On 6/23/2019 I was privileged to be among the seventeen Friends who heard Australian Friend David Johnson (_A Quaker Prayer Life_, Inner Light Books, 2013; _Jesus, Christ and Servant of God_, Inner Light Books, 2017) lead an intense after-meeting discussion, at West Richmond (IN) Friends Meeting, on what the Gospel of John has to say about the relation of Jesus Christ to God, His _Abba_.
Friend David had us go around the room, each reading one of the following verses:
John 4:34 John 5:19 John 5:30 John 6:38 John 7:15-16 John 8:26-28 John 14:10 John 14:23-24 John 15:10
The picture that emerged was of Jesus the Man explaining His astonishing ability to do divine works as being rooted in His “having no will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me” (John 6:38), and “to finish His work” (John 4:34). It was clear that, during His years of ministry, Jesus was all the while training, encouraging, and empowering His disciples to act in a similar spirit of unwavering obedience to the divine will. After Jesus’ departure from the earth, David added, the early Church understood this unity with God’s will to be the supreme criterion of its faithfulness. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,” exhorted Paul in Philippians 2:5-7 NRSV. The “anointing” that gave members of the early Church this “mind that was in Christ Jesus” empowered them to “abide in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:20-24).
It was the great accomplishment of early Friends that they recovered this key understanding of the early Church and found the living Christ empowering then to live up to it.
The question that David bade us consider as we parted, at the end of the hour, was this: _Can I accept the possibility of my being as obedient in all things as was Jesus?_
John, you characterize the discussion at West Richmond Friends Meeting as "intense." Was that because of controversy? because of the depth of the discussion? or what?
Hello, John Jeremiah Edminster. It has been a long time since I have spoken in NFF Community. Your post I enjoyed. It was in the 8th month I was reading the Book of John myself. I read Scripture morning and evening, evening being New Testament. I pray the Holy Ghost to guide me and open to me what I am capable of understanding before I read. I'll tell you that I have read the Book of John at least three other times, but not with my prayer. I used to pray that my reading would be profitable; that was like a secular song, nothing of value. When I read Scripture now, the Holy Spirit opens amazing things to me, and one of them was from 8th month reading. I ,too, was aware of Jesus expressing his love repeatedly to the Father in doing His will. And my reaction was similar to yours: I could in no way not do God's will.
John Jeremiah Edminster
MIGHT WE BECOME AS OBEDIENT AS JESUS?
On 6/23/2019 I was privileged to be among the seventeen Friends who heard Australian Friend David Johnson (_A Quaker Prayer Life_, Inner Light Books, 2013; _Jesus, Christ and Servant of God_, Inner Light Books, 2017) lead an intense after-meeting discussion, at West Richmond (IN) Friends Meeting, on what the Gospel of John has to say about the relation of Jesus Christ to God, His _Abba_.
Friend David had us go around the room, each reading one of the following verses:
John 4:34
John 5:19
John 5:30
John 6:38
John 7:15-16
John 8:26-28
John 14:10
John 14:23-24
John 15:10
The picture that emerged was of Jesus the Man explaining His astonishing ability to do divine works as being rooted in His “having no will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me” (John 6:38), and “to finish His work” (John 4:34). It was clear that, during His years of ministry, Jesus was all the while training, encouraging, and empowering His disciples to act in a similar spirit of unwavering obedience to the divine will. After Jesus’ departure from the earth, David added, the early Church understood this unity with God’s will to be the supreme criterion of its faithfulness. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,” exhorted Paul in Philippians 2:5-7 NRSV. The “anointing” that gave members of the early Church this “mind that was in Christ Jesus” empowered them to “abide in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:20-24).
It was the great accomplishment of early Friends that they recovered this key understanding of the early Church and found the living Christ empowering then to live up to it.
The question that David bade us consider as we parted, at the end of the hour, was this: _Can I accept the possibility of my being as obedient in all things as was Jesus?_
8thMo 1, 2019
Ellis Hein
John, you characterize the discussion at West Richmond Friends Meeting as "intense." Was that because of controversy? because of the depth of the discussion? or what?
8thMo 2, 2019
Rhonda Fuller
Hello, John Jeremiah Edminster. It has been a long time since I have spoken in NFF Community. Your post I enjoyed. It was in the 8th month I was reading the Book of John myself. I read Scripture morning and evening, evening being New Testament. I pray the Holy Ghost to guide me and open to me what I am capable of understanding before I read. I'll tell you that I have read the Book of John at least three other times, but not with my prayer. I used to pray that my reading would be profitable; that was like a secular song, nothing of value. When I read Scripture now, the Holy Spirit opens amazing things to me, and one of them was from 8th month reading. I ,too, was aware of Jesus expressing his love repeatedly to the Father in doing His will. And my reaction was similar to yours: I could in no way not do God's will.
Thank you very much for your post. Rhonda Fuller
9thMo 18, 2019