Pastors Praying Off Written Notes During Service

[SamLee627]

I’m not sure how I feel about this and maybe it’s just because of my ignorance so please don’t be offended or take it the wrong way.  The church I’m currently attending has couple of associate pastors and during service when they pray (opening prayer/during service/communion/etc), they read off prewritten prayers (in their own words).  It’s okay that they prepare prayer for service ahead of time and have prayers prepared as well but reading straight off the paper? I don’t know....  For some reason it bothers me more than it really should.  I feel like as leaders of the church it’s kind of strange for them to do that.  From time to time, members from the congregation (those who hold somewhat a leadership role within the church) do the praying and they all take their written prayer and read them striaght off the paper.  There’s somewhat of a leniency towards them, for pastors to do that?  Its kind of their job or rather part of their job (it’s our job as well to pray but that’s a different topic).  Personally I think it’s weird and strange for pastors to do this.  I’ve never seen pastors (other members) do this at other churches (the church I’m currently attending is Presbyterian if that changes anything). To me it’s like a surgeon bringing in notes during surgery.  It’s fine if they prepare, write down what ever they need to do before the actually surgery but to bring it in the operation room?  It just feel half hearted or not prepared.  To come up I’m front of the congregation during services with a piece of paper, especially pastors, it’s unsettling for me.  I have a negative view of this and don’t really know how to or what to feel about this. 

[Willa]

Some people are terrified of public speaking/praying.  Some may have a list of things to mention during prayer such as people who need specific prayer.  But I personally feel much the same way as you.  Some churches have prayer books for how to pray on certain days or for certain situations.  The only one that I would use is the Lord's Prayer.  

But there are some beautiful songs/prayers in the old liturgy, such as the Gloria.  And some of our hymns are prayers.  So I guess I should'd be so hard on them.   

We are told that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray, so it seems that is the better way to go.