Bulletin 03.23.2018
Present
Nominations
The Nominating Committee of Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends is looking for two positions for the coming year: assistant clerk and co-presiding clerk. If you feel led to either of those positions or know someone who does, please fill out a nominating committee form on the web site at this link: https://www.scymfriends.org/nominations-form
If you have any questions about what these positions entail, please contact your Nominating Committee member from your church or meeting, or you can email nominating@scymf.org.
Thank you. Rachel Hampton, clerk, Nominating Committee
The Recording Process
The Recording Task Force invites comments on a proposed Recording Process. We are looking for big picture feedback, as well as feedback particular to the process as it pertains to the 1) local meeting level and 2) yearly meeting level.
More information can be found at www.scymfriends.org/ministers/
Bylaws
Any concerns can be brought to the bylaws subcommittee between now and annual sessions. Click here to view the bylaws in their approved form. Reply to this email – newsletter@scymf.org – with comments or concerns regarding the bylaws, and those emails will be forwarded to members of the bylaws subcommittee.
Volunteers for Annual Sessions
The Quarterly Gathering committee is planning our annual sessions at Canby Grove Christian Center, and we will need a lot of help to make this event possible. We are looking for volunteers in many different areas:
- children’s and youth coordinators
- volunteers to work with children
- middle school and high school coordinators
- individuals and groups to help lead music
- coordinator for an evening activity of music and story-telling
- volunteers with a medical background to cover first aid
- a Master of Ceremonies and announcements coordinator
- planner for opening intergenerational get-acquainted activity and our closing meeting
- someone to organize an auction to raise scholarship funds
- someone to plan the supplies and equipment needed for the weekend
Click here for more information, and if you would like to help with any of these needs, please contact one of the members of the planning committee:
Workshops at Annual Sessions
The Quarterly Gathering Group is making plans for Annual Sessions this May, including space for from six to eight workshops. Although committees have been encouraged to prepare these workshops, there is a form, available online, by which anyone may make a proposal. Click here to access that form.
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It’s nearly Easter, and Christians across the globe will be mourning Jesus’ crucifixion and celebrating his resurrection. It is the signature event of Christianity. But the scriptural specifics can be challenging.
During my years of teaching adult Sunday school classes, I took part in or observed many salvation debates pitting works against grace. Misunderstanding Jesus’ “sermon on the mount” regarding fulfillment of the law often made the resolution of those disagreements significantly more difficult.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt 5:17-18, NASB).
But Jesus also instructed us, don’t condemn and you won’t be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven. He taught that love covers a multitude of sins and that God desires mercy, not sacrifice.
According to Paul, Christ cancelled the law, nailing it to the cross and Jesus became our peace by uniting Jews and gentiles and setting aside the law with its commands and regulations (Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:14-15).
Heaven and earth are still in their places, but the entirety of the law is said to have been abolished. How can this be? Did anything really change when Christ died on that cross?
EVERYTHING changed, and it changed forever.
The key is the second “until” statement in Matthew 5:18: “Until all is accomplished.” Has “all” actually been accomplished? Jesus says yes!
“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to his mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished!’ And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:28-30, NASB).
Jesus said that whoever believed in him would have eternal life. I pray that we, corporately and individually, will embrace and share the spiritual gift of grace to love one another as Christ loves every one of us.
The teacher is present still.
Paul Frankenburger, Newberg Emerging Friends Church
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Announcements
The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) priorities process will continue until April 13th, the deadline to submit the results of your meeting’s discernment process. Maurice Warner and Dove John will make themselves available in person up until Sunday, April 1, and will help with phone and email guidance up until Friday, April 13th.
Pastors Conference will be at McMenamins Edgefield Hotel, April 10-12, 2018. More information at our Events Page.
Finding Our Way: Northwest Quaker Men’s Gathering. Welcoming men from all Friends traditions at the Ocean Park Retreat Center the weekend of April 13-15. Speakers include Jim Hall, Deepening Spiritual Practice; Eric Muhr, Discerning Leadings & Stepping Out; Fred Gregory, Accepting & Using Our Gifts. Click here for registration information.
Annual Sessions will be at Canby Grove Christian Center, May 18-20, 2018. More information at our Events Page.
C Wess Daniels is leading a weekend retreat outside of San Francisco at the Ben Lomond Quaker Retreat Center on remixing the Quaker tradition, from June 1–3. More details at http://www.quakercenter.org/programs/remixing-faith/.
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If you have an announcement you’d like to have included in the next Bulletin, please send it to newsletter@scymf.org.
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