I don't see much point in embarassing them. I can send up my prayers of thanks in ways that don't involve head bowing and religious words.
And if the food has visibly or audibly been prayed for in a restaurant and then one of us is rude to the waiter or complains or doesn't leave a tip - what message does that send?
If you bow your head at home, I say bow your head when you're not.
ReplyDeleteBecause...
ReplyDeleteA bit off topic, but I interned with a pastor in Regina who always said, "don't be religious" when we went to a restaurant and the topic of grace came up. I'm not sure what the benefit to God or us or those surrounding us would be to say grace, but I suspect it would annoy or make those around us uncomfortable. Instead, he tipped well and frequented the restaurant getting to know the owners and all the staff and began some simple "friendship evangelism" over time. I don't want to turn prayer or lack of prayer into a results oriented action, but I think things have worked out better this way.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I've done the quiet prayer, the long prayer, the short prayer, the no prayer, the loud prayer and I feel more comfortable not doing it at all in the restaurant.
Actually I do the quiet prayer.
ReplyDelete