A special place for Christian writers

January 18, 2016

Brent Bill writes of an experience at the opera in this morning's Fruit of the Vine, an experience that reminded him of beauty's redemptive power: "What I didn't expect ... was to be so completely drawn in and mesmerized by Puccini's Tosca. It was beautiful - the sets, the symphony, the singers, the music. Captivating. The time flew by." In his devotional focus on Psalm 50:1-2, Brent asks us to join him in considering where beauty is at play in our lives. "Just as the psalmist says, God shines in beauty. Likewise, God's will for us is beautiful. As we think about what God wants us to do, we need to seek beauty in God's plans for us."

Fruit of the Vine is one of several bright spots at Barclay Press. It's the only daily devotional I know of that's by Friends and for Friends, and each day's reflection on a Bible passage offers another glimpse into the unique ways in which Friends encounter scripture. We've been gathering and sharing these reflections for more than six decades. Personal stories, from real people, every single day. There's a lot of shared history here. And a vital community.

From the Vault - Since "no one knows the Son but the Father, and no one knows the Father but the Son and those to whom the Son may choose to reveal him," and since the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit, therefore it is only through the testimony of the Spirit that the true knowledge of God has been, is, and can be revealed. - from Poposition 2 on the Inward and Unmediated Revelation in Barclay's Apology in Modern English, edited by Dean Friday (published by Barclay Press in 1967 and revised in 1991).

What We're Doing - Richard Foster and his family lived at Camp Tilikum in the 1970s when he was on the pastoral team at Newberg Friends Church. During these years, he wrote Celebration of Discipline. From this connection to Tilikum, the idea came to develop a special place for Christian writers, a cabin situated in a remote area of the camp's 93 acres. A scholarship fund will make the cabin available, rent free, to Christian writers who are working on a writing project. Barclay Press is partnering with Tilikum in overseeing the application process for Tilikum residencies, which could begin as early as a year from now.

Eric Muhr