“In the tender compassion of our Godthe dawn from on high shall break upon us,to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78–79 In this season of physical, liturgical, and (for many) spiritual darkness, where are you (yes, we mean YOU, dear reader) finding hope these days? Where are you finding joy, comfort, beauty, love, or hope? Help us all out—share some of those images with us. Whether your comfort is in the smile of a friend, the appearance of light in the darkness, the wonder of a child, your community gathered with one another—help us to see your Light.Post your pictures of Light to our FUM Facebook page, in the comments section below this post, and we will share them with other Friends, through our social media and through the enews, to remind us all that Light has come into the world and the darkness did not—will not—overcome it. Hashtag: #FUMlight
Read MoreOn December 4, Western Yearly Meeting is sending Bob and Hope Carter (medical missionaries serving in Africa for over thirty years), Shawn and Katrina McConaughey (Western Yearly Meeting General Superintendent, and former Friends United Meeting Field Staff), along with Michael Sherman (FUM Coordinator of North American and Caribbean Ministries) to Belize for the explicit purpose of seeing and being seen. This fall, FUM’s North American Ministries has offered a book study of David Brooks’ book, How to Know a Person; The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. Brooks writes in the opening chapter of his book, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person and to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.” Oscar and Miriam Mmbali, FUM Field Staff, are working and living in Belize with their daughter, Noa. It can be lovely living and working in a country which is not your own. It can also be lonely living and working in a country which is not your own.
Read MoreMathew 4:19 - He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people!” For us to become effective co-workers with Christ, we must come to a place of fully accepting our ministry call. 1 Thess. 5:23 – Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Your whole spirit… the great mystical work of the Holy Spirit is in the less bright side of our personality which we can get at. This is what David thought when he wrote Psalm 139 and said – “though art the God of the early Mornings, the God of the late nights, the God of the mountain peaks and greater depth than any sea in nature – You are the God of all these, be my God. I cannot reach the depth of the horizons of my soul without you. Take my hand and lead me in ways everlasting.
Read MoreJohn 15:1-4 (NIV)15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. When I read about pruning it reminds me of a time when my grandfather would send us to his coffee farm to help him prune the coffee bushes. In preparation, would sharpen the pruning saw and the pruning shears and head to the farm...
Read MoreThroughout our history, the people known as Friends (or Quakers) keep rediscovering an essential and enduring truth: There is one who speaks to our most basic needs and most significant hopes—Christ Jesus the Lord. Both individually and communally, we are learning to know and follow the Voice that guides us in the way we should go. Together, we seek to understand and obey that truth which sets us free. As a people, we share in the experience of that powerful life which makes all things new. Maybe you are searching for an authentic and transforming faith and community to call home—if so, come in and join us as we seek to know and follow Christ.
Friends United Meeting commits itself to energize and equip Friends through the power of the Holy Spirit to gather people into fellowships where Jesus Christ is known, loved, and obeyed as Teacher and Lord.