The Long Prayer: Offering Prayers in Public Worship

Some traditions call it "The Pastoral Prayer" while others label it "The Congregational Prayer" or "Morning Prayers" or "Prayers of the People." But as any eight-year-old could tell you, the most descriptive moniker may well be the child's label for it: "The Long Prayer!" Whether pre-written, extemporaneous, or a combination, the prayer offered in worship on Sunday morning is probably the longest single prayer most people hear all week. As pastors and worship leaders, our public prayers reveal much about our habits of mind even as those prayers have a shaping influence on how the congregation prays all week. This workshop looked at the place of prayer in public worship and will offer practical suggestions for offering prayers that are theologically imaginative and pastorally sensitive.