"Dear Lord, I just thank you so much for this day, and for this opportunity to just have fun, and I pray that we will just do this pep rally for you, and that you will just bless our days afterward. In your name, amen."
I heard a prayer similar to that at my Christian high school before we had a pep rally. Several times. A cheerleader would lead the school in this prayer right after she had just finished dancing somewhat salaciously in a form-fitting, revealing outfit in front of a bunch of high schoolers. (I'm sure none of the guys (or girls) were having lustful thoughts, and none of the girls felt insecure watching the cheerleaders. Because that never happens at a Christian high school.) This type of prayer showcases the absurdity of Christian dialect, or Christianese.
First, there's the sheer number of times people say the word "just" while praying out loud. In no other context would saying "just" so many times be appropriate. But for some reason, when Christians pray, it's okay to beg God and to expect very little of him. Saying "just" in a prayer communicates, "God, if you could please do just this one thing, then everything would be better." It minimizes and trivializes what the one praying is asking of God.
Second, there's the phrase "for you," in reference to God. What the hell does it mean to do something "for God?" How can you have a pep rally be "for God?" Seriously, what does that even mean? I don't understand!
Similar to the "for God" is the common practice of dedicating something to God. I don't know what that means either. Does it mean you continually pray to him while the activity is occurring? Or do you do the activity to glorify him?
Except now I don't even know what that means either. Third example: doing something "for God's glory" or "to glorify God." I twitch whenever I hear that phrase, because I bet the person saying it has no idea what they mean by that--they're just saying it because it's common jargon in Christian culture. I certainly have no idea what it means--that's why I don't say it!
So here's my two cents: let's actually communicate with each other. Not just toss around colloquialisms with little to no meaning. Let's be specific and concrete about what we actually are trying to say about God and about our experiences with God. Let's be real.
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