Blogs - Chief of Pray Blog

Debbie was a fellow mom in my neighborhood when the kids were growing up. She was a beauty queen. I don’t mean she was a pageant-winner when she was a teen-ager or in early twenties; Debbie was a contestant for Mrs. Illinois at forty-something. That was twenty years ago. I still think of her as a minor celebrity for having entered a contest dedicated to recognizing the ultimate married woman.  

I entered Prayables in a contest today; The Chicago Innovation Awards. It’s for new businesses that have the most innovative products and services. Can prayer be considered a new innovation? I’ve got to figure, since the dawn of man, people have been praying. Yet, that doesn’t prevent us, in the year 2010, from adding a new twist to an ancient practice.

Technology has been applied to nearly every industry; the business of spirituality is no exception. The fastest-growing religious movements are those that have added music, video and performance art to the worship experience. Small groups communicate through texting, email and social media. Bible study now includes lessons to your inbox and mp3 downloads. With spirituality, more is better. People will always need the physical contact with other people, high-tech gadgets will never replace human interaction.

Churches, synagogues and mosques don’t have to worry that they will be replaced as communities of worship. Even though it’s now possible to watch a full length feature film on a cell phone, you’ll still find a crowd at the movie theaters on a Saturday night. If religious institutions recognize the need for change to suit the times, they will remain relevant to their congregants. I’m not talking about changes in core values. But the way in which religion is practiced should be flexible. Kudos to the innovators, who find a need and creatively fill it. Wish us luck at the “business beauty pageant” coming up this fall! 

The Big Meeting

Well, I've done what I can.
I've prepared,
I've honed,
I've practiced.
Now I give it
up to You.

Guide me to be my best self;
let Your words be my words,
Your limitless ingenuity,
Your creative spark,
Your empowerment,
Your gifts realized.

Creator of my capabilities,
my purpose,
my story,
I am ready
to exceed all
of Your expectations.

-Lori Strawn

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