Prayer-shy lecturer
Latinos like to express themselves individually and physically. It looks fantastic on the dance floor but during prayer it makes me cringe. As is typical, on Sunday the pastor asked everyone to extend their arm while he prayed for someone standing at the front. During the service others put out their hands as if about to be given a big present or wave them in the air like a wannabee tree.
Less frequently, but what I find even more scary, is the idea that prayer has to be connected with a particular location. This leads to a marking the turf out kind of activity involving walking around buildings and praying. I even heard of someone who hired a helicopter to circle the city for prayer. He apparently imagined himself like Joshua and Jericho, but thankfully we've no city walls otherwise there could have been some nasty accidents.
Last Friday the students organised a prayer morning in the chapel. Olwen went, but I worked away quietly in my office. Half way through the morning I heard a knock on the door and there was the chaplain plus six students. With an Old Testament prophet kind of voice he said, "Don David, we've come to pray for you". Obviously the student body had gone for the geographical prayer model and this was the team covering the offices. Finding a prayer shy lecturer was an added bonus, so hands were laid on me.
You could say if you can't beat them join them, but I doubt if I have the grace. Thankfully others do: the churches are growing and it's the way to counter the increased military aggression in neighbouring Venezuela.
Photo: Latinos: Great to watch on the dance floor
Less frequently, but what I find even more scary, is the idea that prayer has to be connected with a particular location. This leads to a marking the turf out kind of activity involving walking around buildings and praying. I even heard of someone who hired a helicopter to circle the city for prayer. He apparently imagined himself like Joshua and Jericho, but thankfully we've no city walls otherwise there could have been some nasty accidents.
Last Friday the students organised a prayer morning in the chapel. Olwen went, but I worked away quietly in my office. Half way through the morning I heard a knock on the door and there was the chaplain plus six students. With an Old Testament prophet kind of voice he said, "Don David, we've come to pray for you". Obviously the student body had gone for the geographical prayer model and this was the team covering the offices. Finding a prayer shy lecturer was an added bonus, so hands were laid on me.
You could say if you can't beat them join them, but I doubt if I have the grace. Thankfully others do: the churches are growing and it's the way to counter the increased military aggression in neighbouring Venezuela.
Photo: Latinos: Great to watch on the dance floor
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