Is the upcoming National Day of Prayer a day for all Americans — or just evangelicals?

That’s what some critics are charging in advance of the May 1 observances as they call for a more inclusive approach to an event they say has been “hijacked” by conservative Christians. USA Today

Here’s my question. Should our government even sanction a “National Day of Prayer”? Isn’t that just opening a can of worms to our religious tolerance driven country? As Christians, we want our cake and eat it too. But you can’t have it both ways.

Events like these are really pointless. Shouldn’t every day be a day of prayer for Christians? We love to do all this work to rally for an even that facilitates something we should do already on a daily basis. It ends up feeling like how some people view Christmas or Easter - a once a year event to think of the Lord. It just seems like we’re fooling ourselves into thinking we’re a Christan nation. What’s the point anyway?

I also have the same beef with See You at the Pole (go here for that argument).

Well upon conversations about See You at the Pole (SYATP) last week, I spoke with Henry Brown. Henry is speaker, youth worker who also works for SYATP. I appreciate his willingness to converse on the subject and also to send me free swag (ie. T-Shirt and DVD). Henry rocks and you could rock too!

So for all of you out there with your respective jobs and ministries, I’m a total freebie whore. I will advertise for you by wearing free clothing. So if you’re interested please mail your free t-shirts (size medium please) to:

Stuart Delony

326 S Stillaguamish

Arlington, WA 98223

Send them and I will be your personal, walking  ad campaign. I will even post a picture of it here on my blog!

Once every year, students from around the world get up early in the morning to stand around the flag pole of their schools to pray. It’s an amazing symbolic event. It encourages and binds together the Christians. It leaves to revival. I wish.

I’m going to go ahead and say it. I think that See You at the Pole is really STUPID!

I’m sorry, call me the youth ministry cynic, but I’ve never really seen the point of this event. I’m glad students can nominally stand for their faith once a year for ten minutes. It shows nothing. It proves nothing. It just makes us feel warm and fuzzy as Christians. “They can pray and stand for my faith on this day,” some may say. “Do they pray any other day?” I say.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men… Matthew 6:5

Did the other students know these youth were a Christian before they stood praying in the morning? If not, then they are not living for Christ and a showy morning of prayer won’t change that. “But God can use this event,” you may say. Yes, but God can use anything. He’s God, that’s why. I could fart and lead someone to Christ. That’s not the point.

We’re teaching our kids to have a shallow and hollow faith. A once a year show means nothing. It takes real courage to live out your faith daily, not on an annual basis. In youth ministry, I’m afraid, we teach our youth that their faith comes in emotional, event size bites, not a step by step journey. I don’t care if they can stand for a morning. I want to see them walk it out for the rest of their lives.

Tell me I wrong…