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A carregar... Thoughts on Public Prayer (edição 1971)por Samuel Miller
Informação Sobre a ObraThoughts on Public Prayer por Samuel Miller
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. HISTORY OF PUBLIC PRAYER. As Prayer is a dictate of nature, as well as a duty required by the express command of our Master in heaven, we may take for granted that it has early and always made a part of the services of public as well as of private religion. ■ Some, indeed, have supposed that social prayer was unknown until the time of Enos, as recorded in Gen. iv. 26. But this is by no means probable. As the visible Church was constituted in the family of Adam, we must suppose that social prayer in some form was habitually performed. That it entered into the worship of the ceremonial economy of the Old Testament, is abundantly evident, as well from the book of Psalms, as from the historical records of important events during that economy. In the temple service, indeed, there seems to have been no system of common prayer. There were, it is true, "hours of prayer," and many and "long prayers" were there offered up; but these seem to have been by individuals, each one praying for himself, and by himself, and in all manner of words and ways. Of two men who "went up to the temple to pray," each one by himself, we have a very graphic account in Luke xviii. 10. They had in the temple service, sacred music, and sacerdotal benedictions; but never any system of prescribed joint prayer. The ceremonial of the temple was made up of sacrifices, ablutions, burning incense, and minutely enjoined rites of various kinds; but there is not a shadow of evidence that it included a prescribed liturgy, or a system of prepared and commanded devotional exercises. There were, indeed, solemn prayers on special and extraordinary occasions in which multitudes joined; such as those uttered by Solomon;* by king Asa;f by Hezekiah;f by Ezra; and... Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
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 Google Books — A carregar...GénerosSistema Decimal de Melvil (DDC)264.1Religions Christian church and church work Public Worship; Ritual Prayer; Extempore; LiturgicClassificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos EUA (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia: (4.33)
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Public prayer is the one other public utterance common in many churches besides the preaching of God’s Word in worship services. The latter involves a pastor leading the people to hear God’s Word for them together. The former involves the pastor leading the people in approaching God together, addressing God. Samuel Miller, in this reprint of a classic from 1849, argues that we tend to give far more attention to the preaching than to public prayer but that public prayer is equally of great importance.
He begins by addressing the history of public prayer, making the case that the earliest practice of the church was extemporaneous public prayer, surveying both the New Testament and texts from the early fathers. He treats prayers toward the east, for the dead, to saints, to Mary, in unknown tongues and responses to prayer as either later practices or not grounded in biblical doctrine. He does find warrants for various postures, particularly kneeling and standing–and not sitting!
He contends that the use of prescribed forms, defended from scripture is both a later introduction, and lacking basis. He believes prescribed prayers circumscribe the ministry of the Spirit and easily lapse into formalism and cannot possibly cover all the circumstances of human existence.
He enumerates some of the common faults in public prayer, including:
1. Excessive use of favorite words, like “Oh God!” (or in our day “just”).
2. Hesitations, embarrassment, stumbling, and pauses in utterance.
3. Ungrammatical expressions.
4. The lack of regularity and order–prayers that are a jumble.
5. Excessive minuteness of detail.
6. Excessive length–he suggests not more than 12-15 minutes, which would be excessive by today’s standards!
7. Overuse of highly figurative language.
Introducing party politics–a word needed in many pulpits today!
8. Expressions of the amatory class (expressions that in other context may be used of a romantic lover).
9. Wit, humor, or sarcasm.
10. Using prayer for didactic purposes.
He goes on to enumerate seven more faults, but this gives you the idea.
He then turns to characteristics of good public prayer which:
1. Abounds in the language of the word of God. We used to say that the best way to pray scripturally was to pray scripture.
2. Is orderly, though free to vary the order.
3. Is dignified, general in its plan, and comprehensive but not excessive in detail.
4. Is not overly long
5. Is seasonable and appropriate to the occasion.
6. Is filled with gospel truth and refers to the spread of that gospel.
7. Concludes with doxology.
He touches on fifteen points altogether that make for good public prayer and then concludes with how the minister cultivates excellence in public prayer, which for Miller begins with private prayer, reading works on prayer, saturating one’s life with scripture, to be prepared to pray about any of the events that arise in life, and while not “rehearsing prayers,” to engage in devotional composition of them, the counterpart to one’s study and preparation to preach.
As may be evident, Miller offers both practical ideas and an overarching theology and spirituality of public prayer. While this certainly needs to be adapted to our current forms of worship, there is much good here to heed. The contemporary reader will note a degree of anti-Roman Catholic polemic, that would not have been uncommon to reformed pastors of his time, mostly in the sections on history and liturgy. Those from liturgical traditions would no doubt have rejoinders to his critique of the use of forms, and as he acknowledges, extemporaneous public prayers may have their own problems, and even deteriorate into forms as well. A vital, Spirit-filled and scripture-informed life on the part of those who lead God’s people in worship is truly the decisive difference. For those of us in more extemporaneous prayer traditions, this book is a gold mine of good ideas, as relevant today as in 1849.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. (less) (