Synopsis
Early Friends had a way of bringing scripture to life, a way of entering into the language and stories of the Bible to find meaningful expressions of their own experience and to find fresh truth in the Spirit that “gave forth” the scriptures. Following on examples from the writings of early Friends, Lu Harper explores the depth and variety of insights that can be found in biblical images of field and vineyard. What wisdom did early Friends find in these passages, and what do they say to us today? Through this extended exploration, and by offering rich queries for personal meditation, the author invites readers to rediscover a Quaker way of deriving powerful, personal meaning from the Bible.
About the Author(s)
Lu Harper is a member of Rochester Friends Meeting in New York and works as an art museum librarian. She is a graduate of the 2008 class of School of the Spirit, and serves as an elder for Friends traveling in the ministry. She is particularly interested in understanding the interrelated functions of ministers and elders historically and in the present day.
The meditation on which this essay is based was developed out of a Bible study given at New York Yearly Meeting’s Farmington-Scipio Spring Gathering in May 2009.
Pendle Hill Pamphlet #411