Why does Pastor use people’s first names only in prayer?

Encore Post: That does seem odd, doesn’t it? It’s most noticeable when we pray of our national and synodical presidents: Donald J. Trump and Matthew C. Harrison. In the prayer of the church, they are Donald and Matthew.

Surely, not one of us would address Pres. Trump or Pres. Harrison by their first names. Our discomfort is informed by the 4th Commandment. We are to honor those who God has placed in authority over us. It feels uncomfortable to use familiar terms with these folks.

Though the common culture around us has left formality behind in the last 30 years or so, we still rebel in the church. Especially in our southern culture, there are still vestiges for forgotten formality. Our children often learn to address Ms. or Mrs. Linda, Becky, Lori, or Mandy with a title, even when speaking their first names.

But, in the prayers, we speak differently. Taking our cues from David in the Psalms, we pray in humility before the throne of the Lord. All sinners seeking forgiveness and blessing are of the same status coram deo (before God). So, in confessing the truth about ourselves and everyone for whom we pray, we use first names.

Even POTUS and our synodical president are Donald and Matthew on Sunday morning in the prayer of the church. If we were to pray for Pope Francis, we would pray for him using his Baptismal name: Jorge. This is how we pray.

Let us lift up our voices to petition God, Our Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX