In this morning’s Fruit of the Vine, Priscilla Hochhalter reflects on Paul’s plea in Philippians 4:2 for Euodia and Syntyche “to be of the same mind in the Lord.” We don’t know for certain the source of their conflict, and maybe, for our purposes, that’s not important. What matters, according to Priscilla, is that “the two women . . . had split apart and were leaking out damage.”
I have a friend who for years has been reminding me that conflict is “a dangerous opportunity.” When we engage one another on the point of our disagreement, there is the potential that we might uncover and resolve some hidden source of dysfunction. The engagement, though, creates friction. Not only do we risk hurting one another in our disagreement, but there may also be danger for anyone close enough to feel the heat.
Priscilla uses a plumbing problem from her own kitchen as a metaphor for what happens when we’re not in unity: “Pipes are meant to fit together and work as a network.” Which might illustrate why “Jesus prayed his followers would ‘be one’” (John 17:20-23). When the pipes in Priscilla’s kitchen “were detached, it was amazing how much water . . . leaked. The cleanup took longer than the fix.”
Is there a way for us to stay together when we disagree? The answer is yes, but there’s a catch. If there isn’t mutual agreement that the relationship matters, forcing people together won’t resolve the problem. It just increases the friction.
I’ve been thinking about the role Barclay Press might play in helping people to come together, and in supporting the work of reconciliation and renewal. There are a few things we’re already doing.
Each day we provide a short, first-person reflection in Fruit of the Vine. These devotional pieces are one of the ways our shared stories help us to grow in our sense of who all is part of this family of Friends from across the country and around the world. You can find a print subscription to Fruit of the Vine in our bookstore. We also have an inexpensive digital version that comes right to your email inbox each morning.
Our Illuminate curriculum – starting next month – is different from previous years in that it has a little less commentary and nearly three times as many questions for discussion and reflection. I’m convinced that one of the best ways to bring people together is to get them focused on and talking about the Bible. The questions are open-ended, designed to challenge assumptions, and written to help small-group participants find safe ways to share their stories.
Additionally, we’re bringing out more books and pamphlets in the next year than in any year in our recent history. We’re re-releasing several small collections of essays and talks on Quaker polity and theology. We’ll be presenting some new poetry, a series of studies, a history, and a volume on Friends’ views over the centuries on the nature of God as well as their understandings of the atonement. If you’re interested in supporting this work, you can click on the Barclay Press link in the right margin of this letter and donate through Paypal.
Finally, there are a lot of things that Barclay Press isn’t doing. At least not yet. Some of these might be projects we just haven’t thought of. Some are beyond our capabilities. But I trust God has a purpose for Barclay Press and for us as Friends. Because there are a lot of broken pipes in the world. A lot of dangerous opportunities.
Eric Muhr
Over the years
Almost every week I send out this newsletter, and almost every week I share a reflection on the morning’s Fruit of the Vine devotional thought. Today I’ve pulled excerpts from the last fifty-seven years of Fruit of the Vine writings. On this day –
– in 1962: We are not left to live our Christian lives in isolation. A relationship with those around us necessitates our learning to get along with one another – Catherine Cattell
– in 1972: The church has more technology at her disposal for getting out the Gospel than ever before. Still ... there is a passiveness, an insensitivity to the real world and the real issues – Edward Rawson
– in 1980: Beneath the layers of possessions and preoccupations, the voice of the Spirit of God continues to speak, ever so gently nudging us. “If you want to be My disciple you must make a commitment” – Louise George
– in 1991: Jesus’ presence at the well must have surprised the woman.... He actually spoke to her, asking a favor!... Racial and social customs were cracking all around – Nancy Thomas
– in 2003: In my teenage years I read verse 31 in the King James Version. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength....” Strength didn’t seem to be an issue then, but waiting sure was – Raelene Fendall
– in 2012: The shepherd feeds us through his body – the church. Have you ever found the energy to keep going because of someone else’s words or acts of kindness toward you? I have – Hubert Thornburg
This week we’re mailing out Fruit of the Vine for fall. We’re also just about ready to start printing Fruit of the Vine for winter. I’m noticing that these daily readings are giving me a stronger sense of the lived faith of Friends from across the country and around the world. I’d love to have you join me! You can find a print subscription to Fruit of the Vine in our bookstore. We also have an inexpensive digital version that comes right to your email inbox each morning.
As of today, we’ve also added another 55 titles to our collection of books discounted by 40 percent or more. Take a look at what we have. You just might take a book or two out of our collection and add it to yours.
Finally, just about every day, one of you sends me an email, stops by the office, or makes a small donation to help us do this work of publishing and preserving Friends history, theology, and biography. Thank you for being part of my extended community. Thank you for your encouragement and support. Thank you!
Eric Muhr
On surprises
Southern Idaho Friends churches hosted a youth volleyball tournament this last spring, and I’d driven the van for a team from Newberg. We slept on the floor at Boise Friends Church (which means I didn’t sleep well.) Then, early Saturday morning, I took my camera and walked through the neighborhood as the sun was rising, looking for something quirky to capture. I didn’t find much, so I walked back to the church where I was surprised by two geese loitering on the roof of the gym. They’d been waiting for me.
In this morning’s Fruit of the Vine, Bethany Lee draws our attention to a story about Jesus, a story that contains a surprise: “The story is simple,” Bethany writes. “There were crowds of people listening to Jesus, and they were hungry.”
The account in Mark 8 records the ensuing exchange between Jesus and his disciples:
2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied.
Bethany continues, “Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread, and handed it to his disciples to distribute. And all the people ate their fill.”
Jesus’ disciples didn’t know where to look for food “in this remote place.” And they didn’t have to. Because it was already waiting for them. What little they had was more than enough.
Bethany includes nine questions to help us consider what to do with the surprise in this story, questions that help unpack the details of the exchange, questions that shed light on what might be happening emotionally under the surface of the narrative, questions that challenge the way I think about my place in the world and my responsibility to care for others.
In the meantime, I’m thankful for Bethany’s reminder that when I’m with Jesus, I need not fear going hungry “in this remote place.” When I’m faithful to offer what I have, I can trust God to make it more than enough. And even when I wander off, looking for that thing I think I’m missing, God can surprise me with warm sunrises, bright blue skies, and two geese on a roof.
And if you’re curious about those questions from Bethany, you can find a print subscription to Fruit of the Vine in our bookstore. We also have an inexpensive digital version that comes right to your email inbox each morning.
While you’re at the bookstore, take time to look through our discount books. This is the time of year that we go through our shelves and mark down all the books we’d like to move out of inventory. As of today, we have 173 titles marked down by 40 percent or more.
And as a follow-up, thank you! Last week, I offered a brief overview of how Barclay Press is doing financially. You responded with three notes of encouragement, one idea for a publishing project, and two cash gifts. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Eric Muhr