What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • It is a justice issue, isn’t it?

    The question is this – is LGBT inclusion a justice issue or isn’t it?

    If we think it is a justice issue then we pray about it in church, right?

    Those two questions feel to me a little uncomfortable.

    We pray readily in churches up and down the land about justice issues – we pray about poverty, we pray for those who are down on their luck, we pray about homelessness. Increasingly (though still not that often) we pray about climate change.

    If we believe LGBT inclusion is a justice issue (rather than a tricky and embarrassing disagreement) then we’ll pray about it, won’t we? In intercessions. In church. At the mass.

    Won’t we?

    Here’s a notice announcing a special service which has been organised by Changing Attitude Scotland to do just that.

    lightbulb

    The celebrant will be the Rev Kirstin Freeman. Others are very welcome to copy this idea. Anyone can have a Eucharist for Change.

    But my question is really about regular weekly services.

    We will pray. Won’t we?

    ,

4 responses to “How would you teach me to pray?”

  1. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    Thanks for this, Kelvin. I still can’t answer the question, I just know when it’s been answered for me.

    Reply
  2. Patrick Hall Avatar
    Patrick Hall

    I have never found personal prayer particularly easy. It’s not that I don’t believe in it, because I really do, but faced with the challenge of articulating everything before God, I somehow dry up and get frustrated with myself.

    I guess I settled on the idea of simply bowing my head and being still in God’s presence. I don’t try to converse with God anymore and simply trust that everything flows through in those moments of stillness. Somehow, it works for me.

    Reply
  3. Meg Rosenfeld Avatar
    Meg Rosenfeld

    This is hardly original with me, but one way of praying is to sing, either aloud (I recommend doing so in the shower, if you don’t live alone) or in your head. The music seems to give wings to the words, and we have so many beautiful hymns. However, if you’re the least bit of a wise-acre, you must guard against “rewriting” the words of hymns and anthems; the new lyrics can be dreadfully tenacious, says (sigh) one who knows

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth Anderson Avatar
    Elizabeth Anderson

    Thank you for this. I’ve struggled with prayer… We’ll, always, but especially since having children (or doing a theology doctorate… One came right after the other so hard to pick a cause)… This gives me hope and encouragement not to give up.

    Reply

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