Date of Award
5-6-1949
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Divinity (B.Div)
Department
Historical Theology
First Advisor
Harry Coiner
Abstract
In the life of the Christian prayer is to the soul as breathing is to the body. We sing in the hymn "Prayer is the Christian's vital breath un-uttered or expressed.” Although we know the reasons for praying, the how and the why of it all, and although volumes have been written on the subject, yet it appears that much of the praying in our church is very formal and awkward. We know how and why to pray but do we really pray? The purpose of this study is to particularly isolate and point up the problem of praying together. In confirmation classes the children can, over a period of time, be taught how to pray together from the heart and how to express themselves particularly with others. However, when the same attempt is made with adults who have been in the church for many years and have not had this training from little on, it appears a very difficu1t thing for them to do and difficult to accomplish. Recognizing that informal corporate prayer is a part of the Christian experience it is the intent of the author to show that this is being done today in the correct Scriptural way and that from this intimate fellowship many blessings for individuals and congregation are forthcoming. The author feels that the ability of the laity to speak and pray ex corde has not been in the warp and woof our congregational life, nor has this teaching and practice been directed to the laymen. Like the ancient art of rnak1ng stained glass, this is a lost art among us, a lost talent.
Recommended Citation
Claycombe, Howard E. Jr, "The Salutary Use of Corporate Prayer with Special Reference to the Community of the Congregation" (1949). Bachelor of Divinity. 883.
https://scholar.csl.edu/bdiv/883
Creative Commons License
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