April 20, 2020
A year ago this morning, we were just six weeks away from the day that roughly a thousand Friends from across the country were starting a thirteen-week study of the book of Exodus. They were preparing to engage the Scripture as Friends have been doing for centuries by thinking about how their own experience intersects with the text and what that might mean for their local faith community as it seeks to bear light in the world.
This year will be different.
Most Friends churches and Quaker meetings are not gathering physically on Sunday mornings, and several of them have put their Illuminate Bible study orders on hold.
It’s unfortunate. This coming quarter on the Gospel of Matthew contains a breadth of diverse voices and a depth of scriptural insights that might just make it the best study guide we’ve ever produced. And now – more than ever – people need ways to stay connected with each other, with community, and with Scripture.
It makes me wonder if this might be the time to try something new.
Here at Barclay Press, we have heard reports of half a dozen communities that are meeting for virtual Bible study. In addition, a handful of Sunday school classes and small groups are using Illuminate as individual study guides – each person works through the quarterly at home, sticking to the same calendar as Friends in their community and across the country.
This is a unique opportunity for Friends across branches and around the world to be on the same page. It might also be a time for Friends to use Barclay Press curriculum as a tool for generating virtual, online conversations, engaging with the Scripture together in cyber space as well as through shared spiritual experience.
Maybe you’d like to be on the same page with other Friends. Maybe you’d like to start or join a virtual study for this coming quarter. Maybe you’d like to support Barclay Press so we can keep working on the next quarter and all the quarters to come.
- Send me an email to get a free sample lesson – a week out of the upcoming Illuminate study – so you can see for yourself if this might be a good fit for you.
- Reach out to the people you know and start an online group, or let me know if you need help finding a good group to join. I can help make connections.
- Finally, if you just want to help Barclay Press make it through so we can continue the work we do, you can make a one-time or monthly donation by clicking on the Donate button in this email or by visiting barclaypress.com/donate, and you can pray for us.
Thank you,
Eric Muhr
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