She's still out there, somewhere, on her own, tending to her mother's death, trying to find like-minded community for the few weeks she's visiting. She's still tugging at my heart though.…

Introductory Information: While there probably was a prophet by the name of Jonah – referred to in 2 Kings who lived during the reign of Jeroboam II - the Book of Jonah is not historical; it is a literary piece written probably in the 5^th century BC, post-exile. My Jerusalem Bible says it is “intended to amuse and instruct; it is a didactic work and its doctrine marks one of the peaks of the Old Testament” (1141). “It…

Joel 2:18-27 – The Lord may be angry. We may feel that He is out to destroy us, but want He wants is that we SEE the reasons for His disappointment and respond with the will as a community to CHANGE OUR WAYS. There is no doubt that the prophets anthropomorphize this God. But this is understandable in the context of the biblical narrative, for we were created to be “like him”: “God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he…

The Advent season begins! Perhaps it's un-Quakerly to "celebrate" Advent, but it is helpful in the busy holiday season to focus on anticipation and waiting, expectancy, in our worship times together. This week, Andy Henry shared on the topic "Becoming God-bearers," using Luke 1:26-38 as his text.

Yesterday, someone who visited this blog asked what interpretation I meant to ascribe to readings. Most of the time I really am not trying to interpret the text. I am just trying to hear what it says, connect what it says to New Testament writing and to Quaker writers that most of us are familiar with. I guess the overall interpretation I have of scripture is this - that while it is not really a piece of literature - it is more a library of books that have been…

After experiencing the intensity of a gathering of caricature artists secondhand during my husband's recent convention, I returned home a little deflated. Jealous even. Missing something. Not feeling connected. To the point of posting so on Facebook.…

Several years ago, I was talking with an Indiana Quaker discussing the importance of the New Covenant in Quaker thought when his glance and comments revealed his suspicion that I was introducing something new even opposed to his church's teachings.  "Where does this idea of a new covenant come from?" he asked accusingly.  I remained speechless for several seconds, amazed he didn't know the answer and wondering how I could answer without revealing my dismay that he would ask such a…

Malachi 3 – God says He is “going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me” (3:1). “Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali . . . he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to Yahweh as it should be made” (3:2-3).

 They must stop sinning against the Lord – practicing sorcery, adultery and…

Malachi is an eponym – a “name” that is based on a meaning. The word Malachi (Gr.) means “messenger.” The oracle was written sometime between 516 BC, when the Temple was rebuilt, and 330 BC, the end of the Persian period. The content indicates probably written around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The author is not known according to Lawrence Boadt.           

Malachi 1 - God’s people are always challenging God to show how He has…

Do you hear anything? Did you hear the cracking, the splitting – a sound like ice fracturing? like hearts breaking? It was a soft sound, muffled perhaps by the brick walls of the church building where it happened. It was a tired sound, a sigh of resignation for some, a sigh of relief, for others.  It was the sound of a fresh schism in Indiana Yearly Meeting. 

 “This is an occasion for sadness for nearly everyone concerned, the sadness that if, as we have always believed, God called us…

Time to relax and be is one of the main attractions of life at Pendle Hill. However, I soon became involved in various duties and projects and so have written nothing, and now we have just three weeks left.

The rhythm of life here suits me. Five days a week I lay up breakfast and clear afterwards, usually with the same one or two Friends. William’s regular duties come…

Ezekiel 47 – A stream is described coming out from under the Temple threshold, flowing eastward. Ezekiel’s guide takes him to the stream and has him wade across it at different points; it swells in size, becoming “a river impossible to cross” (47:5).

“Wherever the river flow, all living creatures teeming in it will live” (47:9).  Life will flourish along the banks of this river.

The frontiers of the lands allotted to the various tribes are described…

It was a smaller affair, which may have sharpened the lens of perspective. So often, we tumbled out of the house, food in hand, kids in tow and arrived a few minutes late for Thanksgiving at my parents'. This year, we were ahead of schedule with the exception of my husband…

Ezekiel 46 – The east gate of the inner court is always to be shut for the six regular days of the week but opened on the Sabbath. It is also to be opened on the day of the New Moon. The prince must walk through on these days and the priests offer his holocaust and communion sacrifices. The animals to be offered are listed in detail.

The figure who appeared in 40-42 to show Ezekiel the exact dimensions and specifications the new Temple reappears here in verse…

Ezekiel 45 – In this chapter Ezekiel describes a division of the country into parallel strips. The note says this is he most hypothetical and unrealistic part of his “vision.” The idea is that the land is to be divided – a section devoted to the sanctuary (the sacred portion), a section for the priests to live in.

There is to be a portion for the prince as it was in Solomon’s time; he is exhorted to give up “violence and plundering, [to] practice justice and integrity,…

Lynn Holt wrapped up our series on the Psalms of Ascent this week.

I have a broken body though…

The following is an excerpt from a paper presented by ESR student Diane Reynolds at the June 2012 conference of the Friends Association for Higher Education. The paper was originally written for a History of Christianity II course with Ken Rogers:

Although separated by nationality and…

Ezekiel 44 – Meanwhile the east gate of the sanctuary is to be kept shut since the Lord Himself has passed through it. The prince may take his meals there [note says this was connected with the communion sacrifice].

He goes on to describe the rules about who are and who are not to be admitted into the sanctuary. No “rebels,” “aliens,” or those “uncircumcised in heart and body” (44:9) are to be permitted in.  The Levites, who abandoned Yahweh to follow idols, are to…