The Christophers’ Jerry Costello weighs in on building a habit of prayer:

“Let us pray.”

We’ve gotten so used to hearing that phrase, and losing ourselves in the prayer that typically follows, that it’s almost second nature. Not literally thought-less, perhaps, but close to it. Maybe it’s time to do something about it, and the thought occurs that right now, as we mark the beginning of Lent, is the perfect occasion.

Here at The Christophers, we tend to think of our founder, Maryknoll Father James Keller, as a man of action rather than a man of prayer. After all, he inspired countless Christophers to become men and women of action themselves, lighting a candle and changing the world by what they did. But yet when it came time to list the 20 “reminders” that Christophers should always keep before them, Father Keller put prayer first.

“Depend more on God, less on self,” he wrote in You Can Change the World. “All of us should pray as if all depended on God and should work as if everything depended on ourselves.”

Of course, praying isn’t as easy as it used to be, particularly in public. We’ve become conditioned to toning down our prayers and even our religious expressions, fearing that someone who hears them might become “offended.” None other than Andy Rooney, the long-time resident curmudgeon at CBS Television, wrote about that a couple of years before his death last November. Said Andy:

“Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what’s the big deal? It’s not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They’re just talking to a God they believe in and asking Him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game…Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.”

(To continue reading, visit The Christophers web site.)

Christopher Closeup Podcast – Guest: Daniel Murphy

As a boy, Daniel Murphy started playing baseball through the process of elimination. He realized he was too short for basketball, too slow for soccer, and he didn’t like to get hit so forget about football.

Baseball, however, was a game for which he had a gift and a passion. After playing for Jacksonville University, Murphy was drafted by the New York Mets in 2006, and made his Major League debut in 2008. His primary memory about his first at-bat in the big leagues? Drinking Pepto Bismol because he was so nervous, he thought he might throw up.

With a .320 batting average at the start of August, 2011 was shaping up to be Murphy’s best season to date. Then it happened. Again. A knee injury ended his season early for the second time in two years. At first, Murphy understandably felt depressed about his bad luck. Then, God stepped in.

Though Murphy was raised in a Christian family and attended Sunday school, he admits he didn’t give much thought to his faith. The injury changed his perspective. As he explained to me on Christopher Closeup, “There were moments that led to me surrendering to the Lord. After that, I don’t want to say everything was easy because it isn’t always easy and prosperous. But there was a peace and joy I never experienced before…The Lord had knocked me on my back a number of times, and I had not answered. This time I finally decided to submit and give everything to Him.”

Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Murphy spent time in prayer and fellowship with other believers. Reading Scripture also became a part of his routine, allowing seeds that were planted in his childhood to start blossoming. He said, “It’s really exciting to get into the Word, and realize, ‘Hey, I remember that from Sunday school class.’ It didn’t mean to me then what it does now, but it’s pretty cool to look at it now. So I thank my parents for raising me in a Christian home and being encouraging.”

A challenge for any Christian athlete is integrating his faith with his professional life in a way that doesn’t come across like God is picking winners in a sporting event. Murphy seems to have the right approach, saying, “As far as the outcome of a game, I think God cares about the glory. Win, lose, whatever it may be – at the end of the game or end of the season, God wants you to give Him all the glory. That to me is the toughest thing – to humble myself.”

Devoting his time to worthy causes through the “Mets in the Community” program is one of the ways Murphy tries to stay humble and live out his faith. Though he considers them small gestures, he played Santa Claus for some underprivileged kids last Christmas, and took part in a tribute to military families on the TV series, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Murphy explained, “Being in a position where we’re so revered as athletes, I try to ask ‘How can I serve? How can I show my teammates and the people of this city that I’m a servant first, and a baseball player second?’ I’m not going to say I always approach it with a joyful heart because I’m human. But I try to let the Lord work on my heart and open me up for opportunities to serve…[so] that serving becomes the norm.”

With a rehabbed knee, Daniel Murphy is itching to get back on the field and play the game he loves for a team whose support he appreciates. He especially looks forward to playing for manager Terry Collins for the second year in a row: “He knows how to push the buttons that get the best out of each player. He’s very much of a player’s manager, very approachable. His door is always open. If you want to go in there and talk about anything, he’s going to listen and have a conversation with you. He has the trust and heartbeat of our ballclub. As a player, I want to go to battle for that guy.”

Trusting in a higher power is also part of Murphy’s game plan as the 2012 season begins. He said, “My biggest thing is giving everything to the Lord right now, coming to Him with open hands and trusting that His paths for my life are better than anything I could ever script for myself.”

Listen to my full interview with Daniel Murphy: Christopher Closeup Podcast – Guest: Daniel Murphy

Even though the new documentary about Mother Dolores Hart (the actress who worked with Elvis, then later felt called by God to become a nun) didn’t win an Oscar last night, this “20/20″ segment about her won a Christopher Award 10 years ago. It’s still worth watching:

Yesterday, I came across an article about Greg Plageman, an executive producer for the CBS series “Person of Interest” starring Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson and Taraji P. Henson. The article was about how he got started as a writer, but this is the quote that speaks volumes to me – and should to everyone else as well.

Plageman said, “I was getting paid $17,000 teaching French in Louisiana. The kids in my class were talking about this TV show called ‘Saved by the Bell.’…Whoever was writing this show in L.A. was having more of an impact on the kids than I was. And I thought: ‘I could write that, too.’ So I drove to LA and started going to studios. I showed up at the office of ’90210,’ and that’s how I got into the business.”

When I posted that quote on Facebook, my friend Mike Hayes commented, “What gets me is that ‘Saved by the Bell’ has any influence at all!”

I was surprised too, though I guess I shouldn’t be considering that I wanted a leather jacket like Fonzie when I was growing up – and that, as a teen, I wore the same kinds of ties Alex P. Keaton wore. But it’s still a wake up call regarding the influence pop culture has on young people. That’s one of the reasons I often comment that more Christians need to get involved in popular media and entertainment. Not only the niche Christian stuff; the mainstream entertainment industry.

All the types of programs that tend to get criticized by Christians – the ones they claim are the reason they don’t own a TV or, if they do, only watch the religious channels on cable – those are the shows impacting the world at large. Even a show like “Saved by the Bell” was influencing ideas and behaviors at that time. It’s pretty wholesome, but the point is that it still had an impact, just like TV has always had an impact. It’s easy for adults to dismiss the idea that a Saturday morning show will have much influence over their kids, at least in any meaningful way. Then again, you’re welcoming these likeable, funny characters into your living room every week, if not every day. Kids look up to them in a way and will copy what they see. It’s simply human nature.

That still holds true. As my friend, Rosario Rodriguez, commented on Facebook yesterday, “Today it’s the Twilight saga and the Kardashians that have more of an influence than teachers. I can tell by what my younger cousins and youth group kids are posting on [Facebook]. Scary!”

That’s why turning off the TV or keeping kids away from certain books isn’t enough. It may help keep your kids away from undesirable stories, but there’s still a huge number of others being exposed to them. Therefore, storytelling in general needs to improve. And storytelling in general will improve when the quality of storytellers improves. Good intentions aren’t enough to cut it. We need talented people with an understanding of the entertainment business and of their own craft to make it happen.

Anyone who’s read this blog lately can tell that I’m a TV fan, especially of shows like “Person of Interest,” “Once Upon a Time,” and “Fringe.” They tell engaging stories that occasionally offer some moral or spiritual relevance. It would be great if more shows were able to do that, not just for adults, but young people as well. The characters or reality stars they see on TV are role models that will shape them in some small or large way. And while you’re better off with the influence of Screech than a Kardashian, the truth is there’s always room for improvement.

There are a lot of young people with the potential to be writers, directors and producers out there today, ready to be encouraged and improve the entertainment industry from the inside (See Act One Program and Hollywood Prays). Give them the support and the tools they need to follow through. They could have a major influence on the next generation.