Passive?

To those who think that prayer is passive:

Those who really press and involve God with this petition in the expectation that he will answer it, as people who are seriously and fundamentally disquieted and startled, press and involve themselves too in their own plac and manner as people and within the limits of their own human capabilities and possibilities. They declare, and within their limits take on responsibility, that in the matter about which they pray to God something will be done correspondingly by them.

(Karl Barth, The Christian Life, p. 169; quoted in John Webster's Holiness, p. 76).

Perhaps that's why I'm sometimes reluctant to pray: I don't want to have to act on that prayer. I don't want to be that person who says a mindless prayer and forgets whatever-it-was. I want to care--but not too much.

Lent

I really want to do something environmentally-related for Lent this year. When I looked at Lenten calendars, however, all I could find were ones that included things that I already do in my own life, like only running the washing machine when full and turning lights off when you're not in the room. I wanted something that would challenge me, not make me feel like an eco-friendly guru when that's absolutely not what I am.

Then I found Lent 4.5. It's a Lenten series based on the environmental footprint idea, which is based on the amount of land that each person uses to support her or his lifestyle. The average American amount is 22 acres; if each person on earth had an equal amount of land to use, everyone would get 4.5 acres (hence the title of the series). When I took the quiz, I got 17.6 acres.

The series is all about simplicity, both as a way to lessen our consumerism and earth-destruction and as a way to create justice (this was more implied. I'm not sure it really works like that--just because I don't buy that chocolate at the store doesn't mean there's automatically more for a woman in Ghana or the Philippines--but it's an incredibly attractive idea nonetheless.). I've really been feeling the need for simplicity in my own life, in a multitude of ways. So my Lenten disciplines will be multiple but connected. I will be focusing on ways to simplify my life and my lifestyle. I have already committed to not using my iPad during Lent. Not only does it use a lot of needless energy (not only because I have a computer as well, which serves the same function, but also because I get sucked into games and apps for hours at a time), but it also is incredibly distracting. Sometimes in the morning I'll get my iPad and check Facebook and my email before I start my devotions! It's ridiculous. I have also committed to following along with the Lent 4.5 weekly reflections (they're on their website!), and... as for everything else, I'll see what comes up!

I'll try to post at least once a week about what I'm thinking, reflecting on, praying, and doing.

Blessings on each of you as you begin the season of Lent!

Prayers for the Philippines

I hope that all of you will join me and so many others in praying for the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

If you'd like to do something a bit more down-to-earth, GreaterGood.com currently has a click-to-donate where money from the clicks is donated to relief efforts in the Philippines.
(Correction: the daily click on GreaterGood.com is no longer for relief in the Philipines.)

Not For Sale

I'm going to mix it up a bit today and post about a book I just finished titled Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade--and How We Can Fight It, by David Batstone.

Not for Sale was both heart-breaking and riveting. It tells stories of both modern slaves and those fighting to free the slaves, with each chapter focusing on a different region or country. It was a hard book to read; most of the slaves underwent unimaginably horrible conditions, and those fighting against slavery were incredibly dedicated. Both sets of stories were challenging in different ways.

I know that merely reading a book about an issue does absolutely nothing. I also know, however, that knowing about an issue and the real-life people who are affected by it can completely change your perspective on it. I knew before reading Not for Sale that slavery was still an issue in the world today, but now I know how very pervasive it is, and now I have faces and stories to go with the huge idea of "slavery."

It also includes a section at the end about how you can get involved in the fight to end human slavery. This section was perhaps the only one that it may not be worthwhile to read, as it was almost 10 years out of date in my edition, but there is a newer edition available. For up-to-date information, you can also check out their website, http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/.

I would encourage you to read Not for Sale if you have any interest in modern-day slavery--or, if there's another issue you're passionate about (or just curious about), read up on it. Perhaps you can't read a whole book, but you can search around the internet a bit. Be informed--find out about a new issue today, and how you can make a difference.

Toys

A set of photos of how toys are made in China: Click here.

(Please excuse the language on the page. The photos are good enough that I'm posting this link anyway.)

New Day

Sometimes God's creation just says exactly what I needed to hear. Yesterday, after a truly awful day the day before (as in I spent the whole night crying on and off), I woke up to the most gorgeous day imaginable.

Every day is a new day.

MY impact?

A lot of the rhetoric these days around activism and helping people focuses on this idea that every person can "make a difference." In some ways this language is helpful (it reminds people that God can use even the smallest action to do amazing things, for instance), but in other ways it is incredibly destructive. It puts all of the pressure on US--it is the person who is making the difference, not the God who is working through her/him. It's an incredible amount of pressure, to feel that each person must go out and almost force change to happen, or that each person must make change despite their pitiful contribution or unresolved sin or finite amount of time.

Yes, the actions of each person are so important--God cannot act if we do not choose to act! But God's actions are so much more vital. God is the one who is changing hearts, fighting the spiritual battles, giving us strength when we have none, opening doors, making possible the impossible, pointing out problems that no one sees...

God is the one who will create change. So when you feel that you cannot possibly make a difference, that you don't have enough money or energy or time or anything else, just remember that God is the one who does all the real work. You will not fail or succeed based on your own strength or intelligence or passion.

Trash

Trash is something that we simply accept as part of modern life. What would we do without disposable ... well, everything?

Think about it. What do you use that can be used only once or a few times?
-paper plates and napkins
-trash bags
-contact lenses
-play programs/church bulletins/class handouts
-plastic bottles and containers (for soap, food, toys, gadgets....)
-aluminum cans
-wrapping paper
-tissues
-"to-go" food and drink containers...

I'm sure I could have thought of more. The average American produces 4.5 pounds of trash every day!! That is just beyond ridiculous. (The problems this creates are also ridiculous: this trash must be either buried or burned, but we're running out of places to bury it, and there's so many chemicals in everything that burning it is literally dangerous. A lot of this waste ends up being shipped to other countries, where poorer people get to deal with it. There is almost literally an island of trash in the Pacific Ocean, wreaking utter havoc on the wildlife and ecosystems there.)

All this trash is just incredibly wasteful. God's creation is not infinite, and filling it with trash does not honor its Creator.

I have stopped using disposable plates/food containers/silverware whenever possible. I have stopped using disposable feminine products. I recycle anything I can. What can you do to lessen what you throw away?

Prayer for Syria

Today I went to a service dedicated to prayer for Syria. Specifically we prayed for the civil war to come to an end, and for the welfare and safety of the people affected by the war. It was truly incredible to pray in a group, to together acknowledge the awful pain in this world but also take time to express our faith in God's power to overcome that pain.

Prayer for the Environment

I started this blog to chronicle my attempt to pray for every endangered species. Quite honestly, it was a massive undertaking. I'm not sure I regret it, but I do think that it was foolish. Foolish in a godly way? I'm not sure. But the extinction of species is in many ways just the tip of the iceberg of environmental problems, and always caused by some other, larger issue. Is it even helpful to pray for endangered species, or just frustrating for me? I know that I've failed at it pretty spectacularly (I was planning to be done last July, and I'm only slightly past the half-way point).

But can't God use whatever I do that is searching for Him for His purposes? I would still love to finish my quest, even if much, much later than I wanted to. The internet is full of stories of people finishing amazing tasks in incredibly short periods of time... but is that the best way to do things? Hurried, stressed, and concentrating on deadlines?

I am committing to finishing my quest. God will use me--use us, if you would join me! Prayer is powerful.

Lifestyle

I have been thinking a lot about my lifestyle lately. This is partly due to the fact that I moved recently to a new city, so have been starting in many ways afresh. This is also partly due to the fact that I have been reading and thinking about the rest of the world pretty consistently. What right do I have to live in utter luxury, at least compared to so many? What better things could I be doing with my money than buying earrings? What better things could I be doing with my time than playing stupid internet games?

And what about the source of those luxuries? Were those earrings made by underpaid, overworked women and children somewhere? Am I playing games using energy created by burning coal, thus furthering climate change? What about my food--is it farmed and harvested by other underpaid workers, or slaves? Is it grown with chemicals that are destroying the earth?

How can I create an impact that is less harmful? How can I create a lifestyle that doesn't wreak destruction of both lives and the planet?

And how can I create a lifestyle that brings me closer to God? I don't want to just drift through my days and years--I want to be a potent source of God's redeeming love, to those around me and to those I will never meet. I want to live a life that glorifies God, through both my prayer life and the impact that I have on others.

That is my new goal.

Global Warming

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has released a new report that climate change is definitely human-caused and definitely will cause changes in the next hundred years:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-report-un-secretary-general

Pray for an end to climate change--and act to make it happen!

My Prayer

Lord, I pray that I will blanket the world in prayer. Even if that blanket is badly woven, with many holes and areas of sloppy stitching, please use it for Your purposes.

Please change the world, and make it a place of joy and peace and communion with You. Please help to see its beauty but also its brokenness, around me and around the world. Please remind me to pray for both.

Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

A Difference?

Sometimes when I pray it just seems like what I'm doing is useless. There is so much need--how can I pray for it all? How can my small, quick prayers for one tiny aspect of one problem ever help anything?

For whatever reason The Starfish Story occurred to me recently. It deals with that doubt almost perfectly. Go read it. May it inspire you as it inspired me.

Even small actions make a difference.

Environment and Prayer Quote

“When it comes to climate change . . . what is often missing is quiet reflection and passionate prayer. As the world descends into fearful uncertainty, we need space to ask God for his perspective and intervention, to think about what our abuse of his creation says about us, and to plead for a new vision of God’s purposes for us in his world.”   

                         ~Dave Bookless

New and Old

I've been gradually getting in the habit of praying regularly again. It's difficult and rewarding at the same time; difficult, because bad habits are hard to break, but so rewarding, because I know that I'm doing the right thing and because I love getting closer to God again. Prayers that it continues to go well would be much appreciated, especially since I'm moving to a new city to start seminary in less than a week.

I've also started a new prayer practice. Over the summer I noticed that ideally enjoy praying while I'm doing things with my body: writing out my prayers, walking, (both of which I've been doing for a while), and making friendship bracelets. I decided to continue this practice (especially the friendship bracelets), but with something a bit more useful. So I've been learning to crochet! So far I'm still learning, making it hard to pray while I do it, but I'm getting better. Here's my first completed "project" that I worked on while praying:

I hope to make a bunch of them and see them together to make an afghan to donate.

I know that it would be hypocritical, to say the least, to knit with any old yarn when that yarn was probably produced with slave labor and environment-destroying chemicals. So, I'll probably complete this first project with yarn I have lying around the house (there's a lot of it), and afterwards I'll buy local, environmentally friendly yarn. I'm excited already!

A Prayer

Lord, you have given us this beautiful with the ability to harvest its products for our nourishment and comfort. Yet in our greed we are robbing future generations, poisoning your world and destroying many of your creatures. Help us, dear Lord, to come to our senses, to know that we interfere with your world at our peril, for it is your hand, not ours, that rules your world, for you created the universe and we have been put on earth to look after it in your Name.                                                                                                   Amen

(Souce: Christian EcologyLink's August 2013 Prayer Guide)

Lazy

I have become so lazy recently--in everything, including prayer. I haven't prayed for more than ten or fifteen minutes in... shamefully long. Prayers that I can make it out of this rut!

I hate summer. No, that's not entirely true, but it is possibly my least favorite season. I am very externally motivated, and have trouble motivating myself if I don't have things to do, things that others are telling me to do. What does that tell me about myself?

I commit again to praying more, and more intentionally. I intend to go back to carving time out of every morning to pray. I hope and pray that I can hold on to that intention, based on the knowledge that prayer is important and something that God wants us to do and something that changes the world. I hope and pray that I can root out this fear that I now have, that the world is too big for my prayers to do anything at all and/or that prayer is a waste of time.

Negativity

Looking back at my recent posts, I feel that most of them have been pretty negative--they're mostly about problems I've been having lately related to prayer.

Don't get me wrong: I've been struggling to pray consistently lately. But I don't want to give the false impression that I've given up on prayer, or that I dislike prayer, or that my prayer life has been totally awful. As always, when I follow God's lead and persevere, I am given some beautiful moments of prayer. This morning, for instance, I prayed for probably an hour, and now I feel wonderfully at peace.

Praise God!

Forced Prayer

Do you ever have to force yourself to pray?

I ask because I do, all the time. As I pray like that, it just all feels so fake, like such hypocrisy. I'm not feeling the prayer. I don't believe, at that second, that God is doing anything amazing through my prayers. I don't think He's doing anything at all. I just want to get on to doing something else.

Does God still hear those prayers? I hope so, because an awful lot of my prayers are like that. Does He know that I'm doing the best I can, trying to do what's right even when I don't feel like it? I'm sure He does.