Reproclaiming the Everlasting Gospel
In an appended comment to Steven Davison's excellent post, I write of the felt need of salvation that drives many to seek a Savior and find one in Jesus Christ; I also describe what I think inhibits such a search. I invite responses. Reclaiming the Christ
Posted on 1stMo. 14, 2020 at 6:52
From the Journal of Job Scott (1751-1793): a thumbnail-sketch anticipation of his book-length essay On the Knowledge of the One Lord, the Only True God, which was published posthumously and may be found in his Works, in the Digital Quaker Collection (…
ContinuePosted on 12thMo. 30, 2019 at 1:25 — 2 Comments
MIGHT WE BECOME AS OBEDIENT AS JESUS?
On First Day, 6/24/2019, 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,…
ContinuePosted on 8thMo. 2, 2019 at 15:29 — 17 Comments
Hello John! I've just joined, too, and I saw that you live in Richmond, Indiana. That's where I live also. Welcome to the site!
I'm so glad to meet a NFF member who also lives in Richmond! Susan, you may be the catalyst for my getting more involved in the NFF. I'm just now finishing up my last schoolwork for the spring term - I'm an M. Div. student at Earlham School of Religion, hoping to graduate a year from now, now embarking on a ministry of promoting wider knowledge of the wealth of early Quaker resources available on the internet, and of continuing to build the Quaker Bible Index, begun by Esther Greenleaf Mürer in the 1980s and now under my custody.
I'm planning to make an eight-day silent retreat from 5/6 to 5/14, and then be back in touch with people, starting with my wife Elizabeth and my two adult children in New York. I'd love to get together with you soon after! You can contact me at john.edminster@gmail.com.
Yes, I would very much like to meet you, too. Have a good trip! My email is shasta4737@aol.com -- it's the best way to contact me. By the way, my cousin Jon Berry attends ESR. Do you know him?
John, David Johnson of Australia mentioned he spent a very good week with you at Richmond. Is there anything from that visit you would like to share with us?
Sorry, that comment was supposed to be from me rather than from Becky.
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?_
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.
Thank you very much for your post. Rhonda Fuller
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