15 December 2007

Look out, they've got prayer warriors!

Can I just ask what exactly these mythical beasts are? People use the term like it's commonly understood, but apparently I missed the definition somewhere over the course of my theological education. Any time someone solicits my services as a "prayer warrior," I'm strongly tempted to just tell them no. I'm pretty sure I'm not one (not positive since I don't know what they are); the war for my impious self is actually getting my prayers prayed. And if one really were such a thing, wouldn't it be kind of unbecoming to go around announcing it? Whatever happened to the battle belonging to the Lord that it used to be all the rage to sing about in the same circles from which I'm guessing this usage arose? If anyone knows anything as to the origins of "prayer warrior," I'm all ears. I'd ask a follow up about why people who claim to be Lutheran use it as I doubt that it's from our proper range of the theological spectrum, but that's just silly these days.

8 comments:

sam said...

I honestly about spit up whenever I saw the title of your posts. I'm not sure when the term started being used... but I know it has been around for a while. I absolutely hated the phrase when it was used at Seward, mainly by students in a certain church work vocation that uses the letters ECD. Some even had t-shirts. Bah...

Future Church said...

Hilarious! Perhaps we should become sacrament warriors. We could add a rubric that requires the pastor to go through a kata, WITH BO-STAFF, before consecrating the elements...You know, just to make sure God knows we REALLY mean business! :-)

Pr. H. R. said...

My heart is strangely warmed by the thought of adding bo-staffs to the rubrics.

+HRC

Future Church said...

Yes, I also had a Wesley moment.

Rebekah said...

Sam, I'm sure I don't know to what "vocation" you're referring. As for you other two, I'm sorry I said anything.

sam said...

The interesting thing is I haven't heard it used much outside of "young folks." Rebekak, is that who you've heard use it recently? Or has it expanded to all generations?

Rebekah said...

A church where I spent some time not too long ago would seek out prayer warriors to ensure the success of various undertakings, so the impression was that everyone both knew what it meant and was eligible to be one. I hear it from people in my age range with some regularity also, and I've been moving out of spring chicken territory for a while now. My general take is that it's common more among those who hold to a certain piety more than any particular demographic.

sam said...

Interesting. It does reflect the theology of the age, "name it and claim it." It seems that more teaching of "thy will be done" would be in order.