Prayers of the People
During chapel, there is a time called Prayers of the People, in which the prayer offers prayers for people in the GCS community, people around the world in need, and civic leaders. Before the presidential election of 2017, we referred to Barack Obama as President Obama. In recent chapels we have seen a shift. In our recent Prayers of the People, politicians are referred to by their first name. This is a decision that was made after much discussion between Mr. Davison and Reverend Hummell, with input from the Grace Church School Community.
When President Trump was elected, about 40 members of our community approached Reverend Hummell, feeling that the name was a “trigger point for them.” Their feelings are mainly due to the rhetoric that was used during the campaign by the President. The sentiment that President Trump “excludes certain groups (especially Mexicans and Muslims) from gaining access into the country created fear and anxiety in several students and faculty members.” Other members were upset because of the video that was released from Access Hollywood. They thought of President Trump as “someone who acted in a sexually aggressive and inappropriate manner,” leaving them to feel anxious.
A student who wished to remain anonymous, believes that President Trump is indeed our President, and should be addressed in that way. He believes that during the Prayers of the People, “We aren’t praying for Donald Trump as much as we are praying for his job as President… No one cares that he is Donald Trump. It matters because he is the President. I think that saying that you are praying for President Trump is important.”
When moving from President Trump to Donald, the idea was that we would still be praying for the leaders of the world, without using words that made some uncomfortable. In the Episcopal church, when doing the Prayers of the People, the church can either decide to use only first or last names while praying for the “Nation and all in authority.” Reverend Hummell spoke with many other churches in New York City who also made this change. This has been a way to have everyone get what they want. It is also not the first time Grace Church School has done this. During George Bush’s presidency, the church decided to use exclusively first names. Reverend Hummell has spoken with many people and found that, “Those members of our school community who questioned partisan prayers are also content with the change.” Regardless of political party, it is important to pray for our leaders to make smart decisions for the betterment of our society and our world.