Author: David Ellis

Don: We have noted that prayer has been ubiquitous throughout all cultures and all times, which hints rather strongly of its universality and its fundamental importance in life. In our six-month discussion of prayer to date, what has emerged as its most important aspect? What have we learned? What insights have helped us in our…

Don: Last week, Kiran reminded us that Romans 7 and 8 have a lot to say about the contrast between the flesh and the spirit, and might help us understand what Jesus meant and how prayer might overcome the weakness of the flesh. Galatians 5 and 6 also discuss the topic. In 2 Corinthians 5:7,…

Don: Last week, Alice pointed out that the fall of Man from the Garden of Eden came about through his exercise of his will, whereas the restoration of Man—the way back to the Garden of Eden—came about through Jesus’ relinquishing of his will in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus raised the issue of will with…

Don: The prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane in his last days on earth is recounted in all of the gospels, including the synoptic. The version in Matthew 26 reads as follows: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over…

Many thanks to Kiran for recording this session in the transcriptionist’s absence. The latter retains responsibility for any errors in transcription. Don: The prayer of Jesus found in John 17 is by far the longest prayer by Jesus recorded in the gospels. It is sometimes called the “High Priestly Prayer” or the “Farewell Prayer” of…

Don: Michael has posted on The Interface a story  about an unspoken prayer, in the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. David commented that he found this fictional prayer more meaningful than some of the great prayers we have been studying, from the Old Testament. I find myself sometimes personally reflected in them. Like Jonah,…

Don: There is still a tension between the concepts of prayer and free will. If I successfully pray for help for someone else and that person does not want help, then I have violated that person’s free will. In scripture, we see god doing this all the time. Three personal prayers from the Old Testament…

Don: The world in which we live and must function is governed by natural laws. In a general sense, natural laws control our environment. They have to do with causes—gravity, for instance; and their effects—falling apples, for instance. They can be predicted, and therefore they can be managed, Newtonian laws determines how physics work; economic…

Don: The story of Jonah is not really about Jonah, or about the Ninevites, or about the great fish that swallowed him. It is about god and god’s grace. Jonah’s first prayer, which occurs in the second chapter, teaches us as much about what is not good prayer as about what is good prayer. Jonah’s…