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Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

From "Articulating Our Faith," published by OYM in 2003

The first speaker passed on the Lord's command, "Worship me!" We were reminded to be prepared to serve Him, even when we don't know yet what that service may be. Our different personal preferences are not the same as "right¨and "wrong." Keeping that in mind makes it easier for us to set them aside to come into unity with each other and obedience to God.

. . .

God can mold us like clay into the shapes He desires, bring us through the fire of sanctification into being a vessel perfected for His service. If we want our meetings to be vital, we need to take the people we have at the stages they are in and work with God to help each of us move along toward that perfection. Everyone needs to be spiritually nourished - those who are just beginning to be molded, those who look like almost perfect vessels, and everyone in between.

. . .

Our meetings will not revive unless we personally submit to God's molding and firing. We need to visit the person we do not like, listen to the person with whom we dialogue, and be ongoing examples of what Jesus teaches.

-------------------------- end of quotes--------------

Raye here: I participated in this process, begun probably over ten years ago, looking back. I attended the meetings and gatherings and prayed and listened. The Yearly Meeting assembled a document (title in the title of this discussion) and printed and published it as a record of our efforts to respond to what a number of us saw as a strong, clear call from the Lord.

I want to share this with people who have an interest in Ohio Yearly Meeting. Often online what we read are blog posts and personal opinions and testimony from individuals, all of which helps piece together a picture. I offer these quotes from a very important time for our Yearly Meeting, published on behalf of the Yearly Meeting, from meetings and gatherings of a number of us, to add to the picture in hopes that the difference in scale (cannot think of a better term) may help provide some additional perspective.

May the Lord, bless His Holy name, use this for His own good purposes.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Raye on 4th mo. 2, 2010 at 8:08am

Dear Friend Larry,

Thanks for thy response.

In my prayers about inclusion and exclusion and morality and agape, the Lord seems to have chosen an interesting response to me. He does not seem to answer me in terms of "this one is right, this one is wrong, this is the piece of scripture upon which it all turns."

He has, first, told me that we are not asking the right questions, not pointing our attention in the right direction. Many of us are staking out positions and defending them.

What has not been happening (though I hope I see this beginning to change) is to put, foremost, the greatest commandment. Are we willing to lose everything we think we have and are, for the love of God the Father? Honoring Christ, Whom He sent, does not appear to be uppermost in some minds. Or a better way of saying it is that we think we are honoring Christ, when perhaps we are not. Humans do that kind of thing, we think we are doing what's best on someone else's behalf, only to realize after the fact that we missed something important.

Right now I am called not to join in any discussion about which behaviors are acceptable and why. I am called to pray, to love (only possible in Christ my Savior). I am called to allow the Holy Spirit to shine the Light of Christ upon me, my sins, and the Truth.

There are many hurts that flow like an undertow throughout this reaching in and reaching out time. There are many fears that are being touched off like brushfires around the edge of a larger inflagration. I am speaking of my own experience, not just as an outside observer, by the way.

I have often reflected that if we seek unity in any but Christ Jesus Himself, we are off track.

Thy sister in Christ,

Raye

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