Monday Morning Insights

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    Rick Warren’s Inaugurational Prayer

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    In case you missed it...



    I thought Rick did a GREAT job (though I'm sure some beg to differ).

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    1. David Richardson on Wed, January 21, 2009

      I know we’re not supposed to “critique” prayers, but let me just say this:  Amen, Rick Warren.  Amen.

    2. CS on Wed, January 21, 2009

      I thought that the best prayer was the one offered by the Senate Chaplain, Dr. Black, as the blessing before the Senate Luncheon.  Simple, direct, elegant, and asking for the right things for the administration.  The one critique I’d say to it was that he ended, saying, “In Your Name we pray,” instead of, “In Jesus’ Name we pray.” 


      The others, not so much.  Gene Robinson prayed to a false God, I got some real funny feelings of ecumenism with Warren’s speech, and Dr. Lowery’s sounded almost racist at one point.



      CS

    3. Dave Z on Wed, January 21, 2009

      Sometimes I think people act as if saying “In Jesus’ Name” at the end of a prayer is like magic words that make the prayer work, as if they catch God’s attention in some way.  (BTW, this is not aimed at CS’ comment above, it’s more in response to the discussions I saw in various places in the weeks prior to Warren’s prayer)


      When Jesus spoke of praying in his name, I think he was meaning to pray under his authority, as when a cop arrests someone “in the name of the law.”  It means to pray as Jesus himself would pray. 


      We pray all kinds of silly things “In Jesus’ Name” acting as if that phrase somehow makes them not silly or in some way better aligned with Jesus’ will, when in reality we’re just presenting a wish list that often has nothing to do with what Jesus would want.  To pray such things “in Jesus’ name” is probably more akin to taking the Lord’s name in vain than it is to really praying as Jesus would, under his authority.


      I also don’t think a believer has to remind God that “Now I’m praying in Jesus name” (as opposed to all my other prayers)


      In the case of Warren’s prayer, the addition or absence of those words served mainly to give Warren’s detractors something else to point fingers at. 


      Dave

    4. Dave Z on Wed, January 21, 2009

      I just did a quick google on “Warren’s prayer” and found very little (post prayer) discussion, considering all the discussion of the past few weeks.  I did find a couple blogs that were unhappy, but more with Warren’s very presence than with what he said.  


      Most of what I found was pretty positive. Here’s a sampling of both types of response:


      http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/invoking-rick-warren/?ref=opinion


      Interestingly, a quick scan of “watchdog” or discernment websites turned up nary a mention of the prayer since yesterday.


      Dave

    5. Opie on Wed, January 21, 2009

      Perhaps this is not the place, but I want to vent.  1.  I heard that a poll found that only 9% really were against Warren leading the prayer…if that is not a case of the media making a mountain out of an ant hill I don’t know what is.  MEDIA!  QUIT PANDERING TO THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS!  JUST REPORT THE NEWS AND TRY NOT TO CREATE IT!  2.  I wonder what would have happened if Rick Warren had of said, “And Gay do what is Right…”?  Racism swings both ways.


      I feel better, thank you.

    6. Opie on Wed, January 21, 2009

      And, I do realize that “gay” and race are different but my point is I’m tired of people slamming white Christians and then accepting that kind of slanted statement without a word being spoken.

    7. Peter Hamm on Wed, January 21, 2009

      Dave writes “When Jesus spoke of praying in his name, I think he was meaning to pray under his authority, as when a cop arrests someone “in the name of the law.” It means to pray as Jesus himself would pray.”


      Yeah, to often it’s a “magic spell” at the end of the prayer. speaking in someone’s name in the ancient world was different. For instance, the two tellings of the story of the Centurion in the Gospels, in Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10. In one the Centurion came to Jesus, in the other, friends and servants came. There is no inconsistency here, because in the ancient world there is no distinction between him coming and someone coming “in his name”. (I wonder if this story is in the Bible to teach us the meaning of this concept.)


      Praying “in Jesus Name” is not necessarily uttering “magic words” to make the prayer effective. It is praying those things that Jesus would pray.

    8. John the Fisherman on Wed, January 21, 2009

      I’m not trying to diminish the point, but according to wikipedia 75% of the US is white, and 75% call themselves Christian. That is hardly a minority.


      You want to be slammed, try calling yourself an atheist here in Arkansas. Or be openly gay. 


      They just recently arrested a guy here who robbed 6 Hispanics, shooting all of them and killing 4, because he figured they were illegal and therefore less likely to go to the police.


      I’m very glad I’m white and straight and I’ll gladly take the slamming. Because it ain’t nothing compared to what I’d be getting if I had been born otherwise.

    9. Jan on Wed, January 21, 2009

      Rick Warren was AWESOME!

    10. Leonard on Thu, January 22, 2009

      “I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, who taught us to pray:”


      CS, he did pray in the name of Jesus.  what prayer did you listen too?

    11. Katrina on Thu, January 22, 2009

      Let me apologize publically for believing that RW would not pray in the name of Jesus for fear of offending anyone.  I was wrong.

    12. Leonard on Thu, January 22, 2009

      Thank you Katrina

    13. Wendi on Thu, January 22, 2009

      Thank you Katrina.


      Yesterday reminded me why I am a Rick Warren supporter.


      Wendi

    14. Peter Hamm on Fri, January 23, 2009

      Thanks, Katrina! Very nice of you.


      Wendi, I agree.

    15. Brian L. on Fri, January 23, 2009

      Katrina,


      My respect for you grows.


      You show a maturity that many who disagree with RW don’t show.


      May God bless you today!

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