Faithful Obedience at FGC Gathering?

Have you noticed a little theme going on around here over the last week or so? It’s not just coincidence. This question keeps coming up for me: how does paying attention to the small nudges from the Holy Spirit prepare us to be faithful in the big moments and movements? All through my preparations for my workshop at the FWCC meeting, when I was in Boston, here at home, it seems to be a theme in my spiritual life these days.

Another theme in my spiritual life is the growing interest in convergent Friends. It seems like everyone has a different idea of what it means. I am hearing rumors that there are folks who would like to get together to talk about it this summer. I read somewhere that Martin and Wess are leading a workshop [on? for?] convergent Friends at Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative). I’m working on organizing another convergent dinner after PYM. But when someone asked Liz Opp if we were planning another interest group at this year’s FGC Gathering, we talked about it some and I thought about it a lot, but there was no life in the idea for me. I didn’t feel much like expounding on what is or is not convergent.

Then Liz mentioned that she was thinking about the topic of faithfulness. Oooooooh! I thought. That’s it! I immediately had six ideas for what we could talk about, and how to put it together.

I still hope some of the same folks will come who came last year. I hope we’ll have some of the same Spirit, Life, and Power. In the meantime, this feels like one step in the right direction, a small example of following the small nudges that may be part of the path of faithful obedience.

Here is the formal description of the interest group:

On Fire! From Small Nudges to Faithful Obedience

Faithfulness and obedience in small things is what makes obedience and faithfulness in the big things possible. Phrases and queries such as "Not my will, Lord, but thine" and "How might I be of service?" help us in our yearning to be faithful. How might we support one another to stay faithful amidst busy lives and chaotic times? How might our individual faithfulness support the renewal of the Religious Society of Friends?

(Actually, this is more than 50 words so they made us cut it back a little bit for the official listing, but this is my blog and I wanted to post the whole thing.)

Liz and I are both posting about this today, here is the link. We are also already working on a reading list of related books, pamphlets, articles and blogposts on the subject of faithfulness and holy obedience. If you have a favorite you’d recommend, please tell me about it in the comments.