As a child... I learned it's recitation of prescribed words. The Hail Mary. The Our Father. The Glory Be.
As I grow older... is a way of connecting with God and Mary through saying those prescribed words.
As I'm much older... did someone point out that in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus shunned those who would "babble" or "heap up empty phrases."
As I'm teaching Sunday School... I start saying it's talking with God.
As SJCAC is so excellent at pushing.. listening to God.
As Wesley Campbell so aptly introduced at my very first Deeper Life Conference... could be repeating / reading the same bible verses over and over again... perhaps even while walking in circles... in order to enter into God's presence.
(But is it chanting??? Definitely uncomfortable)
Then there's the predictable phrases....
When you run out of things to say and have nothing else to say... the ultimate fallback phrase. "我哋多....謝你."
Or how about the popular phrase "So Father God." One time... during FOTA... I started counting how many times a brother would use that phrase regardless of when and where.
Ahhh.... the head-scratching starter. "所以主耶穌..." Why do we have to say "所以" to Jesus... especially when starting a sentence?
Ohhh.... the always reliable. "我哋讚美你 <pause> 讚美你呢......."
And quite recently, PAL starts pushing... "Lectio Divina." Some surface level research shows this is a something monks or Catholics would practice. Good luck seeing other Protestant churches doing this.
Why pray? What is prayer? What is Prayer Meeting? Why does so few people go....still....
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