July 30, 2018
In this morning’s Fruit of the Vine, Catherine Trzeciak reminds us that “George Fox was twenty-seven years old” when he received a vision that changed the course of his life. “In his Journal, Fox writes, ‘As we went I spied a great high hill called Pendle Hill, and I went on the top of it with much ado, it was so steep; but I was moved of the Lord to go atop of it ... and to sound the day of the Lord; and the Lord let me see atop of the hill in what places he had a great people to be gathered.’”
There is something about the openness of high places that can give us perspective, a place to rest, and room to breathe. The photo above is one I took from Oregon’s Timberline Lodge, looking south past a line of trees to Mount Jefferson. I can imagine, physically, how it impacted Fox to be up above the countryside. What is harder for me to know is how it might have felt to Fox after his years of searching for an experience of God’s presence – one who could speak to his condition – to finally be able to see.
Catherine writes how she and her husband “climbed that same hill,” how she was surprised by “the powerful emotion that burst forth in my soul when I reached the summit. ‘George, I am one of those you saw in the vision on Pendle Hill!’”
And so am I, and so are you, and so are we!
“Your vision continues to unfold,” Catherine writes, “and I became one of those gathered because of your obedience to proclaim Christ.”
May we continue to live into this vision that God gave to Fox – “a great people to be gathered.” May we continue to remember that “there is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition.”
Eric Muhr
P.S. Seeds of hope – the three-year campaign to fund the ministry of Barclay Press by developing new titles, supporting small churches, and balancing the budget – has a goal of raising $162,000 by December 31, 2020. In order to stay on target, we need to get to $34,859 by August 1, 2018. As of this morning, we have raised $30,740 in gifts and pledges.
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