Quaker Universalist Conversations

Yeshua

Friend Stanley,

I am very grateful to you for this post, for my own 63-year path has been a long one of rediscovering and re-embracing the Yeshua of my 1950s Lutheran preacher’s kid childhood.

In my late 30s, having quested through Pagan and Buddhist realms of imagination, I came into Quakerism—at the leading of my helpmate Jim—as if to a homecoming. The Meeting I joined was one of diverse and weighty Friends: Christian, Buddhist, Agnostic, Humanist, Political Activist.

These people had, over several decades, settled into a stillness which enabled them to minister to and teach each other and to act and witness in the larger community. Without questioning that there was an Unnamable Presence in the world. One which needed no theology or ideology through which to act, only attentive people who were willing to wait patiently until way opened for them to see the next few steps of life.

Sometime during the years with those Friends, I began to seek within for the simple certainty of my childhood religion. I discovered there the gentle yet uncompromising Yeshua whom my late father had preached and taught, the Yeshua whose ministry my late mother had lived.

‘Jesus laughing baptizing'

In fact, I realized I knew him so well that I had trusted him to lead me beyond the boundaries of Christianity into the wider family of his brothers and sisters in this boundless world.

When you know a person so intimately, you are able to say at once to those who follow external doctrines and texts: “No, he would not command that. Yes, he would desire this.”

Then it is simply a matter of waiting. Not trying to figure out, but waiting. Until something becomes clear to you. Not the way to go. Just the next few steps.

Yeshua is my master and teacher and friend.

Blessings,
Mike


Note: The image is from Susan Cotrell’s post The Picture of Grace on her website FreedHearts.

Susan Cottrell is a writer, speaker and teacher. Married for twenty-six years with five nearly-grown children, she is a veteran discipler, homeschooler, and sage friend.

On her About page she writes:

I am all about freedom in Christ. For years I have taught the abiding life of Christ – in books, retreats, and direct discipling. My heart has been and will remain with defeated and discouraged women, helping them to experience and apply the truth of Jesus Christ in their lives, marriages and parenting. God has also placed the LGBTQ community of believers and their families on my heart.

Comments

I would appreciate the messages from the different folks more if they were not “edited” by having the images and their author’s faith specifics included on the post. Sort of like a message is given in meeting and someone else jumps onto the end of it and makes a “follow up” message. I love this blog but could do without the “add ons”.
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