|
|
| Nakusp Path |
Our Purpose in the world.
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord when did we see you hungry and feed
you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe
you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"
The King will reply, "I tell you
the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:44-45
We recognize that loving, giving, and meeting peoples' needs
is the strongest way to share our faith and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
We recognize that our spirituality is simply an opportunity
to pour out the Love of Jesus Christ to the whole community.
Soul Friends is an Alternative Christianity which emphasizes the personal experience of God
in one's life. Friends understand the necessity of first listening to God before working in the world. They affirm the equality
of all people before God regardless of race, station in life, or sex, and this belief leads them into a range of social concerns.
As a Soul Friend, I work to be diverse and non-restrictive, existing, to serve the community
through a full range of spiritual and support activities, including prayer, meditation, outreach, resources, education, etc.
Soul Friends, provide opportunities for people of all faiths to come together in unity, regardless of
race, religion, ethnic background, gender, gender orientation, or marital status.
Soul Friends follow a spiritual dicipline inspired by the Franciscan Peace Prayer. A
way centered on a spirit of: Simplicity, Meditation/Prayer and Service.
THE FRANCISCAN PEACE PRAYER
LORD, make me an instrument of, YOUR PEACE.
Where there is hatred, LET ME SOW LOVE.
Where
there is injury, PARDON.
Where there is doubt, FAITH.
Where there is despair, HOPE.
Where there is darkness, LIGHT,
and where there is sadness, JOY.
O DIVINE MASTER, grant that I may
not so much seek
to be consoled,
AS TO CONSOLE;
To be understood, AS TO UNDERSTAND;
To be loved, AS TO LOVE;
For it is in giving that we receive---
It is pardoning that
we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are
BORN TO ETERNAL LIFE.
Ever strive to fulfill this prayer.
Part of a song by John Michael Talbot, based on Saint Teresa's Prayer, it captures much of
the essence of Francis's concept of service:
Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which he looks
Compassion on this world
Yours are the feet with which
he walks to do good
Yours are the hands with which
he
blesses all the world.
Being "Children of Light", we find recourse to violence intolerable. Friends thought is both
mystical (waiting upon God) and prophetic (speaking truth to power). Friends believe that God's revelation is still continuing,
that God is not absent or unknowable but that we can find God ourselves and establish a living relationship, thus being able
to live in the world free from the burden of guilt and sin. It is the search for a closer relationship with God that is The
Way.
Soul Friends Meeting
|
