Interactive this week!
Okay, this week I had planned a very poetic description of French markets, since I enjoy going to my local outdoor market on Saturdays, but the muse had already left me by the time I returned on Saturday morning, so you will have to wait until I am thus inspired again.
Instead, I want to propose a something for discussion (a sneaky way to make you all post comments, ha ha). Here is my subject: corporate prayer. We can even enlarge it to corporate praise and worship, if you like. Who is it for? Is it for God or is it to edify the Church who is gathered in praise? Or perhaps both?
The reason I ask is that I struggle with praying in French. As I tell my friends here often, when I speak French, it’s with my head, but when I pray, that comes from my heart. I don’t want to get halfway through a sentence and realize I don’t know how to finish it in French, or that I don’t know the word I am searching for. I don’t want other people correcting my grammar in their minds, either. I just want to pray. So, I rarely pray publicly in French. The problem is that in the French churches, there is about 20 minutes of public prayer, where people just pray out as they feel led (praise and worship). And, at the Bible study I attend on Thursday nights, everyone takes turns praying (intercession for needs). I can feel their eyes on me, wondering why I don’t pray, if I stay quiet. What kind of missionary is this?
Recently, I mentioned to them that I prefered to pray in English, and they all encouraged me, practically with one voice, to feel free to pray as I felt most comfortable. But, when I prayed in English, I felt like it cut off the Spirit somehow, because none of them could understand what I was saying. There were no mumbles of agreement, or whispers of “Amen.” In fact, I felt like they all trying to decipher my prayer like the recordings you listen to in high school Spanish class. So I thought perhaps I shouldn’t pray in English anymore, which leaves me back to not praying at all.
But the more I think about it, the more I think that prayer should be about God, not everyone else. My church here is extremely international, with probably more than 20 countries represented, but no one ever prays in any language other than French, since it is our common language. In fact, I fear that if someone like me prayed in another language, there would be an “interpretation” afterward. The last thing I would want to do is cause confusion in the church.
I know a certain young man who is planning a church plant in an area that is rapidly becoming more and more international. What should corporate prayer in a church like that sound like? I am sure the NT church had people who spoke Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, and more. I wonder how they handled this issue. Your feedback is welcome on this issue!
In other news: Today is Pentecost Monday in France, a national holiday of French Catholic tradition. Last year, however, a law was passed, encouraging people to work and donate their day's pay to benefit senior citizens who live alone. In 2003, during a terrible heatwave, over 10,000 elderly people died from dehydration, and weren’t found for days (or claimed for months). A law was introduced, originally demanding everyone to work on Pentecost Monday, donating their pay to this cause, but after some strikes (they cannot force people, Catholics in particular, to work on a religious holiday), it was made voluntary. People can choose to support this program—if they work, their employers automatically donate the money into the government agency that directs this iniative. And of course, the government is encouraging more and more businesses to remain open on this holiday. Interesting.
Instead, I want to propose a something for discussion (a sneaky way to make you all post comments, ha ha). Here is my subject: corporate prayer. We can even enlarge it to corporate praise and worship, if you like. Who is it for? Is it for God or is it to edify the Church who is gathered in praise? Or perhaps both?
The reason I ask is that I struggle with praying in French. As I tell my friends here often, when I speak French, it’s with my head, but when I pray, that comes from my heart. I don’t want to get halfway through a sentence and realize I don’t know how to finish it in French, or that I don’t know the word I am searching for. I don’t want other people correcting my grammar in their minds, either. I just want to pray. So, I rarely pray publicly in French. The problem is that in the French churches, there is about 20 minutes of public prayer, where people just pray out as they feel led (praise and worship). And, at the Bible study I attend on Thursday nights, everyone takes turns praying (intercession for needs). I can feel their eyes on me, wondering why I don’t pray, if I stay quiet. What kind of missionary is this?
Recently, I mentioned to them that I prefered to pray in English, and they all encouraged me, practically with one voice, to feel free to pray as I felt most comfortable. But, when I prayed in English, I felt like it cut off the Spirit somehow, because none of them could understand what I was saying. There were no mumbles of agreement, or whispers of “Amen.” In fact, I felt like they all trying to decipher my prayer like the recordings you listen to in high school Spanish class. So I thought perhaps I shouldn’t pray in English anymore, which leaves me back to not praying at all.
But the more I think about it, the more I think that prayer should be about God, not everyone else. My church here is extremely international, with probably more than 20 countries represented, but no one ever prays in any language other than French, since it is our common language. In fact, I fear that if someone like me prayed in another language, there would be an “interpretation” afterward. The last thing I would want to do is cause confusion in the church.
I know a certain young man who is planning a church plant in an area that is rapidly becoming more and more international. What should corporate prayer in a church like that sound like? I am sure the NT church had people who spoke Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, and more. I wonder how they handled this issue. Your feedback is welcome on this issue!
In other news: Today is Pentecost Monday in France, a national holiday of French Catholic tradition. Last year, however, a law was passed, encouraging people to work and donate their day's pay to benefit senior citizens who live alone. In 2003, during a terrible heatwave, over 10,000 elderly people died from dehydration, and weren’t found for days (or claimed for months). A law was introduced, originally demanding everyone to work on Pentecost Monday, donating their pay to this cause, but after some strikes (they cannot force people, Catholics in particular, to work on a religious holiday), it was made voluntary. People can choose to support this program—if they work, their employers automatically donate the money into the government agency that directs this iniative. And of course, the government is encouraging more and more businesses to remain open on this holiday. Interesting.
Comments
I hope you drum up many comments. As a blogger myself, I know how motivating they are.
As to your prayer life. I think you should prepare for your corporate prayer times to pray for certain things. Come prepared to pray in french, "Lord, we welcome your Spirit in this place. We pray that Your Kingdom come You will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen." Then you've added your voice to the corporate prayer time. I believe prayer to be for the Lord, but agreement is the key ingredient. So find a way to agree with everyone in one accord. pray the rest of the time in English or whatever other tongue the Spirit may give you.
As far as your personal prayer; enter in with "what's in your head" and in time it will begin to include what's in your heart. Keep in mind that God understands vernacular as well as pious platitudes.
The key is, as you say,"people just pray out as they feel led". Pray as you're "led" and let the Leader worry about it.
1. When I pray in English, I often search for words mid-sentence. That's part because my brain just doesn't work too fast and part because I like being very casual in speaking to God. If I have to pause and wait for the words to come to me, I do. I think you can pray that way in French as well. It's alright to pause, reflect, think about what you want to say, how you want to say it, and then keep praying.
2. Recited prayer is not always a bad thing either. Have you ever thought about writing out your words of prayer to God in French? Then when you have an opportunity to pray with a group, recite that prayer to God as you read it off the page. Perhaps as you do that more and more, it will become more and more comfortable to pray in French off the top of your head.
3. I find that thing about the holiday and the sr citizens very intriguing. Not sure what my sentiments are but that's a very interesting situation. What do your friends think about it? How do they handle it? Christians? Unbelievers?
Well, that's all I got. Praying for you.
Matt
What if you first found someone willing to "interpret" your prayer to the congregation? Then, before the next time of prayer, ask if you could introduce your interpreter (and explain why he/she is necessary) to the whole body. This would allow for folks to agree without having to "process" things, while allowing you to "pray from the heart" without stumbling over your French.
I don't know the dynamics in your congregation (or in French culture for that matter), but I would hope that if the tables were turned, a French missionary in the USA would feel comfortable enough to discuss the issue with an English-speaking congregation. In the end, it could very well be a way of building further solidarity with the church.
Blessings,
"Dimmyowski"