In Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth, Walter Brueggemann writes, “Alongside that substantive act of submission and petition, prayer at the opening of class is a heavily symbol-laden act, for it situates knowledge in the context of faith. It articulates a proper ratio of reason to faith and quite practically asserts that learning takes place with a cloud of witnesses who have believed and trusted before the present company and who believe and trust presently alongside the immediate body of teachers and learners. Thus prayer at the beginning of class in a seminary is not a mere convention – though it is that. It is an act of rightly framing the instruction of the day among a body of believers or would-be believers who are unafraid of the task of learning (xv).”

Though Brueggemann’s context is one between professor and student, I cannot help but think a similar dynamic exists between preacher and congregant. Preaching exists within the context of faith. It is both an expression of and call to faith. Therefore, in both the teaching of theology and the preaching of God’s word, prayer must rightly orient the moment. With this said, I wonder to what extent we prepare for prayer as preachers vs. ad-hoc? I must admit that prayer in my sermons need more advanced thought so that I might rightly introduce and conclude my sermons – in a cloud of witnesses, in the presence of the Lord. Perhaps then, a body of believers or would-be believers would be better prepared to courageously engage the Word of Life face to face.