#603. Prayer Walks
Aug 24th by adminI’ve prayed before while walking but I’ve never been on an official “prayer walk.” I’m not sure what exactly makes them official, perhaps a hat or a map of the place you’re going to pray through. It’s hard to tell because different people have different definitions of what a prayer walk includes, but for some people it includes what is known as a “vacation.”
I say that because someone I know went on a mission trip prayer walk in Rome, Italy. Before you send in your support money and offer up a hedge of protection for them, let me first and foremost say that fear not, they returned safely months ago.
That’s the kind of mission trip that makes me a little cynical. When I hear about trips like that, the grumpy old man inside me kicks over the rocking chair on his metaphorical front porch and wants to ghost ride his rascal scooter off a cliff after using some World War II era profanities at some neighborhood street youths.
But who am I to judge when a prayer walk is a mission trip and when it’s just a nice chance to walk through an amazing city while also occasionally praying when you’re not buying fine leather belts? It’s not like there’s a helpful questionnaire that allows you to determine if someone is a missionary or a vacationary …
Missionary or Vacationary?
1. Where are you going?
A. To a country that last saw a tourist in 1987.
B. To a country that people regularly honeymoon in, retire in or go on “shell collecting excursions” in.
2. How many personal suitcases are you bringing?
A. The entire team is sharing one so I’ll be required to wear all the clothes I want to bring on the plane. I’ll have five pairs of pants on at once.
B. Whichever matching set I feel best complements the native flora and fauna.
3. How many bathing suits are you packing?
A. None, there’s not an ocean or there won’t be any time to swim.
B. As many as I can fit in my suitcases.
4. How many shots do you have to get beforehand?
A. At least 14.
B. Ouchie, no thanks.
5. If you’ll be doing a prayer walk, where will you be walking?
A. Through the Kibera slums in Kenya.
B. By the Pantheon, the Trevi fountain and hopefully the Sistine Chapel. Fingers crossed!
6. What’s your greatest worry about the trip?
A. I can’t pick just one. Probably malaria or that civil unrest would break out with a government coup started inevitably by a General that has a really thick mustache.
B. Wicked bad sunburn from not getting enough of a base tan before we leave.
7. Can you drink the water?
A. No. If we boil it and then run it through a filter system and then dissolve these charcoal tablets in it we can use it to wash our hands. But drink? No.
B. Yes, and it will be sparkling. Probably Pellegrino if I had to guess.
8. What will the reaction of friends and family members be when you get back?
A. “I’m so glad you made it home safely!”
B. “Did you get me a souvenir? Did you remember I am a size medium t-shirt?”
9. If you post photos of the trip on Facebook, what will people write in the comments?
A. “I prayed for your safety! Are you sure you should be posting photos that mention the location like that? I thought that country had serious issues with Christians being there?”
B. “I love that place! We’re going next summer for vacation! Staying at a Sandals!”
10. Did anything about the trip leave an impression on you?
A. “Yes, a small knife that a thug used to cut my fanny pack off left a scar on my lower back. I will never forget that.”
B. “Yes, the food. I ate a piece of caper glazed sea bass that danced on my tongue like Michael Flatley, the Lord of the Dance.”
If you answered A to the majority of those questions, then congratulations, you’re a prayer walking missionary. My younger brother for instance goes on regular prayer walks through the neighborhood he and his wife live in East Nashville. They pick up trash along the way and given the homicides and gang violence are prayed up long before they walk out their front door. If you answered B to the majority of those questions however, then congratulations you’re a prayer walking vacationary.
Please just know that if you send me a support letter I am going to call your “if you can’t give money, please just give prayers” bluff and send you back many, many prayers. I’ll save some for me too though because I am sinning in my heart right this second and am clearly struggling with an amount of judgmentalism that makes your vacationary plans pale in comparison to my own nonsense.
Comments
Jon,
You started a real conversation here. I think there are two main deals you have to deal with:
1) The legitimacy of short term missions in general.
2) The validity of many places in Europe as a mission field.
Do you have something to say?
"I personally would rather be naive, than to sit back and grumble that every good deed is some kind of sham and not try to make some kind of difference."
The sad state of Christianity in the West is that we would rather be naive and think things are great than to face the truth about the world.
I certainly do not think every good deed is a sham. Only some. Mostly those good deeds done by people who prefer naivite' so they can convince themselves they are making a huge impact. There are those making BIG differences in the world, but they are mostly those who have spent enough time in a place to suffer through serious language learning and culture shock, and have gotten past the "honeymoon" stage of missions.
HA!!!
Oh I know me some… I know me some…
Honestly, it's okay. You are allowed to go on a vacation – no need to over spirtualize it. Just go.
Okay, I get what you're saying, but I have to say that a few years ago, my daughter and her husband, went to plant a church in England and lived there for a year. A lot of people were like "Ha ha, well, that's a cool way to get to vacation in England for a year."
Sounds like it, eh? But the truth is that it was hard, incredibly hard, to minister to a people who are in what is considered by many to be a "Christian" nation, and for that reason were hardened to the word of Christ probably much more than any people in an undeveloped country.
My daughter and her husband worked very, VERY hard to help establish a church in an industrial city there, which was no vacation, let me assure you. They existed on a very bare amount of money from their church until they could find full time jobs, and lived in a tiny, seedy apartment in an area that was regularly filled with people drinking, fighting, and sometimes rioting after soccer games. (I'm not kidding)
In England, the police stand by and do nothing when there are fights, even if there are weapons and danger to bystanders, because if they get hurt, their insurance won't pay treatment of their injuries. They just wait and arrest whoever is left standing.
My daughter and her husband both worked full time to supplement their stipend from the church, and then worked after hours and weekends on and for the church. My daughter would often have to walk home alone at night, because her husband was still at work and she couldn't afford a cab, and there was no bus that ran near their apartment.
So, the "vacationary" definition doesn't always depend on whether or not there is running water in the vicinity, and whether it's considered a tourist destination. I feared for my daughter every day she was there, and prayed fervently for her protection. I was so thankful when she came home. So yea, a little judgey, this time. But I'm still a fan, because you admit it. And I've certainly done worse.
Just wanted to add that I realize missionaries and church planters are often faced with much greater obstacles than a bad neighborhood and little money. But the point I was trying to make was that my daughter and her husband went to England not for a vacation, but to bring the word of Christ to people who need him just as badly as those in third world countries. And it wasn't easy, and it wasn't a lot of fun. It's all about the heart, not the destination.
I got a support letter from a college kid who wanted to raise money for his summer class in England because while he was there learning he hoped to have some ministry opportunities.
Pastor Bob
Great points. Here's what I think about the two subjects you mentioned:
1) The legitimacy of short term missions in general.
I think short term missions can be awesome. I've gone on some, have had friends go on short term missions and hope to do that again in the future. I regret if this piece came off as me saying short term missions were not legit.
2) The validity of many places in Europe as a mission field.
I think any place on the planet where someone is lost can be a mission field. I think any place on the planet where you go with the wrong intentions cannot be a mission field. I think a lot of it comes down to intent. Is Rome a mission field? Certainly. Could I go there under the guise of missions but do it in a way that was selfish? Without a doubt.
An equal point that I was trying to make in that post, that unfortunately got lost in all the points about missions, was that I really struggle with being judgmental. That was what I was trying to get across with the sentence:
"I am sinning in my heart right this second and am clearly struggling with an amount of judgmentalism that makes your vacationary plans pale in comparison to my own nonsense."
And the truth is, I'm going to get these things wrong. That's the beauty and terror of a blog. You post something, a conversation you're having in your head right now and then people help shape it by challenging it and critiquing it and showing you a million points of view you didn't think of or things you missed or just dumb mistakes you made. A missionary emails you and says "I loved that post so much I'm reposting it on all our mission websites" and then in the very same day a different missionary says something like "I serve in Rome and felt like that was unfair." And so then you go back to your little piece of the planet with a new perspective and try to think about how you might do it differently next time, grateful that someone cared enough to call you out but frustrated that you took the wrong angle on an issue.
I'm rambling at this point. Thanks for raising those two points. I appreciate you adding to the conversation.
Jon
Anon,
Let me just clear something up here. I never said that everything was great in the world. That's why I believe that even short term missions trips are important.
And I certainly don't believe that I'm making a BIG difference in any way. But I do know that the little things count.
I consider every type of short term missionary trip of the vacationary kind unless the people involved are also helping to build up their, or a nearby, community. It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so full of love for African babies and speak of wanting to end poverty by building schools for three weeks, yet step over the homeless every day on their way to work, school, or the grocery store. You can't help everybody, but you can try. And the first step is acknowledging that people are people wherever you go. My home situation really drove home the lesson "there but for the grace of God go I". My mom was addicted for twenty years, and would have ended up on the streets if she had had less of a support system. On the streets, she would have been ignored by those same Christians that appease their conscience by donating to the local youth group going to Brazil or Rome or Mexico. So no, exotic missionary short trips do not cut it with me. It's just an easy way to go somewhere exotic for cheap and get to feel good about yourself. It has little to do with other people. In most cases, at least.
Hi Jon,
I'm afraid I don't have the time to read through 62 comments to see if someone has said this already, but I'd just like to say that in my experience as a missionary both in Africa and Europe, while Africa is an understandable mission destination because of its MATERIAL need, Europe–at least France–is WAY behind when it comes to SPIRITUAL need, and is in desperate need of missionaries and people who are willing to give up their lives to work there. Yes, it is 'cushier' in terms of environment (which ironically makes it so much harder to raise support), but the need is so very great, and the work is hard and laborious.
So, if you come across anyone who wants to work as a valid missionary in the beautiful French Alps, I know a camp there that desperately needs a fulltime administrative assistant who is willing to work for no pay. And yes, benefits such as a ski resort just up the hill are included.
(But thanks, as always, for the good post and making me think!)
What you said, "When I hear about trips like that, the grumpy old man inside me kicks over the rocking chair on his metaphorical front porch and wants to ghost ride his rascal scooter off a cliff after using some World War II era profanities at some neighborhood street youths."
All I can say Jon is BRILLIANT!
i generally enjoy your posts and have a good laugh.. but this post really hurt my feelings. it echoed a sentiment i have come across so often in the past few years. i have been in full time missions in germany since 2001…
it is increadibly hard to raise support because people think i am just on "vacation." this is no vacation. and, its actually really expensive to do missions in europe.. i live far under the poverty threshhold.
one man actually came up to me after a speaking engagement in the states, and asked me in all earnestness "now if i give you this, are you going to go off and use it to buy a lambourgihni?" before putting a dollar in my hand.
Hi Jon,
Thank you so much for commenting with such length and detail to my question.
Hey… this is what I have to say… most long-term missionaries really care about what they're doing no matter where it is and they suffer to do it.
About what you said regarding one person taking it in a good way and another taking it in a bad way…
This blog is a crucible for your ideas. Instead of being frustrated by that, be thankful for it. It's just a blog. It's not a final "stance paper" you are presenting to God to see if you pass. By putting your thoughts out there you get a lot of help from others to work them out, and for you to change your thinking by considering things you never considered before. If you only had two "yes man" commenters, you couldn't do this so much. But you have hundreds of commenters of people willing to both praise and challenge you. That is a real blessing.
You know how it says in Proverbs that iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another. You have those people to help sharpen you. Be very thankful!
You know what would be very interesting… for you to a post… or series of posts… of things you've learned or changed your thinking on BECAUSE of comments people have left that made you consider things you never thought of before.
Thank you.
Jon,
I can't believe you created a post hell-bent on humilating and belittling every Christian who ever attempted to make a difference on the continent of Europe. Shame on you for mocking the reformation and spitting in the face of Martin Luther and John Calvin. What's next? A C.S. Lewis book burning???
Oh wait, let me re-read your original post a moment… ahhhh, I see. You were just questioning people who say they went on "mission trips" when they did no sharing of the gospel.
Well, your "Missionary or Vacationary Questionnaire" is not 100% theologically correct. Perhaps you should take it before the Nicene Council, Council of Orange, and Geneva Convention for review and approval.
Desperately searching for ways to be offended,
Jason
p.s. what does 'fecicious' mean?
The thing is, you have to do prayer walks in exotic, touristy places. And here is why: it's a disguise. In a normal situation, if you have 15-30 people walking down streets together in a mob, it just looks weird. Or dangerous (which is not a good idea in a third world country). But in a tourist location, it looks like you're part of a tour group! You can sneak in and bam! know one knows you're praying. Sneaky!
Let me qualify my previous comment.
I am poking at the idea of prayer walks in general. I find them awkward. I know prayer is important and I know prayer does mighty things. I just think that frequently we could do it… differently… I mean, if I lived somewhere and saw a mob walking past my house, and especially if I knew they were praying, I would wish they were doing something tangible for me to see. Maybe pick up trash. Or engage people in conversation. Something.
(I'm sure somebody's already said something to this affect, but I'm too lazy to read all the abundant comments.)
I was skeptical about a good friend of mine who "suffered for Jesus" serving with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Hawaii and Fiji. Turns out, however, that she was spending her time with homeless people, drug users, and prostitutes scraping by in tropical paradise. I felt more than a little stupid for prejudging that one.
And I'm writing this from my patio in East Nashville. How fun that your brother lives here! It's a wonderful place
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