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Friends United Meeting |
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On the cover: The Friends United Meeting Triennial Sessions were held in Des Moines, Iowa from July 13-17, 2005. The background photo shows Friendsgathered for a meal in the hotel atrium. In theforeground (left to right), speakers T. Canby Jones and Oliver Kisaka Simiyu meet for thefirst time. Photos by Jan McVey. |
Quaker Life
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| Valiant for Truth | Contents |
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By Patricia Edwards-Konic What a joy to attend the Friends United Meeting Triennial sessions in Des Moines, Iowa! Around 500 Friends of all ages gathered to worship, conduct business, fellowship and have fun through our time together. I saw many old Friends and met new ones. I was able to again see my Kenyan Friend Priscilla Makhino, and her husband, Enoch, who have stayed with me on other trips to the U.S. (see photo of Priscilla and me at the USFWI banquet). What a blessing! “The Lamb Shall Overcome,” our theme from Revelation 17:14, filled our days: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” As I write these words, it has been one week since hurricane Katrina came ashore. Whole communities are gone, destroyed or under water. Families have been separated and haven’t been able to find one another. Others never escaped. The horror and hopelessness of the situation hits home with every newscast, press email and prayer request received via phone and email. Yet, through it all the words from our Cuban Friend, Ramón González Longoria Escalon keep echoing in my mind: “Hope in the middle of crisis. Difficult times we [Cuban Friends] have had and still have…. “So, what can we contribute to this world? Bring hope in the middle of crisis, return to the faith of Fox and other early Friends who made of their lives and of their message something unsettling, transforming, flaming with the living, burning light of the Spirit. Yes, we must say to this world, and convince it, that God appears in the midst of crisis to bring us peace, but we must walk on the waters with faith, and when it seems that the waves will drown us, there will always be a hand—His hand, to pull us out from what may feel like the bottom of the sea. “We must return to the power of faith and the hope—the absolute certainty—that the Lamb shall overcome, that love will win over hate. We are participants in the Lamb’s War, using the weapons of peace, reconciliation, love, compassion, understanding, and mercy, while being certain that the Lamb shall overcome.” |
6 River Teeth for the Lamb’s War Retha McCutchen FUM General Secretary, Retha McCutchen, gave the keynote message at the FUM Triennial Sessions in Des Moines, Iowa this past July. This is an edited version of her message. Oliver Kisaka Simiyu The Johnson Lecture at the FUM Triennial sessions focuses on a scholarly approach to the Triennial theme. Oliver Kisaka Simiyu from Nairobi, Kenya delivered his message on Thursday evening. A full copy of the Johnson Lecture is available by request from FUM. The Quaker Life version is edited from section three of his full lecture. T. Canby Jones The final evening message was given by T. Canby Jones, Professor Emeritus of Wilmington College, Ohio, who looked at the place of lambs in scripture and then considered the Peaceable Lamb of Jesus Christ and our faithful response to follow. _______________________________ 4 News from Friends United Meeting 18 News 20 Peace Notes 22 Reviews 26 Passages 28 Classifieds 30 Meeting Directory 33 Friends United Meeting Member Yearly Meetings 34 Viewpoints
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