Kaity Kopeski
Online Editor
Once a semester, Bryan students are given a Day of Prayer. This is a day off from classes where students are encouraged to spend a day praying. Ministry Council plans optional activities, such as a sunrise hike and prayer walk, to help students in this endeavor. So when I received the schedule for this semester’s Day of Prayer, I noticed additional activities, like Ultimate Frisbee, a tennis tournament and game rooms. Although these activities weren’t mandatory, I’m having a difficult time connecting the idea of Day of Prayer, a day intended for, well, prayer, with games and sports.
Ministry Council decided to include these activities to promote the Day of Prayer’s theme of rest. They wanted to provide students with enjoyable, restful activities. Sports and games aren’t evil, but I don’t think they are appropriate for a Day of Prayer. I’m not saying that every student should spend every minute in fervent prayer on this day. I am saying that if Bryan College is going to promote a Day of Prayer, then the activities planned should revolve around prayer.
I constantly have a “to-do” list in my head that, unfortunately, competes with my prayer life. Day of Prayer should be a day where that “to-do” list is thrown out the window, not replaced by “restful” activities.
Plus, prayer isn’t always the most restful or enjoyable thing. It can be, but when I read prayers in the Bible I notice many of the prayers of the Israelites, of David, and even of Jesus are filled with anguish and tears. These are prayers of people crying out to God. Jesus woke up early in the morning to pray, which doesn’t sound that restful or honestly that enjoyable to me. Prayer is hard, at least for me. It’s difficult because it takes an extreme amount of focus. I’m curious about how well I could focus on praying while simultaneously attempting to catch a Frisbee in ultimate or planning my next chess move.
I don’t want to be hypocritical, because honestly I didn’t spend my Day of Prayer in prayer. I slept in, spent a couple of hours meandering through McKay’s and then cooked dinner. It was an extremely restful, enjoyable day, so I guess it stuck to the theme, despite the fact I actually spent very little time in prayer. So although I rested, I got about as much out of Day of Prayer as the majority of the student body who spent the day catching up on homework.
I believe God wants us to enjoy life, which includes playing board games, tennis and cooking. I also believe God wants us to rest. Actually I know he does, which is why he created a day of rest: the Sabbath. So maybe on the day of rest we should rest, and on Day of Prayer we should pray. And if we’re not using the Day of Prayer for its intended purpose, let’s just call it what it is: a day off.
Tags: Day of Prayer, Ministry Council
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