Unto which I answered that Christ’s promise was not to discourage many from meeting together in his name, but to encourage the few, that the fewest might not forbear to meet, because of their fewness.

A Friends meeting is intended to be so much more than a loose association of individuals on separate and private spiritual journeys. Friends are called to be a faith community, seeking to know each other “in that which is Eternal” as we journey together.

Many people can attest to experiencing a flame of faith lit by an extraordinary experience that has been spiritually lifechanging.

Elijah needed to maintain attention and commitment to God, his pilot light, who gave him encouragement that he was not alone. Through a whisper of hope, God reminded Elijah that there were others in Israel who continued to worship.

A pillar of fire guided Moses and his people as they traveled by night – a sign of God’s constant presence. In the Book of Acts we read about the tongues of fire that moved among the crowd at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles.

We remain connected to the source through active participation in worship and regular sharing together as members of a meeting or congregation who seek to follow Jesus’ teachings. The writer of Hebrews gives us this charge: ‘And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together’

The idea that Christ’s light dwells in each person allows us to minister to any of the people we may meet. I like to think of the pilot light in our lives as the Holy Spirit, leading us and motivating us to act in loving ways.

[J]ust as we were about to set off. . . a voice passed through me, saying, “The poor servants have not been favored with crumbs which fall from their master’s table,” so that I did not dare to go until I sat down with the family, and handed forth the crumbs which were committed to my trust.

Deepen their joy in the beauty of thy world and their love for their neighbors, grant them courage in the face of pain or weakness, and always a sure knowledge of thy presence.

Leviticus speaks of respect for the elderly, Jeremiah calls for respect for the ocean and the God who made it, and 1 Thessalonians emphasizes respect for those with whom you labor. Thessalonians goes a step further and asks us to be at peace with each other.

Thinking on these things is humbling to me. That God would choose to make a place for us with such loveliness and care for us is beyond words.

I chose the story of Jesus and the centurion because I believe the centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant out of pure love, faith, and compassion. He did not need the fanfare of all the people coming with Jesus or even having Jesus at his house. He did not need extraneous stuff to bring healing to his servant – just Jesus’ word.

I have always wanted to be present in this story to hear what Jesus said, or how he spoke to change Zacchaeus’s mind to do what was right. He was a wealthy man, and after being with Jesus, he decided give up that wealth and make reparation to people for wrongs he had done to them.

Faith groups are trying to make sure people are not alone, that they have what they need to survive, and to know that they are not forgotten. When we look for them, we can see people all over, living out noble character.

For I know that there was good seed sown among you at the first, which when it found good ground, would have brought forth good fruit

A conflict, very familiar indeed to us in our own lives, runs almost the whole way through the Gospels: a conflict between patience and impatience; love and anger; peace and violence.

Let the gentle hand of Jesus set you free, and look into his loving eyes, seeing everything and everyone as he sees them.

God made us, saw us in our need, and Christ suffered and died to redeem us. But God’s love for us is no greater nor less than his love for each of our neighbors.

When God is at the center, every value flows from God’s heart. We find ourselves loving those whom we could not love, caring about others who did not interest us before, desiring to carry burdens for those we had barely noticed. Everything we own becomes a resource to accomplish God’s desires and dreams.

When we fail to find meaning in and for our life, it is a most miserable feeling, and we call it boredom. Why? Because we were created for God, and we never find completeness apart from fellowship with God.