IN PRAISE OF DUCK DYNASTY

My wife is a fan of Katie Couric's show, and recently she told me that the "Duck Dynasty" family and the "Swamp People" family appeared on Katie's show at the same time. My wife found the show to be entertaining, and she was especially taken with the patriarch of the "Duck Dynasty" family, whom, she said, was really quite bright and engaging. Evidently, the "Duck Dynasty" family prays as a family before every meal. It is one of their central family values and by all accounts, millions of fans like their values. Evidently, their viewers like their values more than the producers of their show because, according to the man who seemed to be the family's spokesman, they were pressured to quit saying their family prayer before meals. The network producers said that their prayer, or their praying, might offend some people. The "Duck Dynasty" clan was encouraged to discontinue their family prayer in the hopes of improving their already incredible ratings... but the family leader said, "NO. No prayer- no show." The man's faith and conviction impressed my wife and it impresses me, but I want to pause and think about the request to stop praying in the first place. Scholars say that we are living in a "Post-Christian" age, and while I'm not sure that the evidence is entirely in, the little vignette described above lends some credibility to their argument. Why would someone believe that a family will offend potential viewers simply by praying, especially when the family's values are a big part of their appeal? Perhaps we are in an age where displays of faith are simply considered odd. After all, our malls are no longer open on Sundays, and school events are scheduled on the Sabbath throughout the land. As Christians, we are called to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests- which means that we should become increasingly obedient to Christ, on the one hand, and passionate mediators of God's grace, on the other. Biblically speaking, we are called to engage our society for Christ, even as we march to a different drummer that others do. The hope was that we Christians would show so much love to the world and set such a high standard for the world that people would be attracted to us. We are called to be a beacon for the cold and hungry, but also for all of those who are lost in a world that has no direction to give them. However, we've been losing our battle with society, and instead of showing others a new way, we are frantically trying to fit in with their ways so that we can be "relevant." But we aren't relevant. Not really. Not to the greater society. Stores and malls are open on Sundays, and communities no longer set aside Wednesday nights for church activities. As a matter of fact, Christian parents are pressured to treat the Sabbath like any other day. They can bring their kids to church or take them to a sports activity. One or the other, and our children learn early that church is an option when nothing else in going on. I read that 17-20% of our populace attend church on any given Sunday, and we know that attendance is down in all of the so-called mainline denominations, but it's really not a matter of numbers. It's a matter of influence. Instead of offering a more rewarding way of life, many churches try desperately to "fit in" with society. This hasn't worked because "fitting in" with society is the last thing that ought to be on our agenda. We are, of course, vitally important to our own members, many of whom have an unshakeable belief in the Resurrection Promise. We provide an extended family, we help them discover their Christian talents, we empower them to work for Christ, and we stand with them in the most sacred of moments. We make a huge difference for those who have answered God's call in their lives, but the world outside of our church walls doesn't care about our beliefs and our ways. They insist that we leave our Christian ideas at church, and therefore, we run the risk of appearing "odd" if we persist in acting like Christians in the public forum. One seldom sees people saying grace in restaurants these days, and when you do, it's almost quaint, like following an Amish buggy down the road. Thus, it's hard to blame a producer for worrying about the effects that a family prayer may have on viewership. If Christians themselves won't pray in public, why should someone else think that it's a great idea? It is, of course, a great idea! God-talk is absolutely integral to our relationship with God. Indeed, if I discovered that a child had not talked with his or her father for years, I would think that their relationship was broken. For Christians, prayer is essential, but the world doesn't understand that. They think we should keep our prayers to ourselves. As Christians, we know this, and so we do not pray in public. We are embarrassed. It's that simple. So, when the Duck Dynasty family prays, we are both a little bit envious and a little bit ill-at-ease. We would like to be more like them, but in a post-Christian age,praying around a dinner table is increasingly out of step with culture. I've known clergy and elders who did not pray in public, and many of those who did offer a brief prayer, found ways of "concealing" the fact that they were praying. Why? Because they found it to be awkward? Why" Because people outside the church may have found it to be odd. Why? Because we live in a post-Christian age. Amen.