I think it was in the movie Barber Shop though it could have been one of the Friday series, but it was a quick prayer, given by Ice Cube.
In my years of serving, and being in the service industry in general, I’ve gotten to see many people in many different groups praying in many different ways. I don’t mean to poke fun at anyone’s beliefs…that’s a bold faced lie and I’m going to Hell for this, but sometimes, people take their prayer sessions a little over the top.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with people who pray, in the majority anyway. My problem comes from the ones who want you to pray with them. I’ve talked about this before, back when I first started RagingServer and gotten some mixed comments on the subject, and while I hate to rehash a topic too much, this one kind of fits.
I just don’t feel comfortable when I’m working, waiting tables, and people want to grab my hand and bow their heads in prayer. That’s your thing, not mine, please don’t feel the need to include me.
I’m getting off topic a little. The reason I started this post wasn’t to talk shit about people who pray, it was to talk shit about the different ways they pray.
Muslims pray 300 times a day, on a pretty mat in the corner. I exaggerate, I think it’s only 4 times a day. I’m all for that form of prayer, because it’s usually out of my way and doesn’t get on my nerves. Muslims, you get a big thumbs up on that one.
I’ve heard so many different and long winded prayers, it makes me wish that on the days that I have to hear it, “Jesus Wept,” would just be suitable. Personally, I was always partial to “Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub.” I was raised Catholic, and I honestly don’t remember the dinner prayer we said once you get past “In the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost.”
I’ve walked up to tables, and seen people almost in tears while they said their dinner prayers, mumbling things like, “Thank you for this cheesestick, that we shall partake in before our meal.” That’s not an exaggeration.
I’ve walked up to tables and thought that I was dealing with mentally incapacitated people, seeing a family of three sitting perfectly still, not looking at each other, not holding hands or anything, just sitting still. I didn’t realize they were in prayer, usually that’s over with in 30 seconds or less. This particular group lasted almost 7 minutes. I didn’t even feel bad for interrupting them either. All it would have taken was a nod from them and I’d have left.
As it was, I was almost yelling, “Come on, guys, I need to get your drinks. Why are you ignoring me?”
It kind of makes me think that Ice Cube had it right. “Jesus Wept” is about the shortest prayer I’ve ever heard, and I think it would be the most appropriate for most situations. Short, sweet, and mentioning the christian Lord and Savior.
I’m interested to know what kind of prayers other people say at dinner time. Other religions. Me personally, I am silent for a minute before eating, and those above me know what I’m thinking so I don’t have to say or do anything.
What about you?
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March 28th, 2008 at 5:15 am
I just say, “Thanks” and be done with it. I know who I am talking to, He knows who I am talking to, nuff said. It annoys me how some people look like they are praying just to put on a show for the others around them. Fakers!
March 28th, 2008 at 10:08 am
You know, I’ve never heard of “Jesus Wept” being used as a prayer. Rather, I’m only familiar with it as a form of swearing. Huh.
The practices of some Christians disturbs me. I’ve known a great many who’re totally cool, but then there are those who are aggressive about their beliefs. I figure it’s one thing if a family knows the server (like, from church, say) and includes them in their prayer, but to do that to a stranger? Yeah… That’s making a huge assumption which is also pretty arrogant.
It brings to mind an incident my Buddhist brother had with a Catholic woman. She kept trying to get him to come to Catholic events, until he finally said, “Look, that’s not my faith, stop sending me these notices.”
Her reply, “Don’t be small minded.”
Uh huh - because being anything but Catholic is small minded. *Side note: my brother and I were both raised Catholic, so it’s not like he’s unaware of what Catholicism is.*
March 28th, 2008 at 11:30 am
My maternal grandfather used to say this little ditty:
“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; whoever eats the fastest gets the most!”
March 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I, quite frankly, am tired of the rude ass christians where I work. They talk down to you on Sunday’s (”why are you not at church??” “um, so i can serve your self righteous ass.”), leave Jesus pamphlets in place of cash tips, and in general just amaze in the way that they can leave a place of worship and treat their servers like shit.
We have to two waves of Sunday folk where I work. first, it’s the white “christians” that let their loud ass children behave like wild monkeys while the parents refuse to look you in the eye unless it’s to give you a holier than thou smile because you are going to burn in hell and they aren’t.
the second wave is the black “christians” who come in large groups, drink strawberry lemonade and mango teas, have the manners of ogres, then complain to a manager so they can get half their food for free.
and the praying people…. i had a table once that wanted to know if i had anything they wanted them to pray about. i said “yeah, pray for a big tip”. RUDE! i am not a christian and do not need your prayers. you can pray til you are blue in the face for all i care, but you have no idea what my beliefs are, so keep it to yourself.
the christians can be out of control sometime, i live in the south though so it might be a bigger problem here than in other parts of the US. i refused to wait on a table once when i saw a book on it that said “the homosexual problem and god’s way to solve it”. some people are just disgusting. leave your hate propaganda in the car please.
and leave your religion out of my life, especially when i’m just doing my job..
March 28th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Honestly, prayer at home is different for us than prayer in public. It is not a good thing (and it’s mentioned in the Bible) to draw attention to yourself during prayer…trying to look all spiritual-like. I’m Greek Orthodox….so prayer at home is lengthy. But in public “The Lord’s Prayer” (Our Father who art in heaven…) is okay. Sometimes it’s even only a quick cross over my food. I can’t stand it when certain people make a big show of how religious they are because they hold hands and say a LONG prayer before they eat.
And by the way…”Jesus wept” is a verse from the Bible..the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35
March 28th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
There’s always the Catholic classic:
“Bless us o Lord in these thy gifts which we are about to receive, from thy bounty through Christ our lord.”
And then there’s my partner’s dad’s version:
“Bless us o Lord in whatever this is…”
March 29th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
““the homosexual problem and god’s way to solve it”.”
Somehow I doubt the true answer was in it. The true answer btw is for anti-gay Christians to come out of the closet and stop the self loathing.
Seriously some of these anti-gay ones are quite blatant with the self loating since they state with glinting eyes that people do homosexual sex since it is more fullfulling and exciting then heterosexual sex. Ah no the only ones who would like a homosexual sexual act would be either homosexual, bi even bi-curious, or those who hadn’t got any sexual relief for over two decades on an island without any farm animals or pornography.
April 1st, 2008 at 8:01 am
Ours is short and sweet and only done at home.
Please bless this food for which we are about to receive. Amen. (sign of cross)
April 1st, 2008 at 8:02 am
Oh.. and the shortest one that i know is
“grace”
heehee
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:38 am
I like to consider myself a “normal” Christian. I will pray with my family before meals at a restaurant, and it will take about 10-15 seconds.
I would never think to include the server. That’s just weird.
Though I consider myself devout and am grateful for the Lord’s blessings, I wouldn’t want to get too emotional saying grace at a restaurant.
And 7 minutes is really overly long for a prayer before a meal.
I wouldn’t ask the server what I could pray about for them. I wouldn’t leave a tract since that’d be out of place.
That’s too bad that Dustin has had bad experiences with those two waves of Christians. I don’t think we’re all like that. I treat servers with respect and cordiality. I was a waiter once so I know exactly what it’s like.
About the homosexuality issue, that’s certainly a hot button issue. But we Christians didn’t make up our own stance. We believe it’s God’s position, as expressed in the Bible. But with practically everything else sexual, human beings have chosen their own way instead of God’s.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
“About the homosexuality issue, that’s certainly a hot button issue. But we Christians didn’t make up our own stance.”
Actually you did… Jesus nor God wrote the Bible… and Jesus never said a word about gays…
April 4th, 2008 at 10:56 am
BitterDustin, I will readily admit that Jesus nor God literally wrote the Bible with their own hands. (I will also readily admit that we don’t even have the original manuscripts for the Old and New Testament books.)
But generally we Christians believe that God’s (Jesus’) will was communicated quite clearly to his many prophets in the Old Testament period (ie. Moses, Isaiah, etc) and in the New Testament period (Matthew, John, Paul, Peter, etc). In turn, these various faithful followers of God recorded His dealings with people and the things He said over centuries. Ultimately, the church believes that the Bible contains exactly what God wanted written and that it is an accurate expression of His beliefs, from cover to cover. So yes, the Bible was written by human beings, but they are divine words to us, thus expressing God’s position on homosexuality and other issues.
Jesus never said anything about gays, you’re right. But the “argument from silence” is not an argument. It’s just what it is: silence. But Jesus clearly stated what marriage was all about–a man and a woman. And the whole Bible, which, again, I contend to be an expression of God’s/Jesus’ will, is quite clear in condemning homosexuality.
April 5th, 2008 at 12:50 am
dude, i’m seriously going to do the whole religious argument here… i was raised southern baptist man… you can’t tell me anything that hasn’t been driven into me through years of emotional and mental abuse through zealous and oppressed christians. i have BEEN there. believe me. the fact is, the “word” of god is the word of man. written and rewritten time and time again, be it through politics and/or basic justification of how modern day christians want the world to reflect the teachings of a man who has no say over what said “word” has to do with his meaning. if jesus were here, he would spit on the hate of christians today. love knows no limits.
April 5th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
BitterDustin, it’s really unfortunate and regrettable that your past church experience left you describing it as “years of emotional and mental abuse”. I’m sure Jesus weeps over that. Church was never intended to be a place of suffering, to say the least.
I believe the Southern Baptist denomination is good and legitimate, but sometimes individual parents (or churches) can be overzealous and domineering and destroy the seeds of faith in a person’s life.
I believe you when you say you’ve “BEEN” there. It sounds like it has left you bitter, as your online namesake suggests. I just wonder, however, if these memories color your understanding of the doctrine of the Bible as the word of God. (Just as if one is molested by a Catholic priest, it will certainly affect one’s perception of the Catholic Church, but we shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bath water.)
I think that if one takes an objective and unbiased look at the Bible, one will see that it has been translated by committees of dedicated scholars seeking to preserve the original meaning and sense of the Biblical manuscripts, without prejudice or politics. Basically, they’re just trying to do a good job of translating.
You’re right, Jesus would probably be upset with the hate of Christians today. I don’t like it when Christians come off as hateful either. But there’s still a fine line between hate and standing up for what we believe God is saying through His word, the Bible.
Maybe I’m interpreting you too broadly, but love DOES have limits. Love does not allow you to do whatever you want.