Thursday, April 7, 2011

Amen and Shared Amen.

I'm a bit weirded out by the lack of Amening in my new bible study. I'm used to group prayer times where you pray, say Amen, and others say Amen like an echo. The Shared Amen says "yes, I am with you in that prayer." Without the Shared Amen, I pray, say Amen, and feel like the other group members have been listening respectfully but may or may not be with me. It's just taking turns to pray, not group praying.

I guess maybe it's different depending on culture and shyness and habit. Praying in front of people is pretty nervous stuff. But I think the more Amen love the better. I'm a recent fan of the Mmm mid-prayer, as well. When you pray for something, and someone agrees so much that they can't wait till the end so they need to add a "Mmmm" while you pray, it's very encouraging.
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6 comments:

  1. appleApril 7, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    Amen!

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  2. Ben McLaughlinApril 12, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Best post I've read in ages. Gold. Very tidy work touching on the Mmm factor as well. I am only a fairly recent Mmmer, but am a big fan of it all the same.

    It's all about the solidarity.

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  3. JessicaApril 12, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Thanks for your support.

    I've tried determinedly solo-echoing, but that's weird. Like if I was a clapper, and I started clapping along to Lord I Lift Your Name On High in church, and nobody joined me, but I kept clapping til the end. I don't know if there is a way to build up to the Shared Amen as a single Amener.

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  4. Ben McLaughlinApril 13, 2011 at 9:21 AM

    Yeah it's bad being a sole clapper. Been there. Grr to you, annoyingly reserved western society.

    Once you're in, you sort of need to commit, however I have sometimes bowed out by dropping first to clapping every two bars, to every four, to every 8, until I can find an inconspicuous out.

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  5. Dawn MerzApril 13, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    Ben and Jessica, you both make me laugh!! I am the Amen-er and an unapologetic Mmmmm-er (call me a born communicator, even in "sounds"), but I am a hesitant clapper who tests the water carefully and only jumps on the bandwagon once it is clearly going somewhere. I'm just too self-conscious and then if I am a solo clapper, I start over-thinking the clap and wonder if I am clapping slightly off-beat... not good. Thanks for the laughs... and for the reminder that it is encouraging to agree with each other in prayer.

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  6. JessicaApril 14, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Nice to meet you, Dawn, and thankyou for being a generous Mmmmm-er!

    ReplyDelete

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