Plot summary:
Finn Hudson, one of the Glee members, is making a grilled cheese sandwich, and believes he sees the face of Jesus in it. Finn then decides to pray to this sandwich for 3 things - 1st, that the football team would win their first game, 2nd, he would get to 'second base' with his girlfriend, Rachel, and 3rd, that he would be reinstated as the football quarterback. When the first of these prayers is answered, he suggests the Glee group sing songs of Jesus and spirituality.
While all this is going on, another Glee member, Kurt, is dealing with the shock news of his father's heart attack. As the group try and support Kurt with prayers and spirituality, it soon becomes apparent that Kurt does not belive in any of it, saying God made him gay, and all Christians and Churches hate gays (and women), and say its his choice to be gay - how could God allow him to go through all the torture he goes through each day?
Sue Sylvester (the school Cheerleaders coach) also does not believe that prayer works. When she was younger, her sister, the one person she truly loved, became ill. Sue prayed for he to get better every night, and when that wasn't working, she prayed harder, and now has the attitude that if God does exist, he's going to have to prove it somehow.
As the episode progresses, its interesting to see how different people react to everything that is going on. Glee members with faith pray for Kurt's Dad when he is at the hospital. With representatives from different religions and denominations, surely some prayers willbe listened to? Finn's prayers are answered but not in the way he wants them, as the new quarterback is injured during a game on a play that Finn called, causing him to feel responsible. Finn then doubts his new found faith.
People have many views of prayer. In Glee, Sue believes it doesn't work because of past experience. Finn uses it for his own benefit, and keeps God at arms length. Kurt does not believe there is a God, but does eventally accept the prayers of his friends.
For me, prayer is none of these. God does not want to be distant from us, he wants to be close to us. God does not want us to come only when we need help, but all the time. Prayer is simply talking to God, having a conversation with him. God wants to be involved with all our lives, and prayer is how we allow him to do that. I think I've made prayer more complicated than it is. I've made it some super spiritual thing, when actually, as I pray, I come as a little child to his father, speaking to him. Whenever I've gone up to my Dad, or Mum, to speak to them, they always listen. They don't turn away. They didn't always give me what I asked for, but they listened, and acted in a way they seemed appropriate. God is my Heavenly Father. As I pray, he listens, ans he answers in a way which he knows is best. How does he know what is best? Because he made me. He knows me better than I know myself, so of course knows what is best. He is all knowing, and soveriegn, and that is such an ecouragement to know that there is someone bigger than me, who is in control of everything, not just my life. As I pray, I strengthen my relationship with the Almighty, All-knowing, Creator God, who I can call my Father.
Glee has helped me to be reminded of the theory - the practice of this is much harder, and something I continue to work on.
