Friday, December 18, 2015

Praying for a Higher Purpose

More reflections on prayer from E. Stanley Jones.  This is taken from a longer meditation on the implications of John 15:3, "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you."

"[Jesus] also cleansed prayer.  He found it as magic and mere petition and left it as communion. Prayer was no longer getting something out of God, but God getting something out of us.  It was a pulling of ourselves to God, that, through this higher contact with higher power, higher purpose might be achieved."

I assume that prayer as higher contact with higher power is a widely-shared notion of prayer among United Methodists.  What about the last part?  Do you agree that God's ultimate goal for our prayer time is to use it to get a higher purpose out of us?  Has God gotten a purpose out of you that was higher than personal petition?

Friday, December 11, 2015

COP21: Day 12

From contaminated land to urban garden. 

Thursday, December 10, 2015

COP21: Day 11

Intentional communities outside the USA

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

COP21: Day 10

Sustainable community in Los Angeles, CA.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Monday, December 7, 2015

Saturday, December 5, 2015

COP21: Day 6

A link to the John Wesley sermon, "The New Creation"

Friday, December 4, 2015

COP21:Day 5

A link to the John Wesley sermon, "God's Approbation of His Works"

Thursday, December 3, 2015

COP21: Day 4

A link to the John Wesley sermon "The General Deliverance"

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

COP21: Day 3

A link to the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

COP21: Day 2

A slideshow of the UM Bishops' creation care message--