Call me strange, but sometimes I re-analyze the words that come out of my mouth. At times I ask myself, “Do I even know what that means?” Or I ask myself, “Does that even mean what I think it means.” I think I became more self aware when be began teaching baptism classes for kids and I talk about words like “Lord,” Confess” and Saved” as words that kids often hear and even say but don’t have any idea what they mean. It’s funny, really.
So, a few years ago I was praying with someone and we prayed a hedge of protection around them for safety. I think they may have been traveling or something. I can’t even remember if I prayed it or not. Later I started thinking, “What the heck is a hedge of protection and why on earth do I use those words in particular.” I can only imagine praying for someone who was maybe very new to faith or not even yet a believer and what would be going on in their head as I started praying about hedges.
I know, I know… I don’t want to put down tradition or scriptural phrases, but I really do think we can move to a new term without losing the meaning. The scripture often say that so and so begat so and so or Adam “knew” Eve, but we don’t quite say it that way anymore, do we?
So from now on, I’ve decided I’m not praying for hedges anymore. Yeah, I’ll still pray for people’s protection, but I’ll come up with something more current than shrubbery.
Before writing this post, I did a quick Google search about hedges of protection and actually came across a few interesting discussions which you can see here and here. However, I was very pleased to come across a video from comedian Tim Hawkins. Ha! I’m not the only one who thinks hedges are odd.
Maybe a better phrase that would fit your personality well could be to “Envelope them in a forcefield of Spiritual invulnerability”? 😉
Dave, I like your Hedge replacement term. Jared, I’m with you… some of those sites overcomplicated the matter. I regularly seek God for all kinds of things, sometimes even protection. But from now on, it will be an indestructible fortress of safety… with razor wire and vicious dogs… maybe even a moat with crocks in it. 🙂
I always thought “hedge” was weird also. And plus, can’t you just set the hedge on fire? I rather have a stronger “wall” of protection.
I get what you are saying and I have also loved that Tim Hawkins video for some time, but I’m not completely opposed to the idea of praying for a hedge of protection. Even Satan says in Job 1:10 that he can’t touch Job because God has put a hedge around him. I kind of like that thought, but I always imagined the hedge as a fireproof adamantium hedge instead of a shrubbery.
I disagree with the blogs that you linked to that say since we have Christ, we don’t need anything else. I think that is WAY overanalyzing it. Even in the NT, God often protected people using angels or other miraculous feats.
And, while a hedge is somewhat wimpy, I think the symbolism is pretty easy to understand, even for a new Christian.
I am in agreement. After having seen Hawkins do that routine live a few years ago, I found myself praying his version of the prayer over a soldier about to deploy for Afghanistan. He and his family seemed to appreciate the enhanced protection implied by the vivid imagery. By the way, he just returned stateside safely. 🙂
I agree. I’m big on language used — for example, I’m more about “following Jesus” than “being saved” or such. Here’s a funny video that I had come across and recently posted.
http://differentway4kids.blogspot.com/2011/01/do-you-speak-christianese.html