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Friends United Meeting |
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Quaker Life
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| Valiant for Truth | Contents |
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By Patricia Edwards-Konic Following the FUM Triennial sessions, I continued on to Colorado to visit with my family. It was a great time of spending much time with my sons and seeing the rest of my family. A highlight was a weekend trip to the mountains with my sons. We enjoyed the change in temperature from over 100 degrees in Denver to the 70s in the mountains. We enjoyed being together and four-wheeling on Shrine Pass (we even got to tow a vehicle out of the ditch!). Shrine Pass is my favorite spot on earth. From there you can look across the valley to the next range of mountains and see Mount of the Holy Cross. What an inspiring site! I have always been fascinated by this mountain, which I could see often when I was a young girl living in Climax, Colorado. A clearly visible cross is marked on the peak. Glacial snow fills the crevices that form the cross almost as clearly as if a child had drawn a peak and placed a large white cross on it. Psalm 121 always reminds me of this special spot: “I will lift of my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.” As a child, this verse brought me much comfort and hope. As I lifted my eyes to the mountain peaks around me, I could feel new strength flow through me. Help was on the way, no matter what my trouble or concern. I had a childish notion that my help came from God through the mountains. When I moved to the Midwest in 1982 with no mountain ranges in sight, I had to rethink this. Fortunately, new translations of this verse state it more clearly: “I will lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The source of our strength is not mountain peaks but the presence of God! The hills are only reminders that God is near and we are to call upon his name. How often do we seek help from things or places other than God? How often do we tend to rely more on imperfect people rather than our perfect God? The psalm ends: “The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will preserve your soul. The Lord will shield your going out and your coming in from now on for evermore.” God knows every step we take, every word we speak, every thought in our minds. He knows the temptations we face and gives us strength to resist. His presence in our souls brings us peace and serenity. Our comings and goings are known to God who will guide us, not just now, but forever more.
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Barbara Bennett Mays Lifelong learning is key for the author who describes her journey using three phrases— stop, look and listen. 10 Listen Respectfully; Speak Truthfully Douglas C. Bennett “Language makes us special and gives us extraordinary powers,” writes the author. “But with those powers come important and demanding responsibilities.” Michael L. Birkel This excerpt is from Michael Birkel’s newest Friends United Press book, Engaging Scripture: Reading the Bible with Early Friends. 14 Educational Wholeness: A Balance of Body, Mind and Spirit Dee Russell Eighteen-century Friends were often in the forefront of educational reform. How are we doing today? ______________________________ Features 15 Salt and Light George Fox Came Preaching Jack Kirk 16 Ideas That Work Books and Outreach D. Neil Snarr 17 Viewpoints 18 News 20 Peace Notes 22 Reviews 26 Passages 28 Classifieds 30 Meeting Directory 33 Friends United Meeting Member Yearly Meetings
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