Prayer and the Previous Generation

Posted by David | Filed under Spirituality

I think human nature is partly defined by complicating things that should be simple.  The day after Christmas my family had our "official" holiday feast, and my grandfather, ages old and wise, gave the blessing.  It struck me how down-to-earth, humble, and authentic his prayer was; no overblown religious lingo, no tired rehearsal, just the simple everyday reality that we are blessed, for which we are thankful.

In a book entitled The Present Future, author Reggie McNeal describes the observable differences in generations and their impact on the modern church.  Among the differences between my generation (late Gen-X) and my parents is an unadulterated desire for truth, for honesty in all things.  Budweiser capitalized on it with their "True" marketing campaign.  "Be real" or "stay real" are common idioms, at least in current American sociey.  And in this I believe we are more like the  World War generations, our grandparents, and we can learn a lot from them.

I’d go further with this thought, except that already I’ve taken my grandpa’s simple prayer and turned it into a complex philosophical discussion.

Permalink | December 28th, 2004

One Response to “Prayer and the Previous Generation”

  1. SonsMelody Says:
    December 28th, 2004 at 2:01 pm

    I’d enjoy talking more on what you posted. Your grandpa sounds like a really awesome guy. I’m glad you’re getting to spend time with him.