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Valiant for Truth By Trish Edwards-Konic An Unhindered Walk with Christ One thing that appeals to me about Friends theology is how simply we package the Gospel. There is no intermediary between Christ and us. If a person wants to become a follower of Christ in the manner of Friends, there are no hoops to jump through or pools to be dipped in. Friends wrap up the Gospel package in plain brown paper and invite people to simply open the gift. God has offered his love and salvation to anyone who will respond. "God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from — if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel — that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again — well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone." (Acts 10, The Message) When the early Christians (and early Friends) discovered this, they exploded with the Good News to all people. In our society people are seeking a simple faith. Friends offer just that — easy access to the God through Jesus Christ. We so easily allow our lives to be defined by possessions, status and all other kinds of social expectations. But following Christ means shedding ourselves of anything that blurs our vision of Christ. William Pollard, the current chairman of ServiceMaster, was talking with Peter Drucker about priorities in relationship to business. Peter said, "Bill, it wasn't until the 20th century that we pluralized the word priority. For most of its history, the word has been singular." Bill continues, "That means there is only a priority and as I thought about that instruction in relation to my life, I was drawn to the passage of Scripture that says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33 KJV) "So as I have sorted through some of the tensions and anxieties of balancing my life, I've come back to saying, 'Is Jesus in it?' If the answer is no to something that is taking a significant amount of my time, then I need to step back." One priority, then all others. God is our priority, than all other relationships and activities follow. A question to ask so we can keep to the simplicity of the gospel is this, "Do you ask God before committing to an ongoing activity?" Richard J. Foster writes in Money, Sex and Power, "Do we buy a particular home on the basis of the call of God, or because of the availabilty of money? Do we buy a new car because we can afford it, or because God instructed us to buy a new car? If money determines what we do or do not do, then money is our boss. If God determines what we do or do not do, then God is our boss. My money might say to me, 'You have enough to buy that,' but my God might say to me, 'I don't want you to have it.' Now, who am I to obey?" Keeping our focus on God and striving to follow Jesus in all we do enables us to keep to the simplicity of the gospel. Keeping our focus on the Lord is essential in managing a busy life. By having only one priority — keeping our relationship with our God fresh and personal — all the other decisions and distractions of the day fall in place.

COVER STORIES 10 Know Why You Simplify Donald S. Whitney Catching the essence of simplicity of the gospel, Donald Whitney observes that our devotion to Christ is at the center of all we do. 11 The Art of African Bread-Making Samuel Mahaffy Centering down in worship requires the same attention to slowing down and focusing, as does the ancient art of African bread-making. 12 Worship, the Center of John Woolman's Life Excerpted from a new book by Friends United Press, A Near Sympathy: The Timeless Quaker Wisdom of John Woolman, these selections pull us from our everyday life into the sacramental life and suffering. 14 Thoughts on Simplicity While Shredding Paper Nancy Thomas While shredding the mounds of paper accumulated from 75 years of Bolivian mission work, Nancy Thomas' mind wanders the path of simplicity.   FEATURES 4 Commitments Retha McCutchen 4 News from Friends United Meeting 8 News 15 Soul Food Not As the World Gives Sara Beth Terrell 16 Turning Points When My World Changed Charlotte M. Scott 17 Palestinian Diplomat Dr. Hanan Ashrawi Speaks to Her People Jacob J. Kuntz 18 Ideas That Work 20 Passages 22 Reviews 28 Peace Notes 32 Classifieds 33 Friends United Meeting Member Yearly Meetings 34 Meeting Directory 38 Viewpoints   ON THE COVER "Faces of the Children" Art by Fran Gregory, CSJ Associate; text by Kathy Sherman, CSJ, both courtesy of Sisters of St. Joseph at LaGrange. Greeting cards available from Alternatives for Simple Living at 800-821-6153. (See review on page 24.)

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