Weekly Reflections for Sunday Morning Worship Sharing
at the Meetinghouse and via Zoom
Reflection for Sunday October 20, 2024 Worship Sharing
I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy…. I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:44, 45
The Lord said to Moses, “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the Lord. Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God.” Leviticus 23:26-28
Jesus had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people…. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Hebrews 2:17; 9:13-15
As obedient children [of God], do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy. I Peter 1:14-16
Are You Preparing for Holy Days, or Holidays?
Friends who had lunch at the parsonage last Sunday were treated to one of Pam’s unwritten traditions – a meal featuring modern versions of dishes usually served at Hebrew gatherings to observe their High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). On our Gregorian calendar, October 3 was listed as Rosh Hashanah to welcome the new year 5785, and October 12 was Yom Kippur. I looked but did not find a biblical menu for meals on those occasions. Pam told me she consults a “25 Favorite Yom Kippur Dishes” article to decide what to fix.
Last Sunday, she served an apple and spinach salad, beef brisket, potato latkes (pancakes) topped with sour cream and applesauce, boiled carrots, sourdough bread, an apple cake, and apple cider (a substitute for wine). Many of the foods consumed on these and other Hebrew holidays have been assigned symbolic spiritual meaning. My under-informed musing is that the beef represents the costly Yom Kippur sacrifices of livestock the high priest was instructed to make (Leviticus 16). He did that on behalf of himself and the people to atone for their sins, and to warn them of sin’s deadly impact on their relationship with God. The bitter leaves are also to remind us of sin’s costs, and the fruit is to remind us of the sweetness of forgiveness. The special bread symbolizes the manna God provided to sustain the Israelites on their wilderness journey to Canaan. I read somewhere that carrots symbolize the hope of God’s preparation “beneath the surface” of future blessings for those who remain in the journey.
When you read about Yom Kippur, it is nearly always called “the most solemn,” or “most sacred,” or “holiest” of the Hebrew holidays. To me, that describes a heightened awareness of the Lord’s nearness and reminds me of our Friend Richard Foster’s statement in Celebration of Discipline that “to be in the presence of God is to change.” I couldn’t help thinking last weekend of the tragic irony of the Hebrews’ observance of the High Holy Days without any noticeable change in the relentless firing of deadly missiles, bombs, and bullets between Israel and its enemies in Gaza and Lebanon. When we take time off from work to celebrate a “holy” day — to gather as faith communities and families, to worship and fellowship, to recreate, and to eat foods that remind us of why the day is “holy” – but then nothing about our attitudes or behavior changes, was it truly a “holy day,” or just another holiday?
Christian Holidays, Too That same question must be asked about our upcoming holiday season. When All Saints Day got started, it was a day to remember and thank the Lord for the dedicated lives and ministries of deceased followers of Jesus. That gets little mention anymore in the flood of Halloween paraphernalia and fearful superstition that has been in stores since August. Thanksgiving got started as a day to thank God for life and survival of harsh conditions, and for nurturing peace with neighbors. These days, it often seems to be a long weekend planned around travel, sports, shopping, and a big meal or two. Christmas still gets far more spiritual attention than the season’s other “holy days,” but it too has been so commercialized and secularized that many people around us have little idea of what or Who is actually being celebrated. January 1 could be a day of gratitude for time, of hope and opportunity for new beginnings. For those of us of Gentile heritage, Epiphany on January 6 could be a day of renewed gratitude and joy that God sent the Messiah to redeem, teach, and befriend all of earth’s people, not just the descendants of Abraham. I’m fairly certain that sincerely observing those holidays in the spirit and purpose for which they were established would heighten our own awareness of the Lord’s nearness, and thus would facilitate some changes in our attitudes and behavior that would please him.
New Covenant Lessons from Old Covenant Practices Winchester Friends is not immune from the culture’s push to prepare earlier and earlier to honor longstanding traditions for the year-end holiday season. We today will begin inviting Friends to decorate the sanctuary during Advent with poinsettias placed in memory of loved ones who have died. The church’s choirs have begun rehearsing music to be shared during services around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Ministry & Oversight again this year invites Friends during December to tell their personal Advent story of Christ’s initial or ongoing arrival into their lives. We received materials in the past week to invite our participation in the local Community Christmas Baskets and Angel Tree benevolence projects. If you’re guessing that the Fergusons already have begun discussing baking bread during December for participants in our Meeting, you’d be correct. The important issue is not if we’ll do those things, but how to do them as “holy day” ministries rather than as mere holiday traditions. The instructions God gave Moses for observing the Day of Atonement can help us with that.
Act in Poverty of Spirit, in humble acknowledgment of our constant need for God. In Leviticus 16, 17, and 23, the priests were instructed to slaughter a bull for their own sins and a goat for the sins of the Israelites. They then followed rather complicated instructions for burning parts of the sacrifices on the altar and for disposing of the remains. That sprang from the belief that a creature’s life is in its blood (17:11,12), and that as a sign of sorrow for sin, God required the animals’ spilled blood as a substitute for the sinners’. It was a vivid illustration of the deadly impact of sin on a person’s relationship with God, and their need (and ours) for his merciful forgiveness.
In more recent times since animal sacrifices have been stopped, worshipers on Yom Kippur have instead been required to do ceremonial washings, wear ceremonial garments, and for 25 hours fast from all food and drink, and avoid any work, distractions, or selfish pleasures. As a sign of repentance at the start of the fast, some sects remove red clothing and put on white to claim Isaiah 1:18’s promise of being cleansed “as white as snow.” Also before the fast begins at sunset, worshipers usually eat a large meal that includes fish. In the middle of their fast the next day, they gather for prayers and the reading of the Book of Jonah. The reference where I saw that said it is read to assure the listeners of God’s willingness to forgive all who truly repent, even the evil Assyrians. I couldn’t help wondering if they eat fish the night before the fast in an attempt to get even with the giant fish which swallowed Jonah.
In more recent times since animal sacrifices have been stopped, worshipers on Yom Kippur have instead been required to do ceremonial washings, wear ceremonial garments, and for 25 hours fast from all food and drink, and avoid any work, distractions, or selfish pleasures. As a sign of repentance at the start of the fast, some sects remove red clothing and put on white to claim Isaiah 1:18’s promise of being cleansed “as white as snow.” Also before the fast begins at sunset, worshipers usually eat a large meal that includes fish. In the middle of their fast the next day, they gather for prayers and the reading of the Book of Jonah. The reference where I saw that said it is read to assure the listeners of God’s willingness to forgive all who truly repent, even the evil Assyrians. I couldn’t help wondering if they eat fish the night before the fast in an attempt to get even with the giant fish which swallowed Jonah.
Believe God’s Atoning Acceptance of Repentance The life of discipleship, of living every day as a “holy day,” is based on our willingness to believe in the depths of our soul that Hebrews 9:13-15 is true. We must believe that God has accepted our faith in the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, the Lamb of God, as the price of our forgiveness and redemption. God must see that our faith in Jesus’ resurrection is the reason for our own resurrection from the spiritual death of separation from God to the new life of living friendship with him. If we’re living in his Spirit in that manner, then each day can’t help but be holy.
Live His Life Together Leviticus 23:27 instructs the Israelites to “hold a sacred assembly” on the Day of Atonement to experience God’s forgiving love together as a community, not just as individuals. If we are living every day as a holy day, that means we should hold those sacred assemblies fairly frequently. The life of committed discipleship can be costly and challenging. We all need one another’s consistent help, encouragement, and accountability if we are to live it effectively. Under the New Covenant, we don’t wait around for a credentialed priest to lead a holiday service. All who walk with Christ are considered priests, so we’re all assigned these responsibilities for ministry to one another daily.
Allow God’s Presence to Change You The scriptures are filled with accounts of men and women who experienced the living Lord’s presence and were changed by the encounter. In I Samuel 10:6-11, the prophet Samuel anointed Saul to be Israel’s first king and told him that when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he would be a changed man – and he was, at least temporarily. Mark 16:9 states that Jesus cast seven evil spirits out of Mary Magdalene, and afterward she became one of his most devoted followers. Saul of Tarsus was out rounding up Christians for persecution when he was accosted by Christ as a blinding light from heaven. The experience completely transformed him and led to his becoming the Early Church’s most prolific ambassador. The disciple Peter was an impulsive and sometimes-fearful follower of Jesus, but after the Holy Spirit filled him on Pentecost, he spoke boldly about Jesus and ultimately was martyred for his fearless witness. In Acts 4:13, the disciples as a group astonished the religious officials in Jerusalem because of the spiritual wisdom and courage the Spirit had given to formally-uneducated laborers. Paul assures every one of us in II Corinthians 5:17ff that God wants and is willing to do the very same for us, if we’ll just let him.
Pursue Holy Days, Not Holidays The message of Yom Kippur is that no other priority in life is as great as our need to be in right relationship with our Creator. Our need for Christ’s atoning mercy and grace is both moment-by-moment and eternal, not occasional. Our need for his Spirit’s indwelling – his abiding presence to guide us, to empower us for obedient ministry, and to help us not to conform to former selfish patterns — is daily, not annual. Seeking to make all our days holy days by welcoming Christ’s presence and lordship makes it possible for us to live with appreciation for his servants who have died, not with fear of evil spirits. His presence will keep us aware of and grateful every day for all his gracious gifts to us. His daily presence will prepare us once again to welcome his arrival into the world and into our lives with the freshness and wonder of the very first Advent, and to tell others how he has changed us. Happy holy days!
–Ron Ferguson, 20 October 2024
Queries for Worship-Sharing and Reflection
1) What is it about the story of Jonah that is so important to the understanding of atonement?
2) Why is it important to experience Christ’s atonement and other “holy days” in community rather than alone?
3) What might it mean when someone claims a spiritual experience, but nothing about their living really changes?
4) What is it about being in God’s presence that must change us, as Richard Foster teaches?
Reflection for Sunday October 6 and 13, 2024 Worship Sharing
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8
Jesus asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:15-18
How Have You Seen the Lord Lately?
Winchester Friends’ State of Society / Annual Report for 2023-2024
Winchester Friends’ State of Society / Annual Report for 2023-2024
Today is World Quaker Day, an annual occasion sponsored by Friends World Committee for Consultation to remember and pray for members of the Religious Society of Friends who will gather for worship, fellowship, and spiritual equipping in most of the time zones on earth. We are joined together by our dedication to Christ as our Savior, teacher, Lord, and friend, and by commitment to live and proclaim his eternal Truth. FWCC’s emphasis for this year’s observance is drawn from their 2024 World Plenary gathering’s closing epistle in which the phrase “We are still here – God is with us” is repeated multiple times. Winchester Friends’ Ministry & Oversight sees significant agreement between that emphasis and our own State of Society report for the ’23-’24 church year. We offer it here for your reflection and response during worship-sharing on this World Quaker Day.
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When the Ministry & Oversight met for their April 2024 meeting, one of the items on the agenda was to begin thinking about the overall spiritual condition of Winchester Friends as we approached the end of the church year and prepared for a new one. The story of Easter was still fresh in our minds. Mary’s joyful declaration about having seen the risen Lord in the aftermath of the crucifixion seemed like a good challenge to M&O members to identify the ways we have seen God at work in our midst over the past year. Time was spent reflecting upon and sharing insights to that question in the group’s April and May meetings. The following are their observations and offerings.
The Lord is my strength and my shield….. (Psalm 28:7) As that conversation got underway, the first witness of God’s presence and help that was noted was his protection of the members of our Meeting and community through the trauma of the March 14 tornado that severely damaged parts of Winchester and the surrounding area. At least 48 houses were totally destroyed, another 50 or more sustained major damage, and another 100 had damage requiring repair. At least ten of our Friends’ residences were damaged. Despite all that destruction, miraculously no one died here that night from injuries caused by the tornado. One M&O member noted that responding to this disaster together has provided a positive opportunity for our community to cooperate, be more aware of ministry opportunities, and grow closer together. The Lord surely has watched over us.
Consider it pure joy…. that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2,3) With the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines, the past church year was one of slow, careful emergence from the previous three years’ restrictions of the pandemic. It was a year of gradually more fellowship meals, in-person gatherings, and increasing choir activity. It has also meant some streamlining of the church’s committee structure for efficiency’s sake, given the reality of fewer people, programs, and activities than we had before the pandemic. There has not been a rush — as seen in many organizations in the past year — to return to doing everything that was being done before 2020. The sense of the Meeting has been to wait for leading, and to do fewer things well than to do many things exhaustingly or haphazardly. That process continues as we ponder how to add programs for Christian education for more people. Friends also have been faithful in financial support of the Meeting’s ministries, despite the challenges of the times. God has helped us persevere.
From Christ the whole Body…grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:16) The importance of every Friend doing their part to help the Meeting accomplish its work grows more obvious as we all grow older. The past year has posed significant health challenges to several in the Meeting, at times limiting their ability to do what they have previously done for the church. We thankfully have seen the Lord help many Friends regain good health in those situations, and we also have seen him work through others in the fellowship to make certain that needed ministries get carried out. God’s faithfulness through this time gives us hope and confidence that he will provide the people, energy, and leadership needed for our future.
Be very careful how you live….making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15,16) One M&O member spoke of seeing God’s hand in new opportunities for fellowship and ministry with people who had not previously indicated much spiritual interest. It is a reminder to us all to live with keen awareness that God is always at work in lives around us.
We always thank God for all of you…. (I Thessalonians 1:2) The M&O members concur that the consistent, active participation of distant Friends and friends who have worshiped with us by Zoom in the past four years has been a clear and encouraging sign of God’s presence and work in our midst. They have enriched our lives and our meetings by sharing what the Lord has taught, or is teaching, them. Whatever we might have sacrificed from the “former way” to incorporate online participation in our meetings, God’s gift of their input into our meetings has been worth far more.
God’s presence and work in these ways also has nudged us all back towards Friends’ understanding of worship as listening first, before we speak or do anything else. We give thanks for all this evidence that God is indeed at work in us.
Winchester Friends Ministry & Oversight, June 2024: Cleo McFarland, clerk; Linda Groth; Sharon Reynard; Marsha Kritsch; Kathy Simmons; Dave Longnecker; Doug Baker; Ellen Craig; Brian Lilly; Pam Ferguson, ex officio; Ron Ferguson, ex officio
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Working on the State of Society report reminded me frequently of the article published several years ago by our friend and Friend Colin Saxton, the former general secretary of Friends United Meeting. In that piece, he encouraged Friends to prepare for discipleship and ministry in a rapidly-changing world by regularly asking and answering the questions journalists use to get accurate information for a story – but from a spiritual perspective.
Who are we? It is my prayer that we are people who believe Jesus’ Gospel message of forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and have experienced true relationship and cooperative friendship with Christ’s Spirit who “has come to teach his people himself.” We must acknowledge that we are mostly an aging fellowship who long to share his love with others but find it increasingly challenging to reach young people and young families. We seek the Lord’s help with that.
What are we (called to do)? We are called, just as the earliest Friends were, to “walk cheerfully over the earth, answering that of God in every person.” Jesus calls us to proclaim eternal Truth as he did, and to demonstrate that Truth’s life-giving impact on us through lives of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and service. We are called to let Christ live through us his life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-discipline.
When are we? We are in a unique moment in history, one of widespread self-focus, growing secularization, and resistance to the Gospel. It is a moment of widely-shared belief that technology, science, and wealth will solve all human problems, eliminating our need for God. It is a moment crying out for authentic witness of inward spiritual transformation that results in power over sinful, destructive selfishness, in lives of meaning and purpose, and in spiritually obedient, loving use of all of God’s gifts.
Where are we? We are in the wealthiest, most advanced nation in the world’s history. We are in a conservative region of that nation, a region historically called the Bible Belt. Some researchers suggest that that “adjacent familiarity” has led to a kind of immunity to Jesus’ call to deep discipleship. Perhaps because of that, the Christianity around us sometimes seems to be the inherited, social type rather than the “inner life, friendship with the Living Christ” type.
Why are we? We are who and what we are because Christ’s life and love within us compels us to share his Good News with any and all who will listen. He helps us to see that just as he told his first disciples, “the harvest” is as great or greater than it ever has been, but “the workers” are as few or fewer than they ever have been. People of every generation are called to be bearers and reflectors of his spiritual Light to those who walk in the darkness of not knowing him. It is my prayer that we disciples at Winchester Friends truly mean the words we sing in the hymn “To Be God’s People”:
Almighty Father, give us a vision of a dying world that needs Your love and care.
We see the need, the yearning for a Savior; in Jesus’ name grant this our prayer.
We see the need, the yearning for a Savior; in Jesus’ name grant this our prayer.
To be God’s people in this place, live His goodness, share His grace
Proclaim God’s mercy through His Son, share His love with everyone.
Proclaim God’s mercy through His Son, share His love with everyone.
And when we falter, be Thou our comfort, guide us as Your children that our lives may be
A beacon in this darkness that surrounds us, a Light that others then may see.
A beacon in this darkness that surrounds us, a Light that others then may see.
Lord, let this be true in our lives and faith community, and in all the Friends everywhere who worship you this day. Amen!
–Ron Ferguson, 6 October 2024
Queries for Worship-Sharing and Reflection
1) How have you sensed God’s presence and seen the Lord at work in your life, in our midst, and/or in the world lately?
2) In Matthew 5:8, what do you think is the connection between having a pure heart and spiritual vision for seeing God?
3) How has the fellowship and ministry of your Quaker Meeting and Friends been a help and blessing to you this year?
4) In your experience, how has Zoom participation enhanced and enriched our worship and life together for us all?
Reflection for Sunday October 13, 2024 Worship Sharing
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart…. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles…. Isaiah 40:31 (NASB)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:4-8
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22
Galatians 5:22
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. II Peter 3:9
Love is Patient
In August 1974, I was working for the summer at a pipeline company before starting my junior year in college. Pam and I had been on our first date that May on the last day of my sophomore year before she returned home to Idaho. We then spent that summer writing and phoning each other several times each week. By August, we were anxious to see each other again, and I was anxious for my family to get acquainted with her. We devised a plan for her to fly back to Kansas and spend a week at our home before we returned to campus for the fall semester. I worked it out to end my summer job on the day she flew to Wichita. I hurried home after work that day to get cleaned up, then headed off for the one-hour drive to the airport with little time to spare.
The trip took me through a small suburb several miles from the airport. I wasn’t speeding, but I was committed to being on time to meet Pam’s plane. Just as I crested a hill on the two-lane road at 45 mph, I suddenly was confronted with an intersection and a car in my lane waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before making a left turn. Unsure I could get stopped in time, I made the split-second decision to go around that car on its right. A police car in the line of oncoming traffic did a quick U-turn and pulled me over. The officer explained to me that passing on the right at an intersection is always a traffic violation, and doing so on a road built for only two lanes of traffic also is, even if it has a wide shoulder. After hearing about Pam’s impending arrival at the airport, he gave me only a warning ticket and sent me on my way. (He didn’t know Pam, but from my description he could tell she was special.) Despite the unplanned stop, I made it to the airport in time, and the rest is history…..
I have tried ever since to heed that patrolman’s instruction about passing on the right. When we came to live in Winchester 24 years later, I was somewhat astonished to have drivers passing me on the right quite frequently, whether on city streets, county roads, or open highways. Thinking Indiana’s traffic law must be different, I looked it up, but it reads very much like the patrolman in Kansas explained it to me. I have concluded that police here have decided not to enforce that regulation unless it results in a collision. As Pam and I drive around to do our work and visit Friends, it is a rare day when we don’t get passed on the right while waiting to make a left turn, or while stopped behind another car waiting to do so. It would be easy to assume that a lot of our neighbors are perpetually late for work or other commitments, or that they’re constantly experiencing emergencies. Or maybe we’ve all just grown accustomed to living too fast and trying to do more than the human body and mind were created to do?
About one week ago, we witnessed one of those near-misses at the intersection in front of the meetinghouse here. A westbound driver on the main road through town was stopped for several oncoming cars to pass by before turning left onto the city street. A car at the stop sign to his right started to make a right turn towards downtown, just as another westbound car came up behind the one waiting to turn left. It never slowed down but swerved around the right side of the car that was waiting to turn left. If the driver starting to turn west onto the main road hadn’t crammed on his brakes at the last second, he would have gotten broadsided by the passer-on-the-right.
Impatience is Not a New Problem 21st century machines and technologies enable us to accomplish and experience far more, in less time, than ever has been possible before — but they also can cause us harm. For example, they can raise expectations and stress levels beyond wise limits, and unequal access to them can exacerbate the already-wide gulf between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”
Modern inventions cannot, however, be blamed for creating human impatience. It has been around as long as people have been. The scriptures relate numerous accounts of people who thought God was taking too long to rescue or deliver them, or to answer their requests or fulfill his promises, so they took matters into their own hands and made things even worse. A classic example is the story in I Samuel 8-13 of the Israelites’ insistence upon being a monarchy instead of the theocracy God intended them to be. The judge/prophet Samuel told them of the costs they would bear by being ruled by a human king rather than by Yahweh, but they impatiently demanded to be like the surrounding nations (only better) who had kings. God relented, told Samuel to anoint Saul to be their king, and then let Israel and Saul learn the hard way the folly of choosing not to wait upon the Lord.
Samuel anointed Saul and publicly told the people he was now their king (I Samuel 10). He instructed Saul to travel to the place of worship at Gilgal where they would lead the Israelites in sacrifices and a renewal of their covenant with God. Samuel explicitly told Saul (10:8) to wait for seven days there until he arrived to convey God’s further instructions to him. On the way there, Saul and his soldiers got into a battle with Philistine troops that caused the Israelites to flee and hide (13:4-7). Saul and his fearful squad made it to Gilgal, but some of his men were sneaking away by the seventh day. In fear and superstition, the king (a Benjamite, not a priestly Levite) chose to make the ceremonial burnt and fellowship sacrifices himself rather than await Samuel’s arrival later that day. His impatient disobedience earned him the prophet’s harsh rebuke, God’s rejection of his kingship, and an Israelite future filled with tumult and divisiveness.
Modern inventions cannot, however, be blamed for creating human impatience. It has been around as long as people have been. The scriptures relate numerous accounts of people who thought God was taking too long to rescue or deliver them, or to answer their requests or fulfill his promises, so they took matters into their own hands and made things even worse. A classic example is the story in I Samuel 8-13 of the Israelites’ insistence upon being a monarchy instead of the theocracy God intended them to be. The judge/prophet Samuel told them of the costs they would bear by being ruled by a human king rather than by Yahweh, but they impatiently demanded to be like the surrounding nations (only better) who had kings. God relented, told Samuel to anoint Saul to be their king, and then let Israel and Saul learn the hard way the folly of choosing not to wait upon the Lord.
Samuel anointed Saul and publicly told the people he was now their king (I Samuel 10). He instructed Saul to travel to the place of worship at Gilgal where they would lead the Israelites in sacrifices and a renewal of their covenant with God. Samuel explicitly told Saul (10:8) to wait for seven days there until he arrived to convey God’s further instructions to him. On the way there, Saul and his soldiers got into a battle with Philistine troops that caused the Israelites to flee and hide (13:4-7). Saul and his fearful squad made it to Gilgal, but some of his men were sneaking away by the seventh day. In fear and superstition, the king (a Benjamite, not a priestly Levite) chose to make the ceremonial burnt and fellowship sacrifices himself rather than await Samuel’s arrival later that day. His impatient disobedience earned him the prophet’s harsh rebuke, God’s rejection of his kingship, and an Israelite future filled with tumult and divisiveness.
Patience as an Aspect of Christlikeness Life (and people) can be awfully frustrating, so doesn’t impatience just happen? Why does patience matter so much? The disciple John tells us that God’s very essence is agape, sacrificial love (I John 4:16), and Paul wrote in I Corinthians 13:4 that agape is patient. Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper that he had left them an example of loving servanthood (John 13:15), and they were to follow it. In I Peter 2:21, Peter wrote to Christians that their calling is “to follow in his (Jesus’) steps,” to be like him. And in contrasting the outcomes of worldly living with the results of life led by Christ (Galatians 5:19-23), Paul wrote that “the fruit” of the Spirit’s presence includes patience. If Christ’s living friendship deepens and matures in his disciples, so will their capacity for godly patience. I’m fairly sure that we must accept that the opposite of that observation also is true.
Patience with Others is the kind in which most of us can readily admit we too often are deficient. It is the kind lacking when a driver passes dangerously on the right, implying that his schedule is more important than others’ safety. It is the patience which leads us to help someone who is struggling in a checkout line or with some other task or problem, rather than berate them, whether verbally or mentally. The spiritual quality of patience keeps us from imposing our timelines and our expectations of ourselves onto others, while also doing everything we can to help them learn to know Christ as their Present Teacher to guide their living.
Patience with Self A lot of people seem to give up on following Christ after they find themselves feeling defeated and slipping back into patterns and behaviors they hoped they had left behind. Even the apostle Paul felt such things at times (Romans 7:15ff), but he disciplined himself to remember the costly grace shown by Christ for all who truly desire to live as he created them to live. The Lord knows we are human and cannot learn every detail about discipleship all at once. It is a lifelong journey, not just a destination. What matters most is not where we are in that journey, but in which direction we’re moving. So long as we keep striving to learn and grow spiritually and to live faithfully for him, he is forgiving and patient with us because he wants above all for us to live in eternal friendship with him (II Peter 3:9). If God is willing to be that patient with us, surely we can let him teach us to be patient with ourselves, too.
Patience with God Far too often, people ask God for things in prayer with an unexpressed expectation of when and how he should deliver his answer. When they don’t receive what they requested by the time they wanted it, they seem to assume that God isn’t real, wasn’t listening, or didn’t care about their problem. A much more effective way to pray is first to acknowledge God’s unlimited sovereignty, knowledge, wisdom, love, and resources. Then, in the meekness of Jesus’ third Beatitude (Matthew 5:5), express the need without specifics for how or when it gets met, but with humble trust that God will respond in a way better than we could have imagined. Jesus told his disciples that the Father knows their need before they ever ask. Trusting his provision and timing will help us learn holy patience.
Impatience is a Form of Selfishness No matter with whom I am impatient, it usually is an expression that my needs and desires are more important than theirs, or that I know what should happen better than they do. Focusing our best attention on saying with Jesus, “not my will, but yours be done,” and accepting his invitation to deny self, take up his cross daily, and follow him is probably the best discipline for learning to trust God’s provision and timing.
There indeed are times when safety or circumstances require immediate decisions with no time for contemplation or waiting patiently upon the Lord. Jesus himself experienced times like that. It is my conviction and experience that if we like him spent more time waiting patiently for the Spirit to teach us by listening prayer when no crisis is looming — simply deepening our devotion and knowledge of God’s heart — our souls and minds would be prepared to face whatever life throws at us. In such times, we would experience his love and find our needs met before we even ask. Let’s get un-busy.
–Ron Ferguson, 13 October 2024
Queries for Worship-Sharing and Reflection
1) Why and how does “waiting upon God” in quiet contemplation teach us to exercise spiritual patience?
2) Describe a time when you saw impatience cause harm and trouble. Why is patience so difficult nowadays?
3) Describe a time when you saw godly patience benefit a situation and the people involved in it.
4) Do you think we live “too fast” nowadays? What are the impacts of that on people’s spiritual lives?
Sermon on the Mount Series Links
Sermon on the Mount Series #1 – Diamonds Aren’t Forever
Sermon on the Mount Series #2 – Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Sermon on the Mount Series #3 – Blessed are the Meek
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May 7, 2023
150th Celebration
April 30, 2023 150th Celebration with Jay Marshall, speaker
Winchester Friends Meeting, est. 1873
Celebrating 150 Years of Ministry
Meeting for Worship April 30, 2023
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Celebrating 150 Years of Ministry
Meeting for Worship April 30, 2023
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With Guest Speaker Jay Marshall
Friends Minister, Author, Seminary Dean (ret.)
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Friends Minister, Author, Seminary Dean (ret.)
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When the Spirit Calls
I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint.
Then the LORD said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”
Habakkuk 2:1-4, New Living Translation
I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint.
Then the LORD said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”
Habakkuk 2:1-4, New Living Translation
Queries for Reflection and Response
1. What is the call or sense of mission that motivates you personally? What motivates the Meeting?
2. What are some of the ways you have learned to discern what is from God and what is simply chatter?
3. What made the memorable occasions that have shaped your understanding of faith and ministry?
4. If you are a reflection of the five closest people in your life, what are you reflecting?
5. Imagine for a moment that you have climbed a watchtower in downtown Winchester. Where could the Meeting’s gifts bring hope and healing to the community?
If You Could See What I See
All of my life I have dreamed that somehow love would find me
Now I can’t believe you’re standing here
If beauty is all in the eye of the beholder
then I wish you could see the love for you that lives in me
Now I can’t believe you’re standing here
If beauty is all in the eye of the beholder
then I wish you could see the love for you that lives in me
And you would know you have my heart, if you could see, what I see
That a treasure’s what you are, if you could see, what I see
Created to be the perfect one for me, if you could see, what I see
That a treasure’s what you are, if you could see, what I see
Created to be the perfect one for me, if you could see, what I see
I know there are days when you feel so much less than ideal
Wondering what I see in you
It’s all of the light and the grace your belief in me drives me to say
That I promise you a faithful love, forever true
Wondering what I see in you
It’s all of the light and the grace your belief in me drives me to say
That I promise you a faithful love, forever true
If you could see then you’d understand why I fall down to my knees
And I pray my love will be worthy of the One who gave his life
so our love could be, if you could see what I see
And I pray my love will be worthy of the One who gave his life
so our love could be, if you could see what I see
You’re created to be the perfect one for me, if you could see what I see
If beauty is all in the eye of the beholder,
then I am beholding… true beauty
If beauty is all in the eye of the beholder,
then I am beholding… true beauty
–Geoff Moore (CCLI 649965), sung by Judi Marshall
We Are Called
Come, live in the light! Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord! We are called to be light for the Kingdom, to live in the freedom of the city of God.
We are called to act with justice; we are called to love tenderly. We are called to serve one another, to walk humbly with God.
Come, open your heart! Show your mercy to all those in fear. We are called to be hope for the hopeless so hatred and violence will be no more…..
Sing! Sing a new song. Sing of that great day when all will be one. God will reign, and we’ll walk with each other as sisters and brothers united in love…. We’ll walk humbly with God…..
–David Haas, based on Micah 6:8; arr. Mark Hayes (CCLI 649965)
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Winchester Friends Ministry & Oversight
State of Society Report – Annual Report for 2020-2021
June 2021/ October 3, 2021
State of Society Report – Annual Report for 2020-2021
June 2021/ October 3, 2021
Lives That Speak
Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone…. –Friends founder George Fox
Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone…. –Friends founder George Fox
As the Ministry & Oversight began discussing the state of spiritual life at Winchester Friends at the close of the 2020-2021 church year, it was nearly impossible to think about the past twelve months in any framing other than that of the changes caused and necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each M&O member offered reflections on what they have observed and sensed about our life together in the past year, and their hopes for the days yet to come. The following is a summary of their thoughts.
Trials of 2020-2021 For all of us, the past year was one of significant losses and profound sorrow. At least fifteen participants in our faith community tested positive for coronavirus infection and experienced various degrees of illness. A number of our Friends lost close or extended family members to COVID or other causes during the year and often did not have the comfort of gathering to mourn together. Added to that was the sadness of watching the number of pandemic deaths in the US steadily climb past half a million. It was a year of lost chances for close fellowship, handshakes and hugs, a long period of isolation and loneliness. One M&O member compared it to the pupae stage of a butterfly’s life when the caterpillar “shelters in place” inside the chrysalis to await favorable conditions outside. It was a year without the encouragement of singing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs together” (Colossians 3:16). Many ministry activities had to be suspended, meaning lost inertia and momentum. In some cases, people who may have had only minimal interest in participating in the Meeting simply withdrew and have not reappeared. Because the pandemic changed so many things in our lives, we all were required to expend large amounts of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy to accomplish in different ways what used to be fairly simple, routine tasks. Work, school, social, travel, and meeting schedules were disrupted, with resumption in many cases still uncertain, making planning very difficult. In the community and society beyond the Meeting (and potentially within as well), economic stress and civil unrest have led to fraying of the social fabric in ways that make many relationships tenuous.
Encouraging Surprises of 2020-2021 The M&O clerk pointed out that none of us should be surprised that the pandemic has not changed God. For those who have remained engaged and have continued seeking the Lord, the pandemic has provided a new or renewed sense of God’s identity and character. Technology was adopted and adapted to our Meeting’s unique needs in a way that has allowed us to maintain relationships and a surprisingly deepened sense of community. In the butterfly analogy, meeting by Zoom has helped break open the isolation of the chrysalis stage to make new life possible. The shift to a worship-sharing format on Sunday mornings has found encouraging success in nudging Friends to be participators rather than spectators, and it has taught us to listen more carefully for “that of God in others.” Meeting via Zoom has made it possible to welcome local newcomers, distant former Friends and family members, and other faraway friends into our fellowship in meaningful, delightful ways that none of us had imagined before the pandemic necessitated these changes. Despite the financial uncertainties and hardships that the pandemic has imposed on so many people and organizations, the Meeting’s finances have remained healthy due to the faithful generosity of so many of our Friends. That consistent support has given us confidence to continue sharing resources from the Best Trust to help “make Christ’s love tangible and visible” in the community and world around us.
Outcomes of 2020-2021 The past year has given us – and all in the Meeting, we hope – a deepened sense of Christ’s faithful presence with us and care for us, no matter how dire our circumstances might get. Worship in a more semi-programmed manner than before has shown many Friends the importance of giving verbal witness of God’s love and Truth within our fellowship when the Spirit prompts them. That hopefully has strengthened and improved their ability to do the same in their relationships beyond the Meeting. Our meetings for worship online have shown the importance of engaged participation by everyone, whether verbal or not – the things said by many Friends on Sunday mornings are most meaningful when heard and absorbed by everyone. Hopefully we will move into 2021-2022 with a new realization of the importance of showing up consistently, whether we end up sharing what we have learned, or we listen deeply to the helpful words of other Friends. Each of us has learned many things about ourselves and our calling to daily ministry during the “inactivity” of the pandemic months. If we’ll let it, that knowledge should equip us for effectiveness in the new environment of the upcoming church year. Returning to the butterfly analogy, the caterpillar-transformed-into-
Hope for 2021-2022 The Ministry & Oversight members are determined to learn and grow from the hard lessons of 2020-2021, and not to squander the unexpected blessings and opportunities that have come out of the unprecedented church year just completed. We desire to remain highly attentive to the Lord’s constant, consistent presence. We acknowledge that although we do not yet know everything we will need to understand for effective ministry in the post-pandemic world, we know we cannot just go back to what was “normal” before. We acknowledge that it will require the input and participation of every Friend in the Meeting if we are to successfully fulfill the Lord’s desires for our faith community. We gratefully recognize that the blessings we have enjoyed during the difficult past year are due in large part to a core of Friends who have remained committed to the Meeting and its ministries. They have done so because of their love for the Lord who has saved us, their love for one another in this community of believers, and their dedication to our shared spiritual life. Moving forward, we hope to find relevant new ways of letting Christ’s timeless light of love and Truth shine through us. We long to help the minimally involved to renew their seeking. We desire to welcome the uninvolved to discover the benefits of living by faith – especially young adults and families in this overly secular era for whom the pandemic has been a rude awakening to human frailties and mortality. Like the butterfly that has been protected and nurtured inside the chrysalis, we know we must in faith release our grip on the refuge of “what has been” and fly into the unknown future in order to fulfill God’s calling and purpose for us.
We invite every Friend in the church to join us in that journey. Like Paul appealing to the Corinthians (I Cor. 2:1), we cannot depend on eloquent words or superior human knowledge (or slicker technology and flashy entertainment). We welcome you just to let your daily lives speak, both in words and actions, of God’s love, Truth, and presence. As George Fox discovered, it’s the way God enables us to “walk cheerfully” throughout our lives, and to forge rich connections with others who desire to know and live for the Lord. In the world’s present turmoil, he needs every one of us to get involved. Thank you for letting your lives speak in ministry through Winchester Friends.
Winchester Friends Ministry & Oversight, June 2021: Cleo McFarland, clerk; Sharon Reynard; Dave Longnecker; Linda Groth; Doug Baker; Ellen Craig; Marsha Kritsch, ex officio; Pam Ferguson, ex officio; Ron Ferguson, ex officio
Lives That Speak — Lives of Resilience and Hope
The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery (of the king’s dream).” –Daniel 2:47
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” –Daniel 3:28
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” –Daniel 3:28
Let your light shine before people, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
–Jesus, Matthew 5:16
–Jesus, Matthew 5:16
Today is World Quaker Day, an initiative of the Friends World Committee for Consultation to remind Friends that in every time zone around the world on the first Sunday of October, Quakers will gather in the presence of the Spirit of Christ. We meet to worship the Lord who unites us in a global community of faith, and to pray for one another’s effective witness in the challenges and opportunities we face. Clearly with the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises in mind, FWCC selected “Resilience and Hope: Drawing Strength from our Faith” as the theme for World Quaker Day 2021. As in the past several years, Winchester Friends’ Ministry & Oversight has chosen to present their State of Society Report for the recently-completed church year during worship on World Quaker Day. The theme of their report (“Lives That Speak”) turned out to dovetail almost seamlessly with FWCC’s focus, and with the past week’s Through the Bible chapters centered in the Book of Daniel.
Daniel was one of Judah’s young “best and brightest.” He and hundreds of other skilled and educated Hebrews were exiled to Babylon in 605 BC after the Babylonian army forced the surrender of Jerusalem, helped themselves to Judah’s treasures, and turned Judea into a client state. Part of Nebuchadnezzar’s strategy for keeping conquered nations weak was to deplete their human capital as well as their treasury. Daniel and three other young Hebrews featured in the first half of the Book of Daniel – Hananiah (Babylonian name Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) – were chosen to undergo three years of language and other training to become servants in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace (Dan. 1:3,4). As part of that assignment, they were fed rich food and wine from the king’s own table, food that had been offered to idols and included things that violated the dietary instructions of Moses’ Law. Rather than follow orders and spiritually defile himself, Daniel resolved to obey God and requested permission from their Babylonian boss to eat only vegetables and drink only water. The Babylonian feared he would be blamed for underfeeding the Hebrews, but he reluctantly agreed to a test. After ten days, the Judeans looked and performed better than their counterparts who ate the rich food. Their diet was switched, and at the end of their training years the king found them superior to all his other wise men and advisors. Their lives spoke.
When I was around five years old, I watched “Popeye the Sailor Man” cartoons on TV each Saturday morning. My brother and I became convinced that if we ate enough canned spinach, we too could get strong enough to rip the top off a can and eat the contents like a beverage. We got our mother to fix us some spinach. After I had choked down a couple of spoonsful, I went outdoors to play and saw our neighbor Mr. Carmichael working on his lawn mower in his driveway. I ran over and told him I had eaten some spinach and was now as strong as Popeye. I asked him if he wanted to see. He didn’t reply right away, so I flexed my skinny biceps for him, then slugged him on the shoulder. I was only five, but I’d bet it hurt a little. I am horrified every time I remember that incident. It makes me wonder how many parents persuaded little kids to eat canned spinach by telling them they’d be strong like Popeye. They probably should have told us more about the virtues of Olive Oil. I’m pretty sure that my siblings and I were told the Bible story of Daniel and his friends a few times, too, to persuade us to eat our vegetables and stay away from wine.
Daniel 2 tells the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream, and his demand that his advisors tell him both what he had dreamed and what it meant. When the advisors had no idea what the dream had been, the king ordered them all killed (including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego). Daniel was given a chance to plead his case with the king and was allowed time to seek the Lord. After the Hebrews prayed, the Lord revealed the complicated dream and its meaning to Daniel. When he laid that all out to Nebuchadnezzar, the king acknowledged the sovereignty of Yahweh (Dan. 2:47, above) and spared the lives of his wise men. Daniel 3 tells us of Daniel’s three friends’ courageous refusal to bow in worship to a statue of Nebuchadnezzar, even on the threat of death. After the Lord miraculously accompanied them through the fiery furnace and enabled them to emerge unscathed, the king again praised Yahweh’s omnipotence (3:28, above). Several years later, following the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon, their ruler Darius made Daniel one of the most powerful administrators in his kingdom (Daniel 6). Other officials, jealous of Daniel’s power and friendship with Darius, fooled the king into signing a decree sentencing to death in a lions’ den anyone who prayed to any deity other than Darius. Daniel’s life had spoken. They knew he prayed three times daily towards Jerusalem — the City of Zion where the presence of Yahweh dwelt — and would not cease doing so. He was arrested and thrown into the lion’s den, but God “sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions.” Darius witnessed Daniel’s miraculous survival and issued a decree praising Yahweh as the one true God (6:26,27).
In young adulthood, Daniel and his three friends were forced into a horrible situation they never would have chosen. Rather than giving in to Babylonian cultural religion and surrendering their deepest identity as children of the Living God, they held tenaciously to their faith and made the best of their difficult circumstances. They were resilient. In faith, they never gave up hope that God would allow the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem and Judea, and would help them live more faithfully than the people had whose disobedience and idolatry led to Israel’s captivity. Their determination to obey the Lord in all things first, then deal with whatever consequences resulted, spoke volumes about God and about themselves to anyone who was paying attention.
We in 2021 face a combination of challenges – pandemic, climate crisis, economic upheaval and disparity, armed conflict, social and racial injustice — that may add up to nearly equal those which faced the Hebrew exiles. And due to modern communications technology, a lot more people are now paying attention. The Lord’s message to us today through Daniel’s examples is that the resilience, hope, and resolve to “seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness” which they displayed 2600 years ago are still available to all who wish to live lives that speak to others of God’s holiness, loving compassion, and eternal promise. All he needs is our invitation to allow his Spirit to live fully in us. Let’s help one another to let our lives speak for God in all we are, in everything we do.
–Ron Ferguson 3 October 2021
Queries for Worship-Sharing and Reflection
1) What have been your greatest trials or discouragements of the past 18 months? How has God helped you with them?
2) What do you think “spiritual resilience” and “spiritual hope” will look like in 2021 and beyond?
3) What encouraging surprises or positive changes have you experienced in the last 18 difficult months?
4) Why is it important to consider what others will conclude about God and faithful living when they watch how I live?
5) What are your most fervent hopes as the world and our community slowly emerge from these months of pandemic?
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Winchester Friends Church 765-584-8276
124 E. Washington St. Winchester, IN 47394
www.winchesterfriendschurch.
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Winchester Friends Church 765-584-8276
124 E. Washington St. Winchester, IN 47394
www.winchesterfriendschurch.
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QUAKER QUERIES
February 16, 2020
February 23, 2020
March 8, 2020
March 15, 2020