In times of great religious, cultural and political turmoil, 1st century Christians and 17th century Friends lived as prophetic communities, following God’s call to serve as signs to the world around them. Early Christians remained faithful in the face of terrific persecution, sharing their goods and caring for one another. Early Friends dressed and spoke and lived in ways that set themselves strongly apart from patterns of their day, carrying out a “Lamb’s war” utilizing humble spiritual means:

"A tree may grow high, and hard, and strong, yet fruitless and out of the power, got above the poor, above the innocent, and out of the feeling of the sufferer and man of sorrows where he is. The end of this growth is not in the pure rest, for the higher any one grows here, the more doth that wither and die in them, which is soft and tender, and melting, which makes one [a true lamb] and is the true fold for lambs, where the lions must lie down in the end if they come to rest. That eye...which looks to be great among men comes not into the rest, but hath strife in the mind, strife in words and secret smitings, which defile the rest, and lead into the division and separation -- but the little child leads into the rest, and that which is lowly gives the entrance."

- James Nayler (Not to Strive but to Overcome by Suffering)

Once again we are living in times of great challenge. Our country and world are assailed by forces of fear, hatred, and polarization. Many hearts seem closed to the needs of the "least of these our sisters and brothers".

Paul challenges us not to be conformed to this world but to offer our lives - and our faith communities - as living sacrifices. Come join us in Barnesville for a weekend of shared listening, as we seek to hear Christ’s voice in this present time. How is Christ calling us to respond as a community to radically faithful transformed lives? How might we as Friends serve as a prophetic voice and sign once again to the world around us? If not us, who? If not now, when?”

What is prophecy? How did early Friends live into the tradition of the Hebrew prophets and the prophetic movement of the Early Church communities? What is Christ calling us to be as Friends in the world today? What gets in the way of our hearing and responding together to that call in the night from God? As Friends seeking to serve our God, how do we as a people become a prophetic movement in the world? During this weekend we will have times for worship and to consider questions such as these together, alert to Christ’s immediate teaching.

Peter Blood-Patterson feels called to help invite new Friends into Quaker faith & practice, deepen the lives of our meetings, and strengthen our capacity as Friends to respond to the enormous challenges facing our world today.

Peter has been leading Quakerism retreats and teaching Quakerism classes for over 25 years in a variety of Friends retreat centers and a number of yearly meetings. He is a graduate of the spiritual guidance program of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. He is currently involved in developing a series of adult religious education courses on Quakerism for New England YM.  Peter’s teaching ministry is under the spiritual oversight of Mt Toby Meeting in New England YM. For more information visit http://inwardlight.org