A King's Life

To live on Christ's love is a king's life.

-Samuel Rutherford, The Loveliness of Christ

For the Conservation of Natural Resources

Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-A Prayer for the Conservation of Natural Resources, the Book of Common Prayer (1549)

To Untie the Knot

From the very early morning, let us make everything a matter of prayer, and let it be so throughout the day, and throughout our whole life. A Christian lady said lately, that thirty-five years ago she heard me speak on the subject in Devonshire; and that then I referred to praying about little things. I had said, that suppose a parcel came to us, and it should prove difficult to untie the knot, and you cannot cut it; then you should ask God to help you, even to untie the knot. I myself had forgotten the words, but she has remembered them, and the remembrance of them, she said, had been a great help to her again and again. so I would say to you, my beloved friends, there is nothing too little to pray about. In the simplest things connected with our daily life and walk, we should give ourselves to prayer; and we shall have the loving Lord Jesus to help us.

-George Muller, Yours Affectionately George Muller

Call Me a Luddite

We are technologically superior to previous generations. But are we losing too much in the process? First we walked, then galloped, then rode on rails together. Now we drive, largely with windows up, and go home to hermetically sealed homes, coming out only to take out the trash or grab the newspaper. Once we entertained ourselves at home by reading books aloud. In the 1920s families gathered around the radio. In the 1950s, they gathered around the television. Now there is a television in each room. Computers only make it worse... Again my question is, Is this progress? When does life slow down enough so that we can talk? When do we enjoy our neighborhoods? Where do we experience community? In the last hundred years we have gone from life on a porch with family and neighbors to life in isolation in front of a cathode tube. Is the quality of life improving? Is ours a richer experience? Frankly, I do not believe it anymore. Call it romanticism. Call it naivete. Call me a Luddite.

Terry Johnson "A Call to Family Worship" from Give Praise to God