Pass the Prayer, please

Today is my first day to attend a woman's small group/bible study at our church. I received an email from the group's leader welcoming me to the group and she included a short rundown of what we will do the first day. She says we will read the introduction of the book we will be studying, watch a short video, spend some time in prayer and catch up on each other's lives. Wait, spend some time in prayer? What exactly does she mean by that? Will I have to pray out loud? Hello, my name is Kasey and I have prayer anxiety. I know I am not alone in having a problem with praying aloud. Patty's funny story about being at parents day at a bible camp where Lindsey and her cousin were attending, comes to mind. When they gathered in a group to pray before leaving the girls, and the camp counselor asked Mike to offer the prayer he said "I pass".

I often wonder what would happen if I am asked to lead a group in prayer. "Kasey, will you lead us in the prayer?".....um, do you mean a Hail Mary?, a Bless us oh Lord for these thy gifts?, the standard Our Father? Because I am/was a Catholic. I have long since left the church and now attend church of another faith, but when you go to Catholic church and Catholic schools, I guess you never shed the Catholic in you. We didn't "just pray" growing up. When the priest said let us pray....he read from what I assumed was the "Priest's book of Prayers", you know the one held open by the altar boy. So my dilemma anytime I am in a group situation that involves the Bible, I get a gut twisting feeling until it is determined who will lead the opening prayer and who will close. Hmmm, that would mean I have that twisted feeling for the majority of our time together.

Maybe I should have given my decision to join a group of women I barely know, that will expect praying, a little more thought. I should have asked more questions such as... What book will we be studying?, Will I have to pray out loud?, How long is the class? Um, yes ma'am I did ask if you would have to pray out loud, I mean not you, but me, uh, never mind......Why does her voice, in my head, sound like Charlie Brown's teacher?

Maybe there's a Dummies Guide to Leading the Prayer available at the book store. It will have suggestions like how to begin your prayer, the dos and don'ts of a good prayer or maybe what all good prayers contain. I don't know. Do you approach prayer like an essay, with an introduction, body and closing? Will I have to present opposing views? I will have to check into that.

In the meantime, I will attend the bible study today and pray (to myself, of course) that I am not that person who gets the calling to lead us in prayer and all I can say is "I pass."