From public prayer to private worship services, Chaplains are called upon to be the spiritual leaders and experts of their unit…so how then shall they pray?
Introduction
As I continue to move forward in the Chaplain Candidate program, I have noticed a debate regarding how one should pray during public functions, ie…group prayers outside of a traditional worship service involving those of multiple faith traditions.
Some are of the firm belief, nay, the conviction that all prayers must make mention of Jesus, the Christ, by name. Others believe no faith tradition should be lifted up over another and inclusion is the name of the game. Both sides have pros and cons which shall very briefly be examined now.
Pro Jesus
Firstly if called upon by the commander (typically a Cpt or above) of a unit to offer up a prayer for the unit, he/she is going to know your faith tradition.
Secondly, the first amendment ensures us the right to freely exercise our religion and speech.
Thirdly, we are called upon to not be ashamed or afraid of Christ’s name and are encouraged to ask for things in His name.
Pro Inclusion
Typically these functions are mandatory meaning all soldiers are required to attend so there will be many non-Christians there basically being forced to hear a prayer. Making a prayer so specific as to only be meaningful or impactful to Christians is not going to help build up the non-believing soldier. You are an officer and therefore represent a level of authority over the enlisted soldier.
What do you believe Chaplain Boy?
As usual, it wouldn’t be a DereksDiscourse post if I didn’t manage to annoy everyone at the same time. I never set out to do so, it just seems to happen. I fall somewhere in-between for the following reasons:
- I do pray to a specific God (Pro Jesus)
- Clearly when I am speaking I am talking to Jehova God, the God of the Bible so there is not much I can do to hide that fact.
- I am interested in ministering to all soldiers, even non-believers (Pro Inclusion)
- I want all my soldiers to know that I care about them very deeply and want the chance to help them in any way I can. I am more interested in their heart than I am exercising my 1st Amendment rights.
- God is a lot more interested in my heart than my words (Pro Inclusion)
- Just because I chose to say “In your name” or “In His name” doesn’t make my prayer any less meaningful. I pray from my heart, not a formula.
In Conclusion
I want soldiers to feel free to come to me no matter what they believe. My actions and my heart and the power of the Holy Spirit are going to mean a lot more than the formula of my prayer. I will pray in Christ’s name during my worship service and pray “In Your name” during public prayer functions. “But Derek, what about your 1st Amendment rights?” I gave up my rights when I became a Christian. And I surrendered myself to the mission of Chaplaincy.
I firmly believe that God draws those to Himself whom He chooses. I am simply there to surrender to Him and love His people the best way I can. And while some may disagree, I am not interested in making people feel excluded just so I can exercise my rights. It isn’t about me, it never will be. I will become all things to all people so Christ can save them, not me.
