Comment

Comment by Keith Saylor on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 11:20pm

Thank you Adria. Your answers and comments help me glean some sense of the FOJ gathering.

In appreciation,

Keith

Comment by Alice Bejnar on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 11:17pm

Adria, I think it is a genuine gift from you to others, that you would share your responses from your heart and experience.  The questions were a gift to0, Keith.  Thank you!  It is precious to be able to "listen" to your your sharing, with what I feel as mutual love and trust. It is a privilege to be able to communicate in this manner with this group.  We are all pilgrims on our path(s) with Christ. We, by grace, can help and support one another.  We are all different and have different experiences to share.  God knows where my path will lead, who I will meet, who will teach me, will deepen my closeness to God.  I've learned that I am not in control!  So, right now, I respond to the Divine nudges and I am with neighbors with dementia, my family with mental and physical illnesses, prisoners, people who are in the last stages of dying. I try my best to see Christ in others as well as to see  through Jesus' amazing, loving eyes.  I sing a lot and pray a lot!

Comment by Adria Gulizia on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 8:49pm

I would add, Keith, that while I can't speak for them as far as the particular questions you asked, we do all agree with the doctrines reflected in our membership commitments, advices and queries and other documents, which are on our website.

Comment by Rich Accetta-Evans on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 7:21pm

This thread has been very enlightening, but it leaves me with an uncomfortable question.  Why is it that when encountering other Christians or people who believe they are Christian that we begin a dialogue by feeling out how sound they are by our lights, and posing tests to see if they depart from us on some matters?  There has to be a place for that, but couldn't we begin by rejoicing that we have met someone who embraces Jesus?  Even the first disciples gradually learned to follow Him long before they fully recognized who He was and what their discipleship would ultimately mean for them

Comment by Adria Gulizia on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 6:14pm

Keith, I don't think that anyone among the workers or other core participants would answer in a very different way, but I can't speak for them.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 4:02pm

Paul, so are you suggesting the act of asking questions is an attempt to trick? I know very little about the FOJ gathering. The act of questioning is an attempt to glean the essencial spirit of the gathering.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 3:42pm

Adria, thank you for the second post with answers. As with the first set of answers, I appreciate and honor your response. I know you qualified your remarks by suggesting your answers to the questions, except one, do not reflect the whole of the FOJ gathering. 

Does this qualification suggest that there are those in FOJ gathering who would answer the questions in a essentially different way? 

Comment by Alison Irving on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 3:33pm

I've been following the Friends of Jesus conversation with interest. Our Liberal unprogrammed meeting in Australia is lovely, but I sometimes feel that there is a discomfort with Christian words and ideas. How can someone from overseas join the Friends of Jesus? I've liked the Facebook page, is there another page besides that one? Thanks, Alison

Comment by paul on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 3:19pm

Adria Gulizia, blessings!always in your walk with Jesus. How refreshing to hear a Friend speak of Jesus Christ as a person, as a friend. I see some would put a bit of honey or toss a pinch of sand in the gears attempting to get you in a 'aha', moment. You deftly deflected those tricksters. Good for you Adria. Many know the various litmus tests of orthodoxy yet few would mention Jesus Our Lord and King. May God richly nourish your endeavors.
Paul

Comment by Adria Gulizia on 3rd mo. 17, 2015 at 2:06pm

6. How is your faith in Christ informed?

I read the Bible, pray, talk to other Christians, read writings by Friends and other Christians, and spend a lot of time thinking about what God has to say to the world today and what my role is in sharing that message.

7. What is the nature of Faith?

The nature of faith is the absence of worry. When I have faith in God to provide for me, I don't have to worry about whether my honesty at work is going to harm my career prospects or whether others will think I'm weird when I don't participate in an office gambling pool. Faith means that I don't have to concern myself with how things will be taken care of, because I know that they will be taken care of.

8. What is a deeper relationship with Christ?

A deeper relationship is going from being a believer in Christ to a follower of Christ. My life is daily transformed as I trust more of it to God and I want to encourage others to do the same. So I can ask a friend who professes Christ if what they are doing is consistent with that profession. This is something that is hard for me to do because I don't want to offend. But I have done it and, God willing, I'll do it more often going forward.

9. What are some examples of your spending choices that has reflected obedience to Christ?

I have given a big donation to a church whose mission I believed in because the Holy Spirit convicted me about my stinginess. I also simplified my hair care regime as far as buying fewer products and spending less time once I realized I was approaching idolatry.  I also try to maintain an openness to giving in unexpected circumstances.

10. What are some examples of how you act on the job that reflects obedience to Christ?

I no longer always order up to my level of reimbursement for overtime meals, just ordering what I want to eat at that time, rather than planning to have enough for leftovers. I also try to avoid gossip, though that is harder. I also am stricter with my timer than some attorneys that I've spoken with, as far what amount of time I bill to clients.

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