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Friends United Meeting |
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Valiant for Truth |
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I was aghast! How dare she take all my shells and decide I only needed a few! I was from inland and this multitude of shells looked like treasure to me. She patiently explained I couldn’t possibly pick up all the shells so I had to just pick up ones that were still in perfect shape or differently colored. As we continued our walk, I continued picking up shells, beginning to be selective because I could only carry a few. Patiently, Aunt Helen would wait while I began throwing back the imperfect and searching for just those special shells. And after all that work, those few shells just sit in a shoe box; I haven’t looked at them for years. Yet the experience remains with me, the craving for all I could gather and the wisdom of an aunt who understood that more is not best. The collections we acquire are more than mere seashells. Collections of figurines, tools, baskets, stuffed animals, cars, etc. begin slowly, but quickly mushroom in size and importance. Just as our homes and garages can become cluttered, the clutter in our souls accumulates and takes up more and more room. Jesus must wonder about sharing this cluttered soul we have! So the question is, “How do we declutter our souls?” Jesus’ guideline is to the point, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21) Heavenly treasures are things that last forever and ever. In order to declutter our souls, we need to remove from the center those things of the world that block our focus on God. Instead of earthly collections, how about storing up heavenly collections? Things like: • The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) • Your marked and read Bible(s)—unread Bible collections don’t count! (2 Timothy 3:16-17) • Scripture you have memorized (Psalm 119:11, 105) • People you have introduced to Jesus (Mark 16:15) • Single parents, their children, and widows you’ve cared for (James 1:27) • Inspirational books that have helped you grow in the Spirit (Colossians 2:8) • Opportunities where you have used your spiritual gift(s) (1 Corinthians 12) • Retreats and times of solitude to draw near to God and hear His voice (Psalm 46:10) How many of these collections have you started? Which of your soul collections do you want to increase? Trish |
Frank Levering and his wife, Wanda Urbanska have just published a book, Nothing’s Too Small to Make a Difference in conjunction with their new PBS program Simple Living. This is Part 1 of the conversation between Frank and Quaker Life Editor, Trish Edwards-Konic. Nancy Thomas Reading John Woolman caused the author to refl ect upon the challenge of simplicity within the complex world of higher education. In the end, she is “drawn to the singleness of eye, the simplicity of heart and the clarity of speech that John Woolman so beautifully demonstrates.” 12 Chado—The Way of Tea Valerie Brown Four Quaker beliefs are refl ected in the principles of the tea preparation — harmony, respect, purity and tranquility; the essence of the tea ceremony is simplicity. Travel with the author through the tea ceremony with Quakerly eyes. Features4 Commitments
& News 9 Soul Food The Simple Truth Jan Hoffman 14 Salt and Light How Quakers Invented America Jack Kirk 15 Celebrating a Year of Jubilee Doug Shoemaker 16 A Quaker at War College MaryKate Morse 17 News 20 Peace Notes 22 Reviews 24 Booknotes 26 Passages 28 Classifi eds 30 Meeting Directory 33 Friends United Meeting Member Yearly Meetings 34 Viewpoints 35 Centering |
Visiting
in Florida, we went to a beach loaded with seashells. Excited by
the abundance, I began picking up shells, putting them in the front
of my Tshirt and piling them on the seawall. Soon, Aunt Helen began
picking through my collection, throwing most of them back on the
beach.