Dear Lutheran,
Do you ever wonder about terminology? I mean really think about what words mean? I do. All the time. This could be because I have really nerdy reading habits. It could be because I'm a theatre person and words are my job. It could be because I listened to the song "Great Big Words" by Tom Chapin a little too often as a child. Chances are it's a combination of all of those things. Regardless of where my curiosity comes from, I find that words and their interpretation have a tendency to mess things up if both parties aren't clear on their meaning.
In all of my arguments about intercession of the Saints, I've been very careful not to use the phrase "pray to the Saints" for fear of scaring you off with the word. It has recently been brought to my attention that I should still use the word, but clearly define it so as not to create confusion. "Prayer" is a term widely accepted as one that denotes worship. However, this was not always the case. There is in fact a second definition which has since fallen by the wayside.
When reading Shakespeare, there are many times when the characters say, "I pray thee..." or "Prithee..." (sorry-- actor) This is not a religious invocation, but simply another word for "ask." Among the multiple definitions in most dictionaries is this: "An earnest hope or wish," or something quite similar. In this particular case, the definition came from the online Oxford Dictionary. In Shakespeare's time, when one would to a person, "I pray you will do the right thing" or "I pray you, help me," there certainly could have been religious significance, but more often it was simply a request in earnest. Over time, the word has devolved into one single definition whose sole use is religious and so is often misconstrued. And if we're going to get down to the nitty gritty of language of origin, "pray" comes from the Latin word precari, which means "to entreat".
*Side note* I was so hoping that there would be some Greek origins as well so that I could use a well placed My Big Fat Greek Wedding quote. No matter. This is a blog dedicated to the dialogue between the Orthodox and Lutherans. It will come up at some point.
When I pray to the saints, I ask them to pray for me. I ask them to ask God. Simple as that. Language proves to be a barrier all to often. To steal from Fr. Patrick Reardon's new book, the objection to the word "pray" is not "well founded, nor should a common misunderstanding of a term necessarily preclude it's use, especially when the use is joined to a proper explanation." (Reclaiming the Atonement p.15) Asking a Saint in earnest, *ahem* praying to a Saint is no different than asking a friend to pray for you or putting out some serious request.
Best,
Jacque
Do you ever wonder about terminology? I mean really think about what words mean? I do. All the time. This could be because I have really nerdy reading habits. It could be because I'm a theatre person and words are my job. It could be because I listened to the song "Great Big Words" by Tom Chapin a little too often as a child. Chances are it's a combination of all of those things. Regardless of where my curiosity comes from, I find that words and their interpretation have a tendency to mess things up if both parties aren't clear on their meaning.
In all of my arguments about intercession of the Saints, I've been very careful not to use the phrase "pray to the Saints" for fear of scaring you off with the word. It has recently been brought to my attention that I should still use the word, but clearly define it so as not to create confusion. "Prayer" is a term widely accepted as one that denotes worship. However, this was not always the case. There is in fact a second definition which has since fallen by the wayside.
When reading Shakespeare, there are many times when the characters say, "I pray thee..." or "Prithee..." (sorry-- actor) This is not a religious invocation, but simply another word for "ask." Among the multiple definitions in most dictionaries is this: "An earnest hope or wish," or something quite similar. In this particular case, the definition came from the online Oxford Dictionary. In Shakespeare's time, when one would to a person, "I pray you will do the right thing" or "I pray you, help me," there certainly could have been religious significance, but more often it was simply a request in earnest. Over time, the word has devolved into one single definition whose sole use is religious and so is often misconstrued. And if we're going to get down to the nitty gritty of language of origin, "pray" comes from the Latin word precari, which means "to entreat".
*Side note* I was so hoping that there would be some Greek origins as well so that I could use a well placed My Big Fat Greek Wedding quote. No matter. This is a blog dedicated to the dialogue between the Orthodox and Lutherans. It will come up at some point.
When I pray to the saints, I ask them to pray for me. I ask them to ask God. Simple as that. Language proves to be a barrier all to often. To steal from Fr. Patrick Reardon's new book, the objection to the word "pray" is not "well founded, nor should a common misunderstanding of a term necessarily preclude it's use, especially when the use is joined to a proper explanation." (Reclaiming the Atonement p.15) Asking a Saint in earnest, *ahem* praying to a Saint is no different than asking a friend to pray for you or putting out some serious request.
Best,
Jacque
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