Please, Some help with "prayers"

[diebitter]

God,

thanks for everything!

Amen

[MissT74]

I don't knowwwww...I think you need to keep those words in there. That is how Catholics pray and if you're in a meeting with Catholics (being your bosses and such) I would go with along with it, otherwise why did you take the job? You should have expected that it (your job) was going to have religious undertones due to the company/organization you're working for.

"We ask this through Christ our Lord" is how we end all of our prayers.

To start the prayer, you either start with "Our Heavenly Father" or simply "Dear God" but either way, you have to start it with an addressing of some sort to the God that the Catholics pray to, even if you don't.

Again, otherwise, why did you take the job.

T

[MortalWombat]

How do you think this will go over:

"In lieu of a prayer, I'd like to read a Bible passage."

They'd probably be OK with this.

Then open a Bible to Matthew 6:5-8
[ QUOTE ]
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

[/ QUOTE ]

[MortalWombat]

Or you could take one from Monty Python:

"O Lord, Ooh, you are so big, so absolutely huge, Gosh, we are all impressed down here, I can tell you. Forgive us, O Lord, for our dreadful toadying, but you are just so super. Amen."

[Fishwhenican]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't knowwwww...I think you need to keep those words in there. That is how Catholics pray and if you're in a meeting with Catholics (being your bosses and such) I would go with along with it, otherwise why did you take the job? You should have expected that it (your job) was going to have religious undertones due to the company/organization you're working for.

"We ask this through Christ our Lord" is how we end all of our prayers.

To start the prayer, you either start with "Our Heavenly Father" or simply "Dear God" but either way, you have to start it with an addressing of some sort to the God that the Catholics pray to, even if you don't.

Again, otherwise, why did you take the job.

T

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, This isn't really supposed to be about why I took a job. It is supposed to be an interesting look at alternatives to traditional Christian/religious prayers.

Yes, leaving "those words" in the prayer would be traditional and something a Catholic would certainly do. The point is, I am not Catholic, I am not required to be Catholic and I would like to find(with the help of an interesting mix of people in The Lounge) interesting alternatives to a traditional catholic/Christian prayer. My father was a minister, so I have heard a lot of praying, and I would have no problem coming up with a prayer that was just words that fit the mold. But I would rather find something more interesting than that.

I have used Buddhist prayers, a Boy scout prayer, Native American prayers and quotes, quotes from the Dalai Lama and even read the 23rd Psalm(which was my mothers favorite bible verse and I read the 1st meeting after her funeral). Something along those lines is what I am looking for along with any original compositions people may want to throw out there.

I took the job full well knowing that it was a Catholic Organization and that there would be a lot of Religious/Catholic things going on and I am perfectly fine with that. They also hired me full well knowing that I am not Catholic as well. That really is not at all an issue, at least for me.

I took the job because as an IT position it was a great gig.
I get to work for a great organization that exists to help other people not just contribute to the bottom line for a business. (Not that there is anything wrong with that :-) )
I get to live in a place I LOVE.
The salary and benefits are very good for the location we are in.
Many other reasons that I will not list.

So, Anyway, no disrespect intended. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Hope that answers the question??

[katyseagull]

Thanks be to our heavenly father for providing us sanctuary in the midst of chaos and despair, for keeping us sane while those around us are losing their way and behaving like tards and greedy little [censored], ripping people off and in general being selfish little [censored] preying on the innocent (you know, for example, stealing my copper wiring not to mention my hutch and rothko's box of love notes). Thank you father for all you give us on a daily basis and which we often take for granted (even though the guy next door to me has a lot more than I'll ever have and everyone knows he's a real jerk).

[Fishwhenican]

[ QUOTE ]
How do you think this will go over:

"In lieu of a prayer, I'd like to read a Bible passage."

They'd probably be OK with this.

Then open a Bible to Matthew 6:5-8
[ QUOTE ]
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

[/ QUOTE ]



[/ QUOTE ]

Bible passages may be fine, I have used Pslam 23 before and would welcome any suggestions.

I don't really think this particular suggestion would go over well even though I tend to like it personally.

[Fishwhenican]

[ QUOTE ]
Or you could take one from Monty Python:

"O Lord, Ooh, you are so big, so absolutely huge, Gosh, we are all impressed down here, I can tell you. Forgive us, O Lord, for our dreadful toadying, but you are just so super. Amen."

[/ QUOTE ]

Love Monty Python
Like the prayer
likely would not work well in my context. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[MissT74]

I totally understand Fish, but I guess it's just weird that there's a job out there in a Catholic organization that doesn't mind that you're not Catholic, but yet still wants you to lead prayers.

Just seems screwy to me, LOL. I would think that if part of the job description is to lead in prayers, then they should at least want an employee to be either Catholic or religious....

But I didn't mean to make it into a 'why did you take the job', I understand your request and was just putting in my opinion that being that you work for a Catholic organization, I was thinking that the Catholic's in charge (your bosses) may not be too thrilled with prayers that don't go with their religion...but I must be off base on that assumption. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

No harm, no foul. I personally can't think of a prayer that starts without some form of opening address/salutation to the "higher being" that you all are supposed to be praying to.

Hmmm, I think I'll sit back and see what others come up with. I may just be overthinking this, those damn Catholics!! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

T

[entertainme]

I'll take a shot at it.

Help us this day to love because we have been loved,
Help us this day to forgive because we've been forgiven
Help us this day to seek You as you have sought us
Help us to listen and hear your call
Lead us to follow in the path you've set before us
Help us to be your hands and your feet for those you put before us today

BTW, I appreciate your desire to be honest in the words you're saying. Much better than faking it to get along imo.