Public prayers

I am writing in response to the Jan. 29 editorial in The Alabama Baptist, “Offering a Prayer in the Public Square.” I appreciated your comments on the topic and wanted to share some of my own as a military chaplain who frequently prays in public. Disclaimer:  the opinions expressed are my own and do not represent the Army, the Department of Defense or the United States government.

I think it is important to know the audience and the purpose of the gathering. If the event is to serve a civil or ceremonial purpose, i.e., nonreligious, I try to word the prayer in such a way that includes all the audience, some of whom may not be Christian. In such cases, I avoid overt Christian language. This is particularly the case at mandatory formations or ceremonies in the military where personnel may not have a choice about attendance. On the other hand, if the event is a Christian worship service or Bible study, I conduct the prayer probably the same as you would experience in any Baptist setting.

As a Christian, every time I pray, I am praying as a follower of Jesus and in the name of Jesus, whether or not I use explicitly Christian terminology such as “in Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer. In addition, I try to apply the golden rule of treating people as I would want to be treated, thus I offer prayers on civil or ceremonial occasions in which all attendees might feel included, as I hope others would do if I was in the audience at a pluralistic gathering where prayer was offered. After all, the prayer is being offered on behalf of all present, not just the one praying.

It has been my experience that exercising such respect for the setting and the audience has been appreciated and has opened doors for dialogue and ministry, which might not have been opened had I insisted on my “rights.” As Paul puts it, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient.”

Chaplain (Maj.) Clay Davis
Fort Bliss, Texas