Comments on: Valiant Sixty (& the Boring 600) http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2007/04/18/valiant-sixty-the-boring-600/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:20:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: ROY GATHERCOAL http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2007/04/18/valiant-sixty-the-boring-600/#comment-130 ROY GATHERCOAL Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:58:11 +0000 http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2007/04/18/valiant-sixty-the-boring-600/#comment-130 The "rich young ruler" who came to Jesus to ask "what must I do to be saved?" offers us an insight into what God expects of us. After affirming that the young man loved God and served those around him (if only we would all get this far, even!), Jesus told the young man, "sell all you have and follow me." Everyone was sad as the young man walked away. The point here is specifically *not* that this young man was somehow a "one-person parable." If so, it has no place in Scriptures, which are for our teaching and learning about God. It is because we are exactly like that rich young man that the parable is important. God may or may not require us to give up all our earthly possessions and to walk away from our relationships with our families and friends. The question is: "Are you willing?" The reason we don't see the "Valiant Sixty" today is simple. There are not sixty willing to trust God for everything. We have reason to hope: God is moving in people's lives and is seeking out (as always) the Valiant sixty for the 21st century. If we are willing to sacrifice everything for our "pearl of great price" then God can trust us with God's mission on earth. Until then we will continue in the same lukewarm way. Roy The “rich young ruler” who came to Jesus to ask “what must I do to be saved?” offers us an insight into what God expects of us.

After affirming that the young man loved God and served those around him (if only we would all get this far, even!), Jesus told the young man, “sell all you have and follow me.”

Everyone was sad as the young man walked away.

The point here is specifically *not* that this young man was somehow a “one-person parable.” If so, it has no place in Scriptures, which are for our teaching and learning about God.

It is because we are exactly like that rich young man that the parable is important. God may or may not require us to give up all our earthly possessions and to walk away from our relationships with our families and friends.

The question is: “Are you willing?”

The reason we don’t see the “Valiant Sixty” today is simple. There are not sixty willing to trust God for everything.

We have reason to hope: God is moving in people’s lives and is seeking out (as always) the Valiant sixty for the 21st century. If we are willing to sacrifice everything for our “pearl of great price” then God can trust us with God’s mission on earth.

Until then we will continue in the same lukewarm way.

Roy

]]> By: ROY GATHERCOAL http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2007/04/18/valiant-sixty-the-boring-600/#comment-131 ROY GATHERCOAL Fri, 20 Apr 2007 18:04:36 +0000 http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2007/04/18/valiant-sixty-the-boring-600/#comment-131 PS: If we were truly passionate and committed to our faith, we would be persecuted. Not because being persecuted is a virtue, but because such a passionate pursuit of anything would make us different, so very different. The early Friends, like the early Christians, were given an easy "out." If they were willing to go home and stop preaching, everything would be forgiven. It is because they didn't say "how could I stop preaching of God?" they were persecuted. (I wonder how many took that "out" and quietly went home, to resume their "normal" lives without persecution?) PS: If we were truly passionate and committed to our faith, we would be persecuted. Not because being persecuted is a virtue, but because such a passionate pursuit of anything would make us different, so very different.

The early Friends, like the early Christians, were given an easy “out.” If they were willing to go home and stop preaching, everything would be forgiven.

It is because they didn’t say “how could I stop preaching of God?” they were persecuted. (I wonder how many took that “out” and quietly went home, to resume their “normal” lives without persecution?)

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