Non-Catholics, do you pray before Mass/Service?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kalt
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kalt

Guest
I noticed that at United Methodist services, people don’t pray. I know that I prayed at the Episcopal church, but I don’t remember if anyone else did.

Do you sit (or kneel) in silent, private prayer before your Mass or service?

If not, do you think it would be a good practice to initiate at your church?
 
I have attended many different protestant churches: Baptist (of all types), Methodist, Church of God, Church of Christ, Non-denom, Epsicopal and Anglican. Only in one Epsicopal did people pray before Mass, about half the Anglican. Most people spent the time as a social setting to get caught up on latest news, gossip etc.

Every Catholic Church prior to Mass some people just sat, others prayed. In between the 9 and 11 am Mass the Rosary is said at a friends parish. If people want to visit they go outside or to the coffee hour in the parish hall.

My prior parish, quiet and prayful. At the Mission, I can’t get many to pray prior, regardless of what I say or do. Regardless if the music is playing to try and set a tone.
They just talked over the music. 🤷

Fr.Mark
ACNA
 
We do at our traditional service, but at the Praise Service it is usually just us oldtimers that sit quietly/pray.

Our Praise service was started to try and pull in the unchurched families that attend our school, pre-K-8. Many of these families do not know church etiquette-eat, drink pop, coffee, talk, etc. during the actual service. they just never learned it. It comes in waves- as they learn, there is more reverence. I don’t know for a fact but, I bet it is discussed in the class room. The children also go to chapel every Wed. and the teachers are on the ball teaching proper behavior.
 
Do we pray? Yes we do we also do not neglect fellowshipping with our church families. Before and after the service is when the family regularly meets.

If you mean by before as sitting in your chosen seat before the service, then some do some do not. You are encouraged to be prayed up, some do it at home others at church. Generally before the service the different working ministries hold corporate prayer among themselves and someone else is holding a corporate prayer for anyone who wants to attend (those not working).

Since the actual format of the service tends to be Praise and Worship followed by church administrative announcements followed by the sermon actual prayer begins the praise and worship block. Many weeks we break into small groups and pray for each other at some point during the P&W bloc of time. Other weeks we just greet each other. If the Pastor or Praise Leader notices a large amount of guest he/she wold be more likely to call for a meet and greet then to break into prayer circles.
 
We have a period of quiet music at the beginning of the service, and most people pray silently or meditate.

Miz
 
4Squarebaby said:
Since the actual format of the service tends to be Praise and Worship followed by church administrative announcements followed by the sermon actual prayer begins the praise and worship block. **Many weeks we **break into small groups and pray for each other at some point during the P&W bloc of time. Other weeks we just greet each other. If the Pastor or Praise Leader notices a large amount of guest **he/she wold be more likely to **call for a meet and greet then to break into prayer circles.
Click to expand...
At the very last protestant service I went to, I was attending a Foursquare Church. I thought as I was converting to be Catholic, I could go every other week. :rolleyes:
The sermon topic of this LARGE pentecostal church that day was PRAYER. We met, greeted each other, sang praise songs, sat and listened to the pastor for about an hour talking ABOUT prayer, he prayed a goodbye prayer that lasted about 10 seconds and we left. ***But no prayer. No opportunity for prayer. At all. *** 😦
That day I knew I was no longer protestant.
I could no longer go to church to learn ABOUT God. Mass was communion WITH God. The Eucharist IS God. Mass is prayer from beginning to end.
 
People do pray. Some people talk quietly. Some loudly (usually if they are older and cannot hear). There is bustle to get things ready. There is certainly ample time in the service, and I do mean ample, to pray. I would be careful about saying people do not pray. We know that we are not supposed to draw attention to ourselves. IThey may not have their hands folded or their eyes closed. ts okay if that is your tradition. I pray before the service with my eyes open:shrug:
 
kalt said:
I noticed that at United Methodist services, people don’t pray. I know that I prayed at the Episcopal church, but I don’t remember if anyone else did.

Do you sit (or kneel) in silent, private prayer before your Mass or service?
Click to expand...
Yes, I do. In the very front of our Lutheran Service Book is a series of prayers one can use for “before worship”, “after worship”, before “Confession/Absolution”, before “Communion”. I often use these prayers, my own prayers, or a combination.

Jon
 
kalt said:
I noticed that at United Methodist services, people don’t pray. I know that I prayed at the Episcopal church, but I don’t remember if anyone else did.

Do you sit (or kneel) in silent, private prayer before your Mass or service?

If not, do you think it would be a good practice to initiate at your church?
Click to expand...
I might say a prayer before leaving the apartment. However, we usually get to “big church” right as it is starting, so the singing has usually begun. When attending Mass with my wife, I might pray. I thank the Lord for allowing me to come and hear The Word from a different perspective.

I think it would be a good practice to initiate; some Baptist churches that I attend when traveling already do that.
 
Traditionally, before Mass, I just try to slow down, focus on what is to come, and just pray for all the people and our world in need of prayer…offering Mass for these intentions.
 
Miserys_Fence said:
We have a period of quiet music at the beginning of the service, and most people pray silently or meditate.

Miz
Click to expand...
Same here. Now, on the way to the sanctuary there is a lot of talking and some talk very quietly inside if there is a lot going on You might also have little ones telling moms and dads what they did or made in Sunday School. Then, the pastor will come in and welcome us all and welcome visitors and ask if there are any announcements he needs to add. Then, he will make some announcements, extend a welcome again as he walks to the back, and then the processional hymn starts.
 
kalt said:
I noticed that at United Methodist services, people don’t pray. I know that I prayed at the Episcopal church, but I don’t remember if anyone else did.

Do you sit (or kneel) in silent, private prayer before your Mass or service?

If not, do you think it would be a good practice to initiate at your church?
Click to expand...
In the Orthodox Church before Divine Liturgy is the corporal prayer of either Orthros or Matins in the Church. And the night before is the coporal prayer of Vespers in the Church. Both Prayer Liturgies are to prepare people for Divine Liturgy.

In addition, Orthodox Christians are expected to pray privately at home the prayers in preparation for reception of the Holy Eucharist according to the Prayer Rule given to them by their spiritual father/mother.

My pre-communion Prayer Rule consists of about 32 different prayers written by various saints and Psalms. It takes me about a good 2.5 hours. The prayers are beautiful and very helpful in preparing me to receiving the Eucharist. I begin praying at home after Vespers and finnish up at home prior to leaving for Church the next morning as it is permissible to split it up since it is so lengthy. It’s my understanding that my Preparation for Communion Prayer Rule is kinda an Orthodox Standard Prayer Rule.
 
“But no prayer. No opportunity for prayer. At all.”

I am really good and lucky at being able to block out what is going on round me so I tend to believe there is always opportunity for prayer while people are noisely greeting each other, even when the world is crashing down around me.
 
schaick said:
“But no prayer. No opportunity for prayer. At all.”

I am really good and lucky at being able to block out what is going on round me so I tend to believe there is always opportunity for prayer while people are noisely greeting each other, even when the world is crashing down around me.
Click to expand...
Opportunity for prayer? Sounds either like moment of silence during the service or the call and responce according to a script.

When the author of “opportunity” cherry picked out of my original post where I described different aspects or praying I let it go because in spirit the remark was similar to the infamous “there is no Holiness” thread which the administration deleted.

For the record in my opinion prayer comes in forms other then pressing our fingertips together and sitting in silence. When the poster looking for an opportunity didn’t pray is because he was in conflict. And was either looking for a leader in a scripted prayer he already memorized or perhaps just the background noise of his own preferred music.
 
Yes, I pray before Meeting begins. Friends are encouraged to “center” during the “rise of the Meeting”. There is to be no un-necessary talking as we gather to worship. We are to take our seats and begin the process of “centering down” to meet God in our midst through prayer and meditation.

I invited some friends from another faith tradition to Meeting one First Day…we found our seats and I got situated…sitting with feet on the floor…hands on my knees…head bowed…eyes closed…after about 15 minutes…my friend leaned over and said…“When does the service start?”…I whispered back…“It started about 10 minutes ago.”

I “forget” that visitors aren’t accustomed to how Friends worship…even though I had explained how our Meetings for Worship are conducted, my friend didn’t realize it was really conducted the way I explained it…he was waiting for singing and prayers and standing and kneeling and a pastor and music leader…he never came to Meeting again as he said the Quiet was too “unsettling” and he didn’t know what to do with his time…“How can you just sit there?”…I explained we weren’t “just sitting” we were seeking to join the Presence and one another in the Living Silence. I explained if he felt led to speak or pray vocally…he should have done so.

Prayer is a very important part of Meeting for Worship…we are told not to linger in the worship space afterwards as some remain to pray after the “close of Meeting”.
 
kalt said:
I noticed that at United Methodist services, people don’t pray. I know that I prayed at the Episcopal church, but I don’t remember if anyone else did.

Do you sit (or kneel) in silent, private prayer before your Mass or service?

If not, do you think it would be a good practice to initiate at your church?
Click to expand...
Well that is definitely an interesting question.
The church I attend has Sunday School before the service. This is then ended with a prayer.
The time immediately before the service is very short. People greet each other, find their seats and the choir meets in a small room close to the front for another prayer (that’s where I am mostly).
That is basically it.
I actually like this set-up and as gossip is very much depreciated all we do is greet each other, give hugs, ask how people are doing, etc.

May God bless you this upcoming year.

In Him,
Janet
 
When I was non denominational Protestant, there was a prayer at the start of the service but no one prayed before the service. People just chatted to one another. The first time I saw people praying before a service was at the Catholic Church…

I try to say prayers before I go to church (I have a booklet with Communion prayers) and I pray before Mass in the pew. I also think it’s awesome when people stay behind after Mass to offer thanksgiving and pray before the Tabernacle 👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top