"Nose Goes"

Tuesday

Having finished all of the necessary bagging this morning, our volunteer crew broke for lunch early.  Before we began eating Meghan asked if anyone would like to pray.  Quickly, members of the group placed their index fingers at the ends of their noses in a classic ritual for deciding who will be stuck with an unpopular task.  In this case, the slowest person is then expected to lead the prayer.  I understand some people's reluctance to pray in front of groups, large or small.  It can be intimidating when a group's attention spotlight shifts to the individual, waiting for some impromptu, meaningful words.  And maybe this is just a quick way of diffusing the potential awkward pause as everyone decides whether or not they are willing to volunteer to pray. However, I have seen 'nose goes' used to decide who should pray in many times times and settings, and it has always rubbed me the wrong way.  Isn't it an honor and a priviledge to be able to communicate with Almighty God simply through talking and telling Him what is on our hearts?  Shouldn't we be fighting over who *gets* to pray instead of who *has* to?  What does a non-believer think when they see Christians trying to avoid talking to God?  Would that kind of god be a god worth worshipping and praising?

I must confess, I am not afraid of speaking in front of people, and actually rather enjoy it.  From a young age, my father asked a different family member to pray over our dinner every night, so praying in front of people is not something that I am uncomfortable with.  However, how else will people become comfortable unless they begin doing it?

Perhaps one culprit is our tendency to view prayer as very polished and collected.  God can listen to us just as easily (and perhaps more so) when we simply say what's on our mind instead of worrying about how to say it.  I think of the man in the Bible who prayed by beating his chest and saying, "Lord, forgive me.  I am a sinner."  I think of the Spirit interceding for us with groans that are deeper than words.  I think of how we are to "Pray without ceasing," and I don't see how that could be if prayer is understood only as formalized, concrete sentences directed towards heaven with folded hands and closed eyes.  Prayer is an area in which I feel extremely lacking, and should like to grow.