Evangelical Practices, the Continuation

I am looking back over my notes and see scribbled evangelicalisms that I have picked up over the past week or so. None of them is a complete thought in my spiritual journey and maybe none of them ever will be. So I am putting them here in no particular order because they do have the underlying thread of being the way we evangelicals practice our spirituality.

For instance, when we pray we are always putting something into the hands of Jesus, or into God's ultimate purpose. But what happens if it does not work out the way we expect it or desire it to. What do we think then? Did we fail to put it into God's hands or was it only ever our own desire or plan and by saying the evangelical words over it we somehow attempt to add a divine seal of approval to it and thereby assure success? Here's another one, I heard someone pray that those hearing the prayer would be "led" to step up and lead in this or that ministry that was being prayed about. But this whole concept of not doing anything unless we are "led" more often than not is just an excuse we hide behind, and sometimes people are "led" to do things that have nothing of God in them or about them. Can't we just trust that the way God has put us together and the fact that we are in relationship to him in some way makes us aware of the way things are around us and moves us to respond appropriately? If that is being led, then I guess we are on the same page, but I get the distinct impression that what I just said about responding is not what evangelicals mean when they pray for a leading.

Last one for today. Why do pastors use peer pressure to "get an Amen" to what they say or pray? "Can I get an Amen?" at some point in a sermon seems almost to be the Christian equivalent of a laugh track. It is intended to remind us that something profound or true has just been said and we should respond to it in some way, much as canned laughter is intended to let us know when the joke occurs. The problem is that there are many things that I do not agree with, many things that I have no wish to express an affirmation to. Just because someone is in the pulpit does not make everything they say true, or right, or honorable, or divine. So please don't make me feel guilty about not responding to what you say. Saying Amen in church is right up there with role-playing or songs that require hand or body actions for me. They only alienate me from what is going on and more often than not are inappropriate and ill-placed.