I was talking about prayer with the children during the children's sermon last Sunday and was trying to emphasize to them that one can pray to God any way, any time, and anywhere. I started by describing a litany of postures and places where they could pray (of course, one boy had to verify that one could pray in the bathroom which set off a chain reaction of giggles). I asked them if one could pray in different places and and occasions and they would all answer, "Yes!" and then I asked if they could pray in school and there wasn't even a hesitation: "No!" The whole congregation erupted in laughter, knowing that the issue of prayer in school is a loaded one.
I was really taken aback by the unanimity of the children that school isn't a place for prayer. Now, I'm usually on the more progressive side when it comes to church-state issues, but I must say that I was saddened that children might pick up on a message that states that there must be no prayer in school whatsoever. I'm not calling for teachers to start leading an "Our Father," but do children believe that God is only limited to certain places (like church and home) and does not belong in others (like school or, say, the mall)? Is it a matter of their inability to grasp the wide varieties of prayer and how one can indeed pray in school (one can pray constantly, for that matter) or is it when they think of prayer, they think only of guided, spoken prayer? I didn't have time to pursue this with them, but I tried to let them know that one can pray 24/7 no matter where they are and no matter who tells them they can't.
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