My ten year old is exploring the weeknight youth group at the Baptist Big Box nearby. He enjoyed it, which pleased me, but he also reported the leader's closing prayer was (1) a speech repeating the lesson to the kids and (2) a Lord-Lord-Lord prayer. Yes, he's observant because he's been prepped by me. Thank God it took.
Anyway, you know the Lord-Lord-Lord prayer. It goes something like: Dear Lord, we thank you, Lord, for all your blessings, Lord, and we ask you Lord, to come, Lord, and bless us, Lord, with your presence, Lord... (The speech-making version is an advanced technique, to be attempted by professionals only.)
Seriously, what explains people who pray like this? Are they trying to remind themselves who we're talking to? Or their audience? Are they trying to focus? Or do they just not feel like they've really got his attention? In other words, do they think they're like Stewie, here, crying mom, mom, mom, mommy?
As it so happens, Bo and I had seen this clip together recently (yes, just the clip). And we both laughed pretty hard when I mentioned it during our conversation. Then I started thinking harder, which prompted this post.
By the way, our conversation ended with me encouraging Bo to keep making the most of it. With a hopefully-not kind of tone, I asked him, "Did you roll your eyes?" And he said, "No, but I wanted to sigh sooo bad." There's a good boy. :-) If nothing else, while hopefully learning a bit more about God and exploring the world of religion for himself, at least he gets to hang out with kids who believe in the Lord. And the Lord-Lord-Lord-Lord. We love both kinds.
Welcome to the wider world of christendom, my boy. God help us all.
Bill Heroman, Amateur Academic