Learning How to Pray from Samuel Wells and Stanley Hauerwas

　　Dr. Samuel Wells was the speaker of the Seminary’s 2015 Belote Lectures. In the three morning academic lectures he taught us to reflect on prayer, ministry, and mission under the major rubric of “Being with God.” Owing to this precious opportunity, I was honored to learn from him first hand and we discussed the theology, ethics, and spirituality of prayer. When I mentioned that I had recently translated Prayers Plainly Spoken by Stanley Hauerwas into Chinese, we said in unison, “His prayers break all the rules.” However, Wells added with a knowing smile, “But Stanley is Stanley.” So, what exactly are the rules that Wells considers prayers should follow, especially public prayers? ¹ What can we learn about how to pray from Hauerwas who does not always abide by any rules?

　　Even though they may have come to Christ many years ago, quite many lay Christians do not fully comprehend what prayer actually is and does, and they may even be full of doubts about it. For Wells, prayer is a theological event with a focus on the Trinity. For humans, being able to speak to God (even being commanded to do so) is obviously an amazing grace. Moreover, Christian prayer is different from divination (consulting the oracle), propitiation, or “worship and prayer” in folk religions. The practice of prayer is a vocation to which all Christians are called. This calling reveals that the Holy Father, Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit are the Triune God who listens to our prayers, personally teaches us how to pray, and even prays with us together. Unlike other deities who stay aloof high above us, occasionally doing us a little favor or begrudgingly performing a small miracle, or demanding that humans first court their favor and afterward be grateful and reciprocate for what is done for them, the God to whom Christians pray is very much different. Our God, the Trinity, is superabundant and His grace far exceeds what we can receive. However, as humans, our limited imagination restricts the richness of God. When we refuse God’s grace, this is what we mean by “sin.” Often, we pray to God just for what we “want,” forgetting that God has already given us everything we “need” in order to be His disciples in the world. Our God is an Agent who acts before us and always be with us. He is God the Trinity in solidarity with humanity and His faithfulness and loving kindness never fails us. He is definitely not a god who is out of reach, looks upon us coldly or indifferently, or demands that we report to Him in every great detail before He can casually decide whether to respond and act on whims. The action and plan of the Trinity does not depend on what the church will or will not do, or what the church will openly ask or will not ask.

　　In this way, prayer is not simply a matter of humans speaking to God, but a way for God to speak to us and a way for us to learn to listen to God. This is an opportunity for us to personally discover what kind of god He actually is, and it also indirectly tells us what our genuine needs are, who we are, to whom we belong, and where we are going. Prayer is to put God, who always acts first, at the center. It is not human-centered or -oriented, nor do humans take the initiative. Before we verbally say our prayer, we must know: what God has done for us in the past, what He is doing now, and what He has already promised that He will do in the future. Only then can we know how to discern what we ought to do, or what we need not do. For there are things God has already done therefore we don’t have to; there are things only God can do and we cannot overstep. But the intriguing mystery is, there are things obviously God Himself can do, and only He can accomplish, yet He deliberately wills to let us, who are all unworthy, to work with Him, involving us as part of His plan.

　　I would say that, the theological ethics of Wells is all about enabling the church to become a community of prayer. First, we need to figure out what kind of agent our Triune God actually is; what are His will, character, ways of doing things, and ultimate plan for the creation. Only then, we will know, when we pray: what are the things we should not ask for; what are the things we do not have to ask because God Himself will provide for us; what are the things we do not yet need to ask for because God wants us to continue to listen, to be silent, and to seek His will. In short, to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be shown to us. The Christian prayers , especially the public prayers in church, are not for our own sake but for the sake of the world, for the purpose of fulfilling God’s plan for the entire creation, seeking God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven and vice versa.

　　What kind of theology (the doctrine of God, ecclesiology, and eschatology) a church holds, what kind of prayers she will use; the way a church prays will also reflect the kind of theology she lives by. That is why, to pray without ceasing (entrusting everything to God) and to give thanks in all circumstances (attribute everything to God) does not necessarily mean that we are genuinely “spiritual” or “God-loving.” For example, should the church pray for the next Sunday’s weather when there will be an outing for the congregation (and also to offer thanksgiving for the good weather afterward)? Just think: has God ever promised that there is always a blue sky when we need it? Moreover, there are all kinds of big and small activities organized by all churches 365 days a year, if God answers all these prayers, would all the people have enough water they need? Regardless of whether these prayers are appropriate or not, the church really needs to reflect on them: are our prayers sometimes too self-centered, and not world-centered or God-centered enough? Will they sometimes expect God to be in our service instead of asking God: how we may serve you? Or worse still, is it sometimes the case that we try to force God to clean up the mess left by the ministry we carry out in the name of serving God, but actually acting on our own initiative?

　　However, does it mean that even in our private prayers, Christians cannot pray for our own personal needs, or the needs of our relatives and friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ? In several sessions of the Belote Lectures, the audience repeatedly asked our speaker the similar questions: if my relative (or myself) is afflicted with an acute illness, or an incurable disease, in face of such circumstances or even impending death, how should we pray? Whether on or off stage, Wells patiently responded to these lay Christians and answered wisely with the heart of a pastor. He classifies prayers into at least three categories:

1. Prayer of Resurrection: That is to ask God for His miraculous intervention and to change things that human effort cannot change. For example, we can intercede for the sick and ask God Himself to heal the terminally ill directly, or indirectly through the hands of doctors. To perform a miracle is what God, and only God, can and may do. Therefore this kind of prayer is in line with the character of God the Creator, and His nature as an agent; so it is theologically in order. Nevertheless, we must also strive to better know God’s character and His methods, and learn to understand God’s heart and mind. Even though the sick may not be cured, this does not mean that God rejects our prayer, because God has His own way of answering prayers that He has heard. Therefore, the prayer life of lay Christians (and even that of the church) cannot monotonously, chronically, and permanently stick to asking God for interventions to meet our needs; otherwise, our spirituality and virtue will not grow.
2. Prayer of Transfiguration: When Christians come across ordeals and predicaments in life, besides asking for God’s intervention, they can also ask God to appear before those who suffer, reveal Himself as He is, and allow them to know Him deeper through their suffering, and prove that God the Trinity is true and living. Where there is suffering, there is God, who will especially appear to those who suffer. This is His promise and a response that reflects His own character. Moreover, God can transform our physical torment and spiritual deprivation into glory, joy, peace, and even make use of our testimony of suffering to bless other people.
3. Prayer of Incarnation: Yet, to intercede for those who experience great tribulation (especially natural disasters or human calamities that shake the whole society) is sometimes an extremely difficult task. We feel empathetic with those who suffer so much so that we ourselves cannot even utter a word. When we do not even know what to ask for, we then can ask God’s presence with us, because God enjoys being with humans. This is His nature. When we lack faith, we ask Him for faith; when we know not how to pray, we then ask God Himself to teach us to pray because we all know that this is the moment when the Holy Spirit silently intercedes for us with His sigh.

　　Therefore, Wells holds that there is a basic rule that should never be violated in prayer (especially the public prayer in the Sunday service): the prayer is addressed to God the Trinity and never the congregation. To put it in a more concrete form: the one and only addressee is “You” (God the Creator), so when one prays with a mouthful of “I” or “we,” and even the addressee has secretly been replaced by “you,” (meaning the congregation) he or she has gone astray. The prayer is no longer a prayer to God. For instance, it may have been changed into a weekly business report or the intercessor is lecturing to the congregation.

　　Building on the Anglican liturgy, the catholic tradition, and his own theological ethics, Wells proposes some rules of thumb as guidelines for those who are assigned to lead the public prayer, so that they may say better prayers. For example, as a pastor, Wells is especially concerned that the message of his public prayer should be as “inclusive” as possible. That is to say, the prayer should not prevent any segment of the congregation, perhaps due to their identity or personal circumstances, from saying “Amen” together or feel excluded from the shared, common life of church.

　　Wells half-jokingly complained that his good friend Stanley Hauerwas’s prayers “fail the test.” By this, he only means that as far as format, organization, decorum, and structure are concerned, Hauerwas’s prayers do not follow any rules. However, his prayers are indeed not formal intercessions used in worship but are instead prayers used in the classroom. Because they are said with his own students before every class begins, these prayers need not stick to formality. Moreover, on the surface his prayers seem to have their own way, with signature of his characteristic passion, and having an unrestrained and vigorous style brimming with talent (for example, he can even make fun of God in his prayers). But in fact, his prayers are thoughtful and each time they have been carefully composed ahead of time, especially for that day’s lesson. Besides, what attracts most criticisms in Hauerwas’s prayers is the overt personal stamp of his theology. However, it is not his intention to show off his knowledge, or to instill his own theology in his students. It may be hard to imagine, but for Hauerwas, such an outstanding theologian, it is a very embarrassing chore to pray publicly; and yet, as a teacher, he has the responsibility to care for his students’ spiritual needs. As a result, he cannot but mobilize all his resources he can muster to fulfill the task. In a prayer entitled “Who Am I to Pray?,” he makes the following confession:

“Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of prayer. What an extraordinary thing that we can pray to you, unburden ourselves before you, place our cares, woes and joys before you. I confess I find praying an awkward business. I keep thinking, Who am I to pray? But I know that to be false humility, hiding my prideful desire to be my own creator. So we pray a prayer of joy in prayer, asking that we become your prayers for one another. Amen.”

　　However unruly his prayers are, Hauerwas never mistakes to whom he prays. Of course, we do not have to (in fact, it is impossible) imitate his prayers which are imbued with his brand of theology. But what is most worthy of our imitation is his naked honesty before God. So much so that he is willing to share with his students and readers these very private and intimate words spoken to Lord the Creator. What we need to learn from Hauerwas is that we all have the “need” to pray and the essence of prayer begins with our confession of our need, deficiency, or even despair. Yet, amidst such human scarcity and helplessness, it is God who allows us to experience His abundance. In another prayer, “Teach Me to Beg,” Hauerwas demonstrates to us the most basic spiritual attitude of prayer:

Dear Jesus, send your Spirit on us so that we will be taught to pray. Prayer is hard, requiring great effort, but when done, effortless. I confess I have never liked to pray. Prayer is too much like begging. So I have to pray that your generous Spirit will teach me to beg. I beg you to help all of us discover that our lives are constituted by prayer, so that we may be in your world one mighty, joyous prayer. Make us so rested by such prayer, so content to be your people, that we kill no more. Amen.

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¹ C. f. Samuel Wells and Abigail Kocher, Shaping the Prayers of the People: The Art of Intercession (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2014).