Vicar's letter

From the vicar

"Why pray when you can worry?"

It began very dramatically on May 1st with thunder and lightning (or perhaps the storm was to mark polling day —a wake-up Call!) As part of Hope 08, Colchester Boiler Room Community organized a 24/10 prayer Room— 18 Colchester churches involved in continuous prayer, day and night may 1st–10th, in St Peter's church. Normally St Peter's gets 2–3000 visitors a year, a good many from other countries: some for services, some to look around because it's open nearly every day 9am–4pm, and parts of it date from the 13th Century, some to get out of the rain and eat their sandwiches, and some to pray.

Do you pray—when you have a problem or a big decision to make about work or about a relationship—or even pray regularly? You wouldn't be unusual if you did pray, even in what is often regarded as a secular culture in the UK today. A recent survey suggested that 20 million people in the UK pray sometimes and that one in six prays every day. John Humphrys (who Chairs Mastermind and presents Radio 4's Today programme) admitted that although he stopped attending church because it seemed meaningless, "I continued to pray. I prayed every single night without fail for half a century" (John Humphrys, In God We Doubt: Confessions of a Failed Atheist, p29).

Prayer, it seems, is a natural thing, not regressive or superstitious, not a sign of weakness. Many great leaders, scientists and other influential people—present as well as past—have regarded prayer as important. If prayer is to make an objective difference, and not just make us feel better, what matters is what or who we pray to.

Christians believe that although God is far beyond our understanding and grasp, we can "know" God in the sense of having a personal relationship with him, through Jesus Christ, whom we believe is the exact likeness of God, though clearly human. (Put simply, if you want to know what God is like, read about Jesus in the Bible). Certainly that has been my experience, and the experience of millions of people in the 21st century, just as in the past. So I pray to God— through Jesus.

A growing number of people, some even from non-religious backgrounds, are trying to deepen their prayer by the use of a simple structure or routine. (A member of my previous church, who had come from a different Christian tradition, said that that was what he valued in the Church of England—structure). Three years ago there was a television series about the Benedictine monastery, Worth abbey. Five laymen spent 40 days there with the monks, participating in their daily pattern of work and prayer times.

The three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have structured times of prayer and fixed religious seasons. Jesus, as a devout Jew, would have observed the three- times-a-day pattern of prayer. He also prayed spontaneously, and sometimes though the night.

And so to the title question: "why pray when you can worry?" I have to admit that most church headline-posters don't grab me—they're far too obvious. But this one stuck and made me think— rather like a lot of the stuff Jesus taught which doesn't make life simple—it makes you think. When you have a problem or a decision, do you worry—or pray? If you pray you're among millions, even in this country where church attendance is pretty low. Jesus prayed within the context of a close relationship with God, whom he called "father". And this relationship was supported by a regular pattern of daily prayer. Perhaps we should take praying more seriously.

Fred Woods.

On one occasion when Jesus had been praying, his followers asked him to "teach" them to pray, and he gave them what we call "the Lord's prayer" or "Our Father". Earlier this year our three house-groups (North, South and 2Osomethings) did a five-session study on the Lords prayer. It was amazing how far-reaching and contemporary the discussions were! We're planning to offer this course more widely in the Autumn—to non- church people as well as regular attendees. Please check the September magazine for details.



Welcome		Service times

	Home page