THE MEETING AS COVENANT COMMUNITY pp (abridged) in Lloyd Lee Wilson, Essays on the Quaker Vision of Gospel Order. (2001) Quaker Press, Philadel
|
|
- Branden Harris
- 5 years ago
- Views:
Transcription
1 THE MEETING AS COVENANT COMMUNITY pp (abridged) in Lloyd Lee Wilson, Essays on the Quaker Vision of Gospel Order. (2001) Quaker Press, Philadelphia, PA. Copied with permission of the author. The Quaker vision of Gospel Order includes an understanding of the monthly meeting as a covenant community, called into being and sustained by God. This understanding has profound implications for the way we live as a faith community as well as for the ways we teach newcomers about the Religious Society of Friends and incorporate new members into our meeting communities. The issues and implications of being a covenant community are highlighted in the ways we bring new persons into our fellowship because this is the time that every faith community tries to articulate what it believes about itself and its relationship to God. The divine-human covenant is a relationship initiated by God, to which we as human beings respond in faith. God has been reaching out for each one of us even before we began to seek Him out. Friends understanding of the monthly meeting as covenant community is that in the Gospel Order, God is calling individuals to live in covenant with Him and through that covenant in community with one another. Because of the covenant relationship we have with God through Christ we are enabled and equipped to live together as human beings in a way that witnesses to his relationship with us and serves as an outpost of the Kingdom of God on earth. In other communities of which we are a part, we choose to be in relationship with the members of the community, or choose to be a part of the community itself, in order to share in the community's identity. In the covenant community, we choose to be in relationship with God, and God gives us to one another and to the community. Our primary bond is to God, which makes the community itself resilient and capable of great healing. The crises and interpersonal failures which could destroy a human community become, in the covenant community, opportunities for the love of God to heal and reconcile us to one another, and for the community to witness about God's healing presence to the world. Friends in the non-pastoral or unprogrammed branches of Quakerism have both a special challenge and a special opportunity in the area of new membership, since the structure of an unprogrammed monthly meeting is least like the Protestant congregation with which most North Americans are familiar. The opportunity comes about because those who seek to join the meeting community are alerted by the unfamiliar organization, and are therefore prepared to learn that the meeting is different in important ways from the faith organizations with which they are familiar. However, the challenge is that without a pastor there may be no one in the unprogrammed meeting who has thought very long about how to communicate the fundamentals of a covenant community to newcomers or who has prepared herself to take on that task. In previous generations the monthly meeting was more self-contained as an economic and social entity, there were more birthright Friends than newly convinced Friends, and those who were convinced learned by absorbing the example of those who were more seasoned. In today's society, though, there is less opportunity for this "education by absorption," and newcomers are less willing to sit silently for a decade or so while the faith and practice of Quakerism "sinks in.".
2 Most new unprogrammed meetings and worship groups in recent years have been located in "university towns," where they draw heavily from the academic community. This suggests a homogeneity among the participants which, if true, should be troublesome to all of us. If our message is reaching the hearts of only one type of seeker, then either we are not witnessing to that Truth as fully as we ought or the message we are sharing is not the Gospel message of early Friends. The Valiant Sixty were convinced that the Quaker message was meant for all classes and cultures, and their converts demonstrated the truth of their conviction. A further complication, and one more central to the theme of this essay, is indicated by the small size of most unprogrammed meetings. Those meetings affiliated with Friends General Conference, the largest association of unprogrammed Friends, have a median size of less than 50 members. 5 A close look at the growth in the period shows that most occurred in new meetings with 25 or fewer members, few if any of whom have any extensive experience of Friends outside of the meeting they now attend. New meetings are typically two hours or more by automobile from the nearest concentration of seasoned Friends, which limits the amount of informal visitation among meetings.. It is apparent that the challenge facing Friends is not how to attract new people but how to communicate the essence and essentials of our faith tradition in the face of two obstacles; one in the newcomers and one in our own meetings. First, many of the newcomers to meeting for worship may actually be reluctant to learn what we want to share; second, the membership of many unprogrammed meetings is itself sharply divided - splintered may be a better image - over what should be taught as Quaker faith and practice and who should be permitted to teach it. The personal history of many spiritual refugees makes them very sensitive to any reminder of the non-nurturing spiritual authority which they have escaped. The task is made more difficult by the scarcity of seasoned Friends in or even near many of the meetings where they are most needed. The corporate reluctance of many unprogrammed meetings to allow anyone to speak authoritatively about what Friends believe (where there are two Friends, there are three opinions) completes the conundrum. We agree wholeheartedly that what we've found among silent Friends is the most precious of jewels, yet are unwilling or unable to share the source of our good fortune with others. Friends are unable to speak clearly about the covenant nature of their community because they are not in complete unity about that covenant. Friends are proud - to a fault - that Quakerism is a "do-it-yourself" religion, resting fundamentally on the personal spiritual experience of each individual. We are uncomfortable with the notion that a diversity of spiritual gifts might mean that spiritual gifts are distributed unevenly. Paul wrote that God calls specific individuals to be teachers, but many Friends act as if that were not the case, preventing those who are in the position of teacher from teaching with the spiritual authority that was characteristic of the "primitive Christianity" Quakers intend to emulate. Everywhere around us God demonstrates a love of making each creature unique, yet we prefer to act as if each Quaker's spiritual gifts were precisely like those of every other Quaker. The writer of Ephesians emphasizes that the diversity of spiritual gifts builds the unity of the church, not weakens it, but Friends act as if the reverse were true. It is becoming increasingly difficult for "infant ministers" to name
3 and claim their spiritual gifts, or for meetings to find acceptable ways to recognize and nurture the gifts of the Spirit present among their members. Our response to these difficulties is too often a silent consensus not to talk about them - not to rock the boat. Those Friends who have been gifted in ways that would enable them to speak to the condition of newcomers are not empowered by their meeting community to do so. To the extent that these characteristics make it easier for Friends to offer a place of safety to spiritual refugees, they contribute to numerical church growth. If no one is speaking with clarity about who we are as a faith people, many newcomers will make the assumptions about Quakerism that make them personally most comfortable. The problem is that these same characteristics make it quite difficult for Friends to create the spiritual environment which will best nurture spiritual growth in us all. God loves us as we are, which is infinitely comforting. God also calls us to grow and change, to become more nearly that person we were created with the potential to be, which is infinitely loving but also sometimes disconcerting. Friends have done well in living out God's accepting love in our meeting communities; we have done less well living out God's call to each of us to grow in the faith. A refugee identifies with her old country, defining herself by the place she has fled. An immigrant identifies with her new country, defining herself by the norms and values of her adopted country. The challenge to those countries who accept refugees as permanent additions to the nation is to transmit the essential norms, attitudes and values of the receiving nation while preserving what is best of the heritage that refugees bring with them. Meeting this challenge is at times uncomfortable for both refugee and refuge provider. The same situation holds true in faith communities as in nations. In the attempt in our monthly meetings to provide the spiritually wounded refugee a safe sanctuary at all times, we may be creating a spiritual environment that actually stifles spiritual growth - our own as well as the newcomer's. Political refugees arriving in America are taught the English language (U.S.A. version), our national history, and our democratic system of government. The political refugee is expected to adopt our political perspective in order to assume the full responsibilities and enjoy the full rights of citizenship. Each one enriches our country with his or her unique heritage and life experience, in the context of having adopted our political values. As Quakers we should be teaching the spiritual refugees who come to us the peculiar Quaker language and the history (often recorded in human suffering) of our spiritual ancestors, as well as our personal and corporate experience of Christ the Seed, Guide, Healer, Counselor and Redeemer. We are not doing a good job at carrying out this responsibility, to our own detriment as well as that of newcomers to our meetings. The newcomer to Quakerism is all too often neither challenged nor encouraged to make the transition from refugee to "landed immigrant" - to make the switch in self-definition from the experiences he has left behind to the experience that now invites him onward. Many persons continue in a sort of spiritual huddle for years, never growing beyond the negative experiences of earlier years, never being healed, never becoming whole enough to enter unreservedly into the Presence of the Risen Lord anew. We are unable to help these persons find what they need because we have no common vision of what that might be. When we lack, as a faith community, a shared vision of what is essential to our corporate faith experience, we are unable to teach newcomers what it means to be a Quaker. Without a shared vision of who we are as a faith people, we are unable to invite others to join us.
4 A frequent explanation I hear for this "benign neglect" of spiritual formation for those new to Quakerism is that by being explicit about what Quakers believe - or at the very least, what we have believed for most of our history as a gathered people - we may frighten away those who are still bleeding from past wounds. This argument is circumvented so easily that one comes quickly to look past it for deeper reasons. Surely being explicit about our faith in and experience of the One who George Fox called the Great Physician, Healer, Comforter, and Counselor will not frighten away those persons in need of healing, comfort, and counsel who want to be healed and comforted. In reality, I believe we are reluctant to speak our beliefs clearly because the effort to do so will force us to face unresolved issues in our own faith journey. We are reluctant to allow others the freedom of their beliefs for the same reason. Whether we are seeking ways to minister to the spiritual refugees who seek us out or are seeking to foster spiritual growth among those already in membership, we need to ask ourselves and each other the question, "What is our vision of the monthly meeting? Is it a covenant gathering or human community?" Is the root of our life the Risen Christ, or is it the love and warmth we have for one another in this self-isolated community? The healthy meeting is always a mixture of both divine covenant and human community: the vertical and horizontal aspects of the Cross. It is the covenant relationship, however, that inspires and enables us to live in human community in spite of the many centrifugal forces that seek to separate us. The presence of a covenant relationship exerts a profound influence over the way we deal with disappointment and pain in our relationships within the community. The individual whose commitment to the community is based on a sense that these community members are somehow special human beings, who have the right concerns and values and live the right lives, will find great difficulty when members of the community fail to live up to these standards and expectations. Being human, we all fail repeatedly to live up to our own standards and expectations, and are bound to disappoint other people" on occasion. If one's commitment to a community is a human commitment to the individuals in it, because they are the right people in some way, the community will be shattered when the individuals fail to live up to their ideals. In contrast, the individual whose commitment is based on an acceptance of a covenant relationship with God has a different reaction to these inevitable pains and disappointments. The covenant relationship says that we are given in relationship to each other precisely in order to help one another through these painful times, into a fuller relationship with God and one another. What is a centrifugal force in one case is a bonding experience among a covenant people. Our individual sins and failures become opportunities for the community to practice true loving forgiveness, to offer spiritual counsel and guidance, and to offer spiritual and emotional healing. It is precisely the imperfect, human nature of the people in a covenant community that gives it the opportunity to witness to the redeeming love of Christ, through the redeeming love we have for one another in Christ. The way we deal with spiritual refugees, and what that discloses about our own conditions, leads me to believe that many Friends meetings have overemphasized those aspects of our common life which are human community, to the neglect of our experience of the meeting community as the living out of a covenant with God. While in the short run this shift in
5 emphasis may seem like the best way to invite others to join in our common life and feel immediately comfortable, in the long run neglecting our Divine Covenant not only curtails our numerical growth but keeps those who stay in the meeting from achieving their divine potential. For every person who stays in the meeting community because it does not emphasize the life-changing nature of our covenant relationship with God, there is another who tries our fellowship and leaves quickly because we are apparently not serious enough about our spiritual life. When we understand the monthly meeting to be a human community of like-minded and like-hearted individuals who share an affinity for silent worship and certain social concerns, newcomers and growth will be threatening. Growth under these conditions means bringing strangers into the circle of friends who I trust most deeply; newcomers mean hearing new perspectives on favorite causes from people who can't possibly understand because they haven't been a part of "my" meeting all these years. Growth means hearing vocal ministry during meeting for worship that is decidedly different from the mainstream of this meeting. When we cling to the idea of "our" monthly meeting or "our" yearly meeting, we consciously or unconsciously become defensive about change: and newcomers always mean change. We may talk about how Quakerism is only appropriate for a certain type of person, or rationalize our behavior in any of a number of different ways, but we are protecting ourselves against change. Other people can perceive this defensiveness, and they will and do act accordingly. When we give up ownership and celebrate the ways the Lord is working in his meeting, we give up being defensive and begin to act in ways that invite others to join our fellowship. The covenant meeting is always the Lord's meeting first; members trust the Lord to take care of his meeting, and therefore spend less time being defensive and more time celebrating the ways the Lord is at work in his meeting. Growth is frightening when we think of the Friends meeting primarily as a place and time where we are rested, sheltered, and restored after a time of struggle against the forces of the world. This happens when one sees the world as the primary reality, and the meeting as a resource for dealing with that reality. We adopt a refugee mentality ourselves about the meeting, which encourages others to remain refugees. At its best, the meeting community becomes a sanctuary from the world; at its worst, it becomes a refugee camp. When we understand meeting to be a Covenant experience, everything is different. Each of us is in a Covenant relationship with the Lord, drawn in by his initiative and put in relationship with one another through our common bond to God. Meeting becomes a divine Potter's wheel, where we are shaped into that form which as yet exists only in the mind of God. Like clay thrown by a human potter, we become of value only as we yield to the Potter's hand and are then taken from the wheel to be put into service. Meeting is not a place of shelter from the world so much as a place where we are shaped in order to become God's instrument in the world. The primary reality is our relationship with God, and the world is an arena in which that relationship is lived out. When meeting is understood to be primarily a human community, the unusual is threatening. Newcomers are unusual by definition, and most visitors can feel this sense of threat; they respond by not coming back. Some few, those who are least different from the people who are already in the community, stay to become members themselves. When meeting is understood to be a Covenant experience, the unusual is God breaking into our
6 lives in a new way - cause for celebration! Visitors to a Covenant meeting are given a truly heartfelt welcome, and are more likely to want to come back again. When we live in a Covenant relationship with God and one another, we offer the spiritual refugees who come to our meetings far more than shelter from the storm - we offer a path to a transforming relationship with the One who makes all things new, who makes of each one of us a new creation in Christ. The path to genuine, Spirit-led and Spirit-fed growth in our meetings lies not in contriving to make our meetings as comfortable and nonthreatening as possible to those who may visit, but in accepting with joy the covenant relationship with God that is expressed in the meeting to which one belongs. The most convincing argument one can humanly give to another about the healing, peace and joy that comes from giving up one's refugee mentality and entering into the Divine Covenant is the simple testimony of one's own life, lived in that same covenant.
Queries and Advices. 1. Meeting for Worship. First Section: What is the state of our meetings for worship and business?
Queries and Advices Friends have assessed the state of this religious society through the use of queries since the time of George Fox. Rooted in the history of Friends, the queries reflect the Quaker way
More informationGlossary. Glossary of Quakerisms. From
1 of 8 From http://www.pym.org/faith-and-practice/glossary/ Glossary Note: Some of the terms that follow are in common usage, but Friends have given them a particular meaning. Others are essentially limited
More informationpart one MACROSTRUCTURE Cambridge University Press X - A Theory of Argument Mark Vorobej Excerpt More information
part one MACROSTRUCTURE 1 Arguments 1.1 Authors and Audiences An argument is a social activity, the goal of which is interpersonal rational persuasion. More precisely, we ll say that an argument occurs
More informationBob Atchley, Sage-ing Guild Conference, October, 2010
1 Roots of Wisdom and Wings of Enlightenment Bob Atchley, Sage-ing Guild Conference, October, 2010 Sage-ing International emphasizes, celebrates, and practices spiritual development and wisdom, long recognized
More informationON THE MEANING OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS Lloyd B. Swift, Bethesda Meeting Reprinted from Friends Journal, July 1/15, 1986, pp.
ON THE MEANING OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS Lloyd B. Swift, Bethesda Meeting Reprinted from Friends Journal, July 1/15, 1986, pp. 11-13 There are a great many different ideas concerning the
More informationThe Confessional Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition
The Confessional Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition Preamble: Changing Lives with Christ s Changeless Truth We are a fellowship of Christians convinced that personal ministry centered on Jesus
More informationCommunity and the Catholic School
Note: The following quotations focus on the topic of Community and the Catholic School as it is contained in the documents of the Church which consider education. The following conditions and recommendations
More informationTHE CONGRUENT LIFE CHAPTER 1
The Congruent Life Chapter 1 THE CONGRUENT LIFE CHAPTER 1 Think about and consider writing in response to the questions at the conclusion of Chapter 1 on pages 28-29. This page will be left blank to do
More informationThe Churches and the Public Schools at the Close of the Twentieth Century
The Churches and the Public Schools at the Close of the Twentieth Century A Policy Statement of the National Council of the Churches of Christ Adopted November 11, 1999 Table of Contents Historic Support
More informationa video companion study guide a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the united states and canada
a video companion study guide a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the united states and canada about this course This study guide and its accompanying
More informationTHE CARE COMMITTEE. the School of the Spirit. a ministry of prayer and learning devoted to
THE CARE COMMITTEE a ministry of prayer and learning devoted to the School of the Spirit Table of Contents I. Introduction... 3 II. Why is a care committee needed?... 4 III. Who is needed to serve on the
More informationLight Omega Podcasts
Light Omega Podcasts www.lightomega.org/podcast/list-podcasts.php Gift of the Sacred Moment Transcription of podcast recorded by Julie - Sept. 8, 2013 We are coming together in a sacred moment of time.
More informationSystematic Theology Introduction to Systematic Theology
SHBC Sunday School Systematic Theology: Part 1, Week 1 February 16, 2014 Systematic Theology Introduction to Systematic Theology What is systematic theology? Why should Christians study it? How should
More informationv o i c e A Document for Dialogue and Study Report of the Task Force on Human Sexuality The Alliance of Baptists
The Alliance of Baptists Aclear v o i c e A Document for Dialogue and Study The Alliance of Baptists 1328 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 Telephone: 202.745.7609 Toll-free: 866.745.7609 Fax: 202.745.0023
More informationExercises a Sense of Call:
This resource is designed to help pastors develop a better understanding about what we are looking for in a potential church planter. There are the twelve characteristics in our assessment process. In
More informationThe Confessional Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition
The Confessional Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition Preamble: Speaking the Truth in Love A Vision for the Entire Church We are a fellowship of Christians committed to promoting excellence and
More informationChanging Religious and Cultural Context
Changing Religious and Cultural Context 1. Mission as healing and reconciling communities In a time of globalization, violence, ideological polarization, fragmentation and exclusion, what is the importance
More informationRenfrew County Catholic Schools
Renfrew County Catholic Schools Renfrew County Catholic District School Board We are proud of our Catholic schools and the distinctive education they offer. Our quality instruction in the light of the
More informationNewbigin, Lesslie. The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, Kindle E-book.
Newbigin, Lesslie. The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1995. Kindle E-book. In The Open Secret, Lesslie Newbigin s proposal takes a unique perspective
More informationLeader s Guide to A Guide for Talking Together about Shared Ministry with Same-Sex Couples and Their Families
Leader s Guide to A Guide for Talking Together about Shared Ministry with Same-Sex Couples and Their Families LEADER S GUIDE Thank you for your willingness to lead your congregational group through these
More informationDRAFT Minutes, June 7, 2015
Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting Unprogrammed Quakerism what is essential and what is cultural? DRAFT Minutes, June 7, 2015 Present: ( PQM is discerning publishing attendees at our Meetings in online minutes,
More informationIntroduction THREE LEVELS OF THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
Introduction What is the nature of God as revealed in the communities that follow Jesus Christ and what practices best express faith in God? This is a question of practical theology. In this book, I respond
More informationRelocation as a Response to Persecution RLP Policy and Commitment
Relocation as a Response to Persecution RLP Policy and Commitment Initially adopted by the Religious Liberty Partnership in March 2011; modified and reaffirmed in March 2013; modified and reaffirmed, April
More informationREPORT OF THE CATHOLIC REFORMED BILATERAL DIALOGUE ON BAPTISM 1
REPORT OF THE CATHOLIC REFORMED BILATERAL DIALOGUE ON BAPTISM 1 A SEASON OF ENGAGEMENT The 20 th century was one of intense dialogue among churches throughout the world. In the mission field and in local
More informationHOLY SPIRIT: The Promise of the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit By Bob Young 1
HOLY SPIRIT: The Promise of the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit By Bob Young 1 Introduction The challenges facing the church in the contemporary world call for
More informationWILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY COVENANT
WILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY COVENANT PREAMBLE William Jessup University is a Christ-centered institution of higher learning dedicated to the holistic formation of students their academic, mental,
More informationForming those who form others. skey Principles of Our Work
Franciscan University Forming those who form others. skey Principles of Our Work The Franciscan University Catechetical Institute works to help dioceses offer substantive, rich, and engaging catechetical
More informationThere s A Letter for You A study of the letters written by James, Peter, John and Jude
TABLE OF CONTENTS There are 21 letters in the New Testament. Thirteen of them were written by Paul either to individuals or to churches in various locations. The author of the letter to the Hebrews is
More informationUnintentionally Distorting the Gospel. A talk given at the Regent University Chapel, May 7, Matthew E. Gordley, Ph.D.
Unintentionally Distorting the Gospel A talk given at the Regent University Chapel, May 7, 2008 Matthew E. Gordley, Ph.D. Its not often a person gets a chance to speak to a group as focused, as intelligent,
More informationReligion and Terror. beginning of wisdom and te experience of the mysterium tremendum is a well-attested theme in
Religion and Terror Religion has a long relationship with terror. The fear of the Lord, after all, is the beginning of wisdom and te experience of the mysterium tremendum is a well-attested theme in religious
More informationThere are three tools you can use:
Slide 1: What the Buddha Thought How can we know if something we read or hear about Buddhism really reflects the Buddha s own teachings? There are three tools you can use: Slide 2: 1. When delivering his
More informationI. Experience and Faith
I. Experience and Faith The following Advice, paraphrased from epistles of the yearly meeting in the late 17 th century, expresses the challenge and promise of the spiritual journey of Friends. Friends
More informationWhen the disciples asked: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? part of Jesus long reply is:
Gospel Order By Annis Bleeke The term 'Gospel Order' was more familiar to early Friends than it is to us today, but its importance for our life, work and witness remains undiminished. Agenda Committee
More informationSonship Raising Up Sons, Part 2. Studio Session 67 Sam Soleyn 11/2004
Sonship Raising Up Sons, Part 2 Studio Session 67 Sam Soleyn 11/2004 [The apostle Peter wrote], Think it not strange that you go through fiery trials of many kinds. For the spirit of glory and of Christ
More informationKeys to Happy Family Living Christian Living Series By Henry Brandt, Ph.D. Lesson 8 Keeping in Step by Communication
This article has been reproduced from www.biblicalcounselinginsights.com. Keys to Happy Family Living Christian Living Series By Henry Brandt, Ph.D. Lesson 8 Keeping in Step by Communication "Then those
More informationVISIONING TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRY
VISIONING TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRY For assistance with this tool, contact GenOn Ministries 877.937.2572 info@genonministries.org GenOn Ministries P.O. Box 4, Springdale, PA 15144 877.937.2572
More informationOverland Park Church. Part 1. Congregational Survey Results. Tuesday, February 16th, Powered by
Overland Park Church Congregational Survey Results Part 1 Tuesday, February 16th, 2016 Powered by 573 Total Responses Church Demographics Questions 1-11 Powered by Q1-2: What is your gender & age? Total
More information4 Lessons Learned: 20 Years After My Affair
4 Lessons Learned: 20 Years After My Affair Reflections on what I ve learned and what I wish I d known twenty years ago. by Tim Tedder I remember one particular afternoon in college when, for some reason,
More informationConnecting Faith to Works
Connecting Faith to Works Strategies for Working with Faith-Based Organizations JO ANNE SCHNEIDER Faith communities have always provided for those in need in the United States, founding hospitals, social
More informationAbide in me. Augsburg College Baccalaureate Service May 5, Abide in me as I abide in you. (John 15: 4)
Abide in me Augsburg College Baccalaureate Service May 5, 2012 Abide in me as I abide in you. (John 15: 4) Grace and peace to you from our Creator God, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from the
More informationObjections to Supporting Calls to Vocal Ministry
Objections to Supporting Calls to Vocal Ministry A commenter on my most recent post about supporting Friends that feel called into a spoken ministry in their meetings worship has shared how he had sought
More informationEichrodt, Walther. Theology of the Old Testament: Volume 1. The Old Testament Library.
Eichrodt, Walther. Theology of the Old Testament: Volume 1. The Old Testament Library. Translated by J.A. Baker. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961. 542 pp. $50.00. The discipline of biblical theology has
More informationThe United Reformed Church Consultation on Eldership The Royal Foundation of St Katharine. October 24th to 26th 2006.
The United Reformed Church Consultation on Eldership The Royal Foundation of St Katharine. October 24 th to 26 th 2006. 1) At General Assembly 2005 the Catch the Vision Core Group requested a piece of
More informationLIFE TOGETHER. The Life Group Experience. A 4-week Study
LIFE TOGETHER The Life Group Experience A 4-week Study Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Dietrich Bonhoeffer INTRODUCTION
More informationGEMS OF TRUTH. NUMBER 7 January 1, 2012
GEMS OF TRUTH NUMBER 7 January 1, 2012 FROM THE EDITOR As we begin another New Year as time is counted in this present earth plane our thoughts may turn to reviewing our life, our past, and the future.
More informationGOD S CALL. Major themes in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit (5) The baptism with the Spirit
GOD S CALL Major themes in the Scriptures The Holy Spirit (5) The baptism with the Spirit Reference: GDC-S18-005-Mw-R00-P2 (Originally spoken on 2 June 2013, edited on 4 June 2013) Web site: http://www.ajourneyinlife.org
More informationCCEF History, Theological Foundations and Counseling Model
CCEF History, Theological Foundations and Counseling Model by Tim Lane and David Powlison Table of Contents Brief History of Pastoral Care The Advent of CCEF and Biblical Counseling CCEF s Theological
More informationhepherds according to Christ s heart
hepherds according to Christ s heart 1. A mission 2. The importance of our mission 3. Distortion of a Schoenstatt leader 4. The true image of a Schoenstatt leader 1. A Mission Possibles reactions when
More informationMessiah College s identity and mission foundational values educational objectives. statements of faith community covenant.
Messiah College s identity and mission foundational values educational objectives statements of faith community covenant see anew thrs Identity & Mission Three statements best describe the identity and
More informationHIS SIDE VERSUS OUR SIDE - OVERVIEW OF GALATIANS
HIS SIDE VERSUS OUR SIDE - OVERVIEW OF GALATIANS Or, What is a TRUE Christian? by Norman Harrison Copyright 1947 by Norman Harrison edited for 3BMB by Baptist Bible Believer in the spirit of the Colportage
More informationANGLICAN - ROMAN CATHOLIC INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION (ARCIC)
FULL-TEXT Interconfessional Dialogues ARCIC Anglican-Roman Catholic Interconfessional Dialogues Web Page http://dialogues.prounione.it Source Current Document www.prounione.it/dialogues/arcic ANGLICAN
More informationWHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALITY AND PERSONALITY?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALITY AND PERSONALITY? I spoke of the difference between emotions and feelings and I would like to extend your understanding of this. It is important to understand
More informationLOVE/WISDOM MERGE. In the letter to the Ephesians, we are reminded to live our lives not out of foolishness but out of wisdom.
Dear People Whom God Loves, LOVE/WISDOM MERGE In the letter to the Ephesians, we are reminded to live our lives not out of foolishness but out of wisdom. I want to draw a very rough map of the wisdom/love
More informationDISCUSSION GUIDE :: WEEK 3
DISCUSSION GUIDE :: WEEK 3 THE UNDERDOG WHEN I'VE DONE IT TO MYSELF ACTS 9:1-31 11/14/2016 MAIN POINT Everyone who believes the gospel is forever changed, and God uses others to help us in our new way
More informationPastor David Nelson Teacher/Instructor December 18, New Hope Baptist Church Bible Study LESSONS FROM JAMES Week 10: We are Family JAMES 2:1-13
Pastor David Nelson Teacher/Instructor December 18, 2013 Name: 1 P a g e New Hope Baptist Church Bible Study LESSONS FROM JAMES Week 10: We are Family JAMES 2:1-13 In 2:1-13, James gives a practical lesson:
More informationRomans Humility Over Arrogance November 08, 2015
Romans Humility Over Arrogance November 08, 2015 I. Another reason for Gentile believers to be humble about being saved A. Romans 11:25-32... For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery
More informationFrom Geraldine J. Steensam and Harrro W. Van Brummelen (eds.) Shaping School Curriculum: A Biblical View. Terre, Haute: Signal Publishing, 1977.
Biblical Studies Gordon J. Spykman Biblical studies are academic in nature, they involve theoretical inquiry. Their major objective is to transmit to students the best and most lasting results of the Biblicaltheological
More informationDECLARATION of FAITH. Policy and Position Statements
DECLARATION of FAITH and Policy and Position Statements of The American Association of Lutheran Churches (All policies in this manual were approved and accepted at the National AALC Constituting Convention,
More informationHarris Athanasiadis November 15, WHY DO YOU WORSHIP GOD? Job 1. Why do you worship God? Is it for something or is it for nothing?
Harris Athanasiadis November 15, 2015 WHY DO YOU WORSHIP GOD? Job 1 Why do you worship God? Is it for something or is it for nothing? We live in a world where people rarely do anything for nothing. We
More informationCalled to be an Elder
Called to be an Elder If you have been invited by the nominating committee to consider the call to be an Elder, you may desire a way to think about that call and pray for discernment. It is our hope that
More informationNational Migration Week Mass
Human Dignity & Solidarity Immigration Ministry Parish Toolkit National Migration Week Mass Many Journeys, One Family January 7-14, 2018 Homily Aid January 7, 2018 The Epiphany of the Lord Lectionary:
More informationThe Soul Journey Education for Higher Consciousness
An Introduction to The Soul Journey Education for Higher Consciousness A 6 e-book series by Andrew Schneider What is the soul journey? What does The Soul Journey program offer you? Is this program right
More informationA Blessed Child and a Light Bulb
A Blessed Child and a Light Bulb Essay I have not failed. I ve just found 10.000 ways that won t work! --- Thomas A. Edison --- An important concern in our movement has always been how to raise, educate,
More informationIntroduction...5. Session 1: Friendship with Christ Session 2: Prayer Session 3: Sacred Scripture...26
Table of Contents Introduction.....................................5 Session 1: Friendship with Christ......................... 10 Session 2: Prayer................................. 18 Session 3: Sacred
More informationA Simple Plan Simple isn t necessarily easy
A Simple Plan Simple isn t necessarily easy Practical steps in the development of Foursquare Simple Churches While the goal is to advance the gospel by planting more churches as faithfully and as quickly
More informationVICTORIOUS FAITH SESSION 4. The Point. The Passage. The Bible Meets Life. The Setting. My faith in God makes me victorious.
SESSION 4 VICTORIOUS FAITH The Point My faith in God makes me victorious. The Passage Hebrews 11:1-6 The Bible Meets Life It s hard to know what to believe anymore. The Internet is filled with news on
More informationTocqueville s observations of religion in Democracy in America are similar
143 Emily Hatheway Religion as a Social Force Tocqueville s observations of religion in Democracy in America are similar to the issues pertinent to Weber s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,
More informationPhiladelphia Yearly Meeting - Faith & Practice Revision Group Proposed Section: II. Experience and Faith
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice II. Experience and Faith Friends are advised to place God, not
More informationIntroduction to Systematic Theology - What is Systematic Theology?
Class 1 Outline: Introduction to Systematic Theology - What is Systematic Theology? Definition: Systematic Theology is any study that answers the question, "What does the whole Bible teach us today?" about
More informationEgo and Essence: An Exploration of the Types as a Continuum
By Katy Taylor Ego and Essence: An Exploration of the Types as a Continuum From The Enneagram Monthly, November 2008, Issue 153. In the Enneagram Monthly over the last year or two, I have been following
More informationIowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Advices and Queries
S AND Quakerism is a living faith made real through the inward light of the living Christ. This faith holds that our individual lives and the corporate life of the Meeting can be guided by continuing revelation
More informationWHOSE ARE WE? Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix August 21, 2011
WHOSE ARE WE? Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix August 21, 2011 Reading: Unitarian Universalist Minister, Victoria Safford, offers this reflection on the question
More informationThe Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness We ve come in our study of the fruit of the Spirit to the virtue of goodness. Studying goodness was interesting for me this past week. To be honest, I started to panic
More informationENDS INTERPRETATION Revised April 11, 2014
ENDS INTERPRETATION Revised April 11, 2014 PART 1: MONITORING INFORMATION Prologue to The UUA Administration believes in the power of our liberal religious values to change lives and to change the world.
More informationValues. The Practice of Our Values. How is this Value Measured?
The Vision: (What has God called us to do?--the final picture) We are called to plant a biblical, healthy, flourishing, reproducing, Anglican Church to expand the Kingdom of God and bring glory to Christ
More informationThe Problem with Forgiveness (or the Lack Thereof) and Seven Reasons to Consider It
The Problem with Forgiveness (or the Lack Thereof) and Seven Reasons to Consider It By Rick Reynolds, LCSW If you re looking for specific information on how to reconcile, you ll need to look elsewhere.
More informationAspects of Purpose. Components of Purpose. Essence
Aspects of Purpose Purpose itself is at the root of your being, the very foundation of who you are. It existed before time began and is written in the annals of eternity. It is as much about being as it
More informationWaking Up Is... Answers/Insights by our Elder Brother Christ Jesus, via Paul
Waking Up Is... Answers/Insights by our Elder Brother Christ Jesus, via Paul Tuttle... Healing is inevitable, just as waking up is inevitable. The conscious experience of the Allness of God is your inevitable
More informationJESUS TEACHES SESSION 2. The Point. The Passage. The Bible Meets Life. The Setting. Obeying Jesus teachings leads to fruitful living.
SESSION 2 JESUS TEACHES The Point Obeying Jesus teachings leads to fruitful living. The Passage Mark 4:1-9 The Bible Meets Life The Bible gets a lot of respect in America at least superficial respect.
More informationCeltic Evening Prayer and Communion
Celtic Evening Prayer and Communion Independence Day July 1, 2018, at Half-Past Five o clock in the Evening Welcome. We are aware that many who attend this service come from other churches and faith traditions,
More informationMBC EMBRACING AN INTERNATIONAL IDENTITY
MBC EMBRACING AN INTERNATIONAL IDENTITY Tim Blencowe, Kevin Jin - March 2017 We believe that God has called us to be a united multi-ethnic community, and that our unity in Jesus is key to our mission and
More informationTransforming lives. eternally for the. kingdom of god
Transforming lives eternally for the kingdom of god Maybe you re not learning of White s on accident. Maybe you are here because the God of the universe wants to meet with you here. And He has something
More informationProposed Revisions to The Guide to Our Faith and Practice 27th day of eighth month, 2010
Dear SAYMA Friends, The SAYMA Faith and Practice Revision Committee hopes to present three proposals at Yearly Meeting 2011. 1. The section on Education (section IV part B number 2) was last presented
More informationHow To Recognize A Revival When You See It Jonah 3
How To Recognize A Revival When You See It Jonah 3 H e wouldn t recognize a kiss if it was on his face. You wouldn t recognize a real thought if it was tattooed on your arm. He wouldn t know a gift horse
More informationThe Use of Self in Therapy
The Use of Self in Therapy Second Edition Michele Baldwin, MSSW, PhD Editor This book is dedicated to the memory of Virginia Satir, teacher, colleague, and friend, with gratitude and love Chapter 2 Interview
More informationLike Teacher, Like Learner
162 LESSON 6 Like Teacher, Like Learner Maria was particularly excited one evening when Juan came home from his fields. That day Manuel had spoken his first word! Juan, realizing the significance of the
More informationBaptism and Fullness Homework #1. 1. Read the Preface to the Second Edition and the Introduction, pp
Baptism and Fullness Homework #1 Name 1. Read the Preface to the Second Edition and the Introduction, pp. 7-17. 2. What modern movement in the church led Stott to write this book? 3. List some of the positive
More informationA PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION. for the CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
A PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION for the CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Prepared by: THE COMMISSION ON EDUCATION Adopted by: THE GENERAL BOARD June 20, 1952 A PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION (Detailed Statement) Any philosophy
More informationIfind it increasingly difficult to speak to you
To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use It Wisely RICHARD G. SCOTT Ifind it increasingly difficult to speak to you who qualify in worthiness, testimony, and personal capacity to be here on this singular
More informationA Living Faith: What Nazarenes Believe
All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Versions (NIV). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All
More informationParish Development Framework
Parish Framework For use in Parish Reviews June 2008 Parish Reviews seek to measure a parish s progress against the Healthy Congregations matrix for Mission Vision, Capacity and Achievement. Mission Vision
More informationAppeared in "Ha'aretz" on the 2nd of March The Need to Forget
Appeared in "Ha'aretz" on the 2nd of March 1988 The Need to Forget I was carried off to Auschwitz as a boy of ten, and survived the Holocaust. The Red Army freed us, and I spent a number of months in a
More informationAssessment Workbook: Local and Regional/Nationwide
Assessment Workbook: Local and Regional/Nationwide Disciples of All Nations: Continuous Mission Until He Comes A Local and Regional/Nationwide Assessment Welcome, You are about to become involved in a
More informationNatural Rights, Natural Limitations 1 By Howard Schwartz
1 P age Natural Rights-Natural Limitations Natural Rights, Natural Limitations 1 By Howard Schwartz Americans are particularly concerned with our liberties because we see liberty as core to what it means
More informationSleep Cycle Programming
Sleep Cycle Programming Paul Solomon Reading 0425 - H - 0338 - MT - 0001, September 19, 1974 Now, we can bring a great deal more of correction in this manner. That there will be the periods of the evenings
More informationSession B: Becoming Disciples Who Help Jesus Make Disciples
Session B: Becoming Disciples Who Help Jesus Make Disciples Prayer: Dear Lord, help us love you. Change our ways of life so that we may become disciples who live with you. Help us live our lives in an
More informationCornerstone University Chorale East Coast Tour Students Reflections March 2015
Cornerstone University Chorale East Coast Tour Students Reflections March 2015 During this amazing experience I have learned so many things. I have seen changes in me, received revelation from God s word
More informationA Journey in Life (Song)
Reference: MNL-S02-001-Sw-R01-P1 A Journey in Life (Song) (Written on 9 December 2001; revised on 16 December 2001) Web site: http://www.ajourneyinlife.org This song is protected by copyright 2001 Lim
More informationThe Integration of Preaching & Transformational Leadership
The Integration of Preaching & Transformational Leadership by Mariann Edgar Budde St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, MN In the fall of 2002, I received a Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral
More informationBOOK REVIEW: Dignity Its History and Meaning
Volume 3, Issue 1 May 2013 BOOK REVIEW: Dignity Its History and Meaning Matt Seidel, Webster University Saint Louis Michael Rosen s Dignity: Its History and Meaning, spotlights just that: Dignity. Setting
More information