As shocking as that is here at Apprising Ministries, I actually do find a couple of points of agreement with Red Letter Christian and progressive/liberal church historian Diana Butler Bass. In her HuffPost today called Happy National Day of Prayer…Or Is It National Day of Fighting Over Prayer? Bass begins:

In the weeks leading up to this year’s National Day of Prayer, the news has reported several controversies surrounding prayer — including the “disinvitation” of Franklin Graham from one prayer event. The stories peddle a common tale: a new sort of religious pluralism has somehow undermined the American practice of harmonious prayer beseeching the Supreme Being to bless the state.

However, no storyline could be further from historical reality. Americans have never been unified in prayer. When it comes to prayer, Americans love to fight — and our prayers have driven us apart. Arguing over prayer is an American tradition. (Online source)

I happen to agree with Bass in this; Americans have never been unified in one religion, and therefore, are not agreed upon Who God is. And in fact, we might even *ahem* argue further that—well—arguing, period, is actually an American tradition. Bass goes on to give a history lesson, albeit a bit revisionist, concerning prayer in the United States.

And finally, in her conclusion, we find another point of agreement between us when Bass says:

The sentiment of a National Day of Prayer for communal forgiveness and social unity is nice, even noble… But whose prayer? Which theology? What form of devotion? National prayer without a state church is utterly unrealistic and consistently raises knotty theological and political questions, as our forebears discovered… Maybe the Quakers had it right all along: Next year we should try a “National Day of Silence” instead. (Online source)

Placing tongue firmly in cheek, and the mystic Quakers aside, I now agree with Diana Butler Bass. Yes; let’s use silence, which is also known in contemplative spirituality as “wordless prayer.” And then I got to thinking further; how about while we’re at it, I propose that these progressive/liberal Red Letter Christians and their neo-liberal cult of the Emerging Church, along with their “wordless” prayer, also begin using silence through wordless journalism as well. ;-)

See also:

DIANA BUTLER BASS ON CHRIS ROSEBROUGH, INGRID SCHLUETER, AND KEN SILVA IN SIN

PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN DIANA BUTLER BASS UNHAPPY WITH TREATMENT OF BRIAN MCLAREN

BRIAN MCLAREN AND HIS NEW EMERGING PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY

STRANGER AND STRANGER GLOBAL BEDFELLOWS EMERGING

RICHARD ROHR AND THE EMERGING CHURCH AS THE THIRD WAY

THE EMERGING CHURCH AND THE NEW PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY ON OTHER RELIGIONS 

THE EMERGING CHURCH AND THE NEW PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY ON CHRIST