Dave is an attorney in Atlanta. He is successful, has a beautiful family, and is a devoted United Methodist. But Dave didn’t grow up in a church family. And he is still haunted by memories of being made fun of, left out, talked about, and ridiculed by his fourth grade class when they had prayer time. The teacher would lead a prayer and then the class would pray together the Lord’s Prayer. But Dave didn’t know The Lord’s Prayer. There was only one other child who didn’t know it either - a little girl - but she worked hard to learn the words so she could say it along with everyone else, even though she admitted she had no idea what it meant.

Dave didn’t start going to church until he was in his 50’s - and then he chose a Methodist church - because he remembered that his best friend in 4th grade had been Methodist - and he was the only child in his class who said “it’s okay if you don’t want to pray. My mom says that God loves you anyway.”

Nothing made Jesus angrier than when the religious leaders of his time tried to use their religion to oppress, or mock or judge or belittle someone. It wasn’t unusual for Pharisees to pray publicly, loudly, openly, emphatically - it was just a normal way for them to practice their faith. And no doubt many of them were sincere - strong in their faith and authentic in their devotion to God. Still, Jesus takes this occasion in our Scripture lesson to warn them - about being showy and wanting to gather attention . Maybe Jesus felt like public showy prayer cheapened their relationship with God and threatened to alienate those around them. So he says “beware of praying in public like the hypocrites - for they love to pray out loud to be seen by others. Truly they have already gained their reward.” In other words, the only possible good that might come of a prayer like that is that someone might think you are oh so religious.

It’s clear that in this Scripture Jesus is not saying that all public prayer is wrong - it is a very specific warning. Still, the fact that he would be so intentional about addressing public prayer means that there are serious potential downfalls, and we should examine them as well.

This week we will celebrate the 4th of July, giving thanks to God for our nation, for safety and prosperity, and for the freedom that we enjoy. That freedom does not come easily, or without price.  Many brave men and women have served and sacrificed and even died to ensure that the freedom we enjoy in our nation will continue. One of the freedoms we enjoy is the freedom regarding religion. Our founding fathers were determined that we would never have a church-led government. There would not be a national church or religion to which every citizen would be expected to belong. Men and women would be able to worship God in their own way without fear of persecution, or oppression or coercion.

This separation of church and state, which is not stated verbatim in the Constitution but which has come to be regarded as the statement of truth regarding the freedom the Constitution provides – this separation has served us well. It has not only allowed diversity - it has encouraged it - and we have learned and grown from the dialogue we share with one another.  Knowing the abuses of religious liberty that occurred early in the history of the colonies from which our nation grew, and knowing the abuses that still plague people in nations that do not separate the institutions of religion and government, I appreciate our nation's refusal to establish religious practices by civil laws.

There are some very basic reasons for the United Methodist position on public prayer as stated in our Social Principles. First and foremost, as we read the New Testament, we believe that Jesus’ goal in coming to earth was never about taking over the government. His disciples wanted him to. His followers hoped that he would. At one time or another, probably everyone who came into contact with Jesus of Nazareth thought he might - hoped that he would publicly renounce the existing government and make Judaism the rule of the land. And yet over and over again, Jesus shows his followers that his purpose is far more important, on a whole different level - than controlling the government.

Some of our Christian brothers and sisters want the same thing as Jesus’ early followers. They believe that since Christianity is the absolute truth, the government should be expressly Christian and that all Americans should not only be taught, led, and evangelized, but also coerced and even convicted until they see the truth of Christ.

As United Methodists we believe that freedom, free will which God grants to each of us, is an essential element of salvation and we believe that coercion and shaming , requiring a person to become Christian and threatening them if they do not is inconsistent with how Jesus went about his ministry. If as the church we are called to be the Body of Christ, should we not do the best we can to act and minister like he did?

My mother shared with me that she and my cousin and her husband all went to a City Council meeting where the new Chair and some other council members were being sworn into office. Apparently the men were all very religious and they invited their ministers to be present and to pray. On more than one occasion, the name of Jesus was invoked and the ceremony was conducted as if everyone present was Christian. My cousin remarked to my Mom “wow, I can tell I am back in the south - this never could have happened in California!”

Even though my Mom and my cousin and her husband are all devoted and sincere Christians, they were uncomfortable, they were worried about those present who might have felt left out, marginalized, ignored, or even judged. And like my Mom said, “It doesn’t make me any less of a Christian to care about the feelings of others around me who might be different than I.” I believe it makes us more Christian, because Jesus was all about hanging out with those who were different. And there’s no way that we can hang out with those who are different if we offend them and alienate them.

In the Fall Richard and I will be leading a class in Evangelism - a class to help us a church learn more about positive, compassionate and relevant ways to share our faith with those around us. Through relationship building, trust and respect, our faith witness can make a difference in the lives of others. And perhaps we can even un-do some of the harm that has been done in the name of Jesus Christ.

In my last church we welcomed a older man and his wife into church membership who had not been to church since their 20’s. The man’s father had died, and though he was a member of a church he did not attend, or serve or contribute. The minister who preached this man’s father’s funeral took the occasion as an opportunity to warn and threaten those who attended the funeral who were not, as he put it, saved. Apparently, the minister went as far as to say “you don’t have to end up like this man who has died -  you can be saved today.” Well, not surprisingly, the man’s son and his wife didn’t go to church for a long, long time.

Unfortunately, when the subject of public prayer is discussed, there are those who fear the same kind of message as was in the funeral. You and I know that prayers can be respectful of differing faiths and non-threatening. Still, the perception of coercion or even judgment can be so strong that it might outweigh any potential good. And besides, while worrying about offending someone or their feeling coerced is a concern for many Christians, there is also a legal issue. The legal issue is the government’s involvement in and active promotion of a religious activity. This idea that government is forbidden from instructing, guiding or even encouraging people towards any particular form of religious worship is at the core of our nation’s laws.

All of that being said, I believe that our young people should pray in school. They should have the freedom to express their faith to and with other students. Biblically speaking, even if the right to pray in public schools did not enjoy legal protection (as it does), prayers in public schools could not be stopped.

The Bible's teachings about prayer are pretty clear. Prayer is personal communion with God — messages of the heart and mind reaching out to and interacting with the spirit of God: Prayer is a voluntary act, an expression of individual's will. According to the Bible, no one can be forced to pray and no one can be forced to refrain from praying.

While teachers and administrators cannot lead or require students to pray, they must allow students to pray. Events like See you at the Pole are very popular at many of our public schools. Groups of Christian young people can gather and study and pray on school grounds. It happens all the time.

Have you ever noticed, though, that when the Gospels talk about Jesus praying, it is almost always when he is alone? Jesus went into the wilderness to pray. Jesus went off by himself to pray.

As a Christian, as a United Methodist, I oppose public prayers in public schools. We do not want or need the government's endorsement for our faith and the practices of our faith. Historically, Christianity has thrived when it is divorced from governmental endorsements and regulations. Our Bible portrays government as a legitimate and divine provision for organizing life and maintaining civility in civic communities.

The God revealed in sacred scriptures, God revealed in Jesus Christ, can never be shut out of any room,  any more than God can be restricted from any dimension of life. God does not need a law to guarantee public displays of divine worship!

It is frightening to hear some of the existing Christian rhetoric about public prayer in public schools. What is the motive for propagating the belief that the nation is trying to do away with prayer? For what purpose do people make the ludicrous suggestion that a high court can prevent an individual's communion with the sovereign God? And how dangerous it is to set vulnerable students on a road of negative citizenship – protesting against the courts and laws in our land that provide us with the freedom grow and practice our faith. Surely no one believes that they can pray meaningfully only if they can pray audibly in public.

As we celebrate the 4th of July - and as we consider the important issues in our government, let us look at the true nature of Christian spirituality — profound in its convictions but abounding with respect for people of other faiths and no faith. Let us celebrate the importance of personal communion with God. Instead of showiness that Jesus warns against, perhaps  people will observe us and say, "Look at those Christians. Those United Methodists.

See how they respect the rights of others with the same kind of devotion that they exhibit in their prayers and other religious practices. These people are good for the nation and strengthen our community. They merit respect and support."

What an opportunity we have! Our honest talk and thoughtful actions about prayer and other matters of faith can instill respect for religion and bring nurture to our neighborhoods. Perhaps we even can draw the residents of this area together to do the fundamental work that will enhance the quality of faith and politics, the religion and government, that determine the true moral character of our community.