Prayer and the Art of Tebowing

First we had planking.

Then owling, teapotting, headmanning, and batmanning. If you’re unfamiliar with these terms, let me take a second to explain.

In planking, people lie flat as a board in random places, have a friend snap a photo, and upload the picture to the net. Owling calls for the participants to squat like an owl, teapotters strike an “I’m a little teapot” pose, and batmanners hang upside down like a bat. Two people are needed to headman correctly. One, will sit, crouch, or lie in a contorted position in which his or her head is obstructed from view. The other person will do the same, but only their head is visible, leaving a photo that looks like one person’s head has been detached ala the headless horseman from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

And now we have … drum roll please … Tebowing, courtesy of Denver Bronco starting quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebowing is defined as “getting down on a knee and starting to pray, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.”

Tebow was a hugely successful college football player. He won a Heisman Trophy in 2007 and helped lead his University of Florida Gators to a pair of national championships in 2006 and 2008. He had polarizing affect on college football fans, as views of his abilities ranged from being a limited “system” quarterback to being the best collegiate player this side of Red Grange.

Tebow is also known for his strong Christian beliefs. His parents are missionaries and he does missionary work during the off-season. His post-game interviews often sound like cheery cliché-laden sermons. He talks up homeschooling and abstinence. He was featured in a pro-life commercial during the Super Bowl a few years back. And he prays. A lot. Especially during football games. Practically after every touchdown, completed pass, and trip to the Gatorade cooler. Tebow has a lot to be prayerful about. NFL gurus predicted very little success for him as a Pro QB. After playing sparingly last season and starting this season on the bench, he has taken over the QB duties for the Broncos and has led them to four wins in their last five games. (The only loss was a 45-10 smackdown at the paws of my Detroit Lions.)

And now his praying pose has launched a new internet photo fad which can be tracked at the website tebowing.com. The pictures and merchandise had me literally laughing out loud. But then I got to thinking. What if the terms "Tebowing" and "praying" suddenly became synonymous and interchangeable?

We’d have families Tebowing before dinner and children saying their bedtime Tebows. We could tell our friends who are ill that they are in our thoughts and Tebows.

Also, this could create a nice loop-hole for Christians in the separation of church and state arena. Maybe I could hang up the Lord’s Tebow in my classroom? Christian administrators, faculty members, and coaches around the country could Tebow at school without drawing a lawsuit from the ACLU.

If this fad continues, Bible publishers might have to revise their texts. Key passages would become: Tebow without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17), the Tebows of a righteous person are powerful and effective (James 5:16), and do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by Tebowing and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6). Would a children’s picture Bible have to be changed to show Jesus Tebowing in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Of course, Jesus himself had much to say about Tebowing, er … I mean prayer. Speaking against the attention-grabbing Tebows of the self-righteous religious leaders of his day, Jesus said to Tebow in secret. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen …” (Matt. 5:6).

I don’t think that any Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks have to worry about Tebow breaking any of their records. He’s always been able to overcome his limitations and what he’s done the last four games is shall I say … miraculous. But his career as a starting QB is probably short-lived.

I’m certainly a fan of his and I’m glad he’s succeeding. But doesn’t a player, in any sport, praying on a knee, in front of stadium full of people kind of go against the Lord’s directive to pray in secret? Maybe after his next touchdown, Tebow could just flip the ball to the referee and pray standing up, on the sideline.

I think God will still hear him.