Opening for Private Prayer

The first signs of the churches re-opening have emerged. From 15^th June, churches and other places of worship may open for ‘private prayer’. This is great news for the superstitious who believe that prayers are better heard on consecrated ground or close by statues and altars. To those of us for whom preaching and singing are paramount (in that order, I hasten to add), the government guidelines are a damp squib. I looked at them in more detail.

Communities Secretary, the Right Honourable Robert Jenrick, MP said:

Ensuring places of worship can open again, beginning with individual prayer has been my priority. Their contribution to the common good of our country is clear, as places of solace, comfort, stability and dignity. And the need for them is all the greater as we weather the uncertainties of the pandemic.

Lord Greenhalgh, the Faith Minister (did you know there was such an office?) declared:

The government has determined that this is the right time to begin re-opening places of worship for individual prayer.

It is interesting how the noble lord and the honourable gent have assumed the role of deciding not only when, but how we worship: individual but not corporate prayer; silent thoughts but not sung verse.

Benevolent though this pair may be, I’m never comfortable with the state poking its nose into the running of churches and the regulation of worship. I suspect this is not the last time that government officials will meddle with such things.

Private prayer? My advice is do it at home. Although a change of scenery might do us some good and airing our chapel might do it some good, the God of heaven can be contacted just as well from your bedroom or back garden. The Lord Himself said in the sixth of Matthew:

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Image by Himsan from Pixabay