Prayer? or noise?

[R]eciting a text is not the same thing as praying that text, let alone praying the text as Jesus intended it to be prayed. If we do not understand what the text means, if we have no comprehension of what it is we are saying and what it is we are praying for when we utter its words, we are simply making noise. A reverent noise, no doubt; even a beautiful one. But still, just a noise.—The Disciples’ Prayer, page 28

<idle musing>
Definitely! I've been reading quite a few books lately that make a big deal about community formation via liturgy. I wonder...how much is just recitation—noise. "A reverent noise, no doubt; even a beautiful one. But still, just a noise."

Think about that the next time somebody talks about community formation via reciting a liturgy. I'm not picking on high church here; in fact that wasn't even on my mind. The argument has been used for community formation in the ancient world. But I guess it could be transported to the modern church, I just wasn't thinking about that.
</idle musing>