Vain repetitions

Congregational participation in worship involves the people reciting prayers with the pastor. They can all worship together, and no one is a passive participant. But some have been critical of written prayers, calling them "vain repetitions." Do not these critics sing hymns or psalms that have been previously written? Why do these previously written sung prayers not qualify as "vain repetitions?" The problem lies not with the written prayer, but with the person reciting the prayer. Is his heart in it? Is he carefully reciting and sincerely believing what he's saying? Or is he merely reciting while his heart is elsewhere? The same can be asked of the person who is passively sitting or standing (while someone else spontaneously prays, sometimes droning on and on, attempting to pray the entire promises in scripture all at one time).

just some musings....