Tuesday, April 23, 2019

What do you do when a prayer is hijacked?

Can you stop someone saying a prayer?
Is there a right to interrupt?
What if a pontificating prayer won’t stop?

These questions went through my mind a few weeks back when, seemingly, someone hijacked a time of open prayer.

They went on...
And on...
In a mini sermonette/rant...

And I wondered... What does the leader do???

I suppose, if it’s a once off, then someone can be forgiven for getting carried away during open prayer. It happens. Maybe they’re new and punchy prayers aren’t the way they do things at their church.

But, what if someone has a reputation for lengthy, even unhelpful, prayer diatribes?

Do you use a prayer blocker, who may gently squeeze their arm or whisper in their ear to allow others a turn?
Is that really practical?
What if they get ignored?

Is the only solution a large AMEN from the front?
In some case, I suspect, it may be the only way out of the situation...

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