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The Very Reverend Billie
Ahabram, Rector
The Reverend Deacon Josie Williams
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The Very Reverend Billie Abraham, Rector
Welcomed into the Fellowship of Saint John
On December 12, 2010, The Very Reverend Billie Abraham, Rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Bovina,
Mississippi, was
welcomed into the Fellowship of Saint John.
How did a female from the Deep South become an member of the Fellowship of Saint John the Evangelist,
an all male monastic community that is located in Massachusetts? My first encounter with a member of the
Society of Saint John the Evangelist happened at a conference where the superior of the community was
the keynote speaker. Superior Martin Smith's talk was all about God's passion for intimate relationship
with each one of us. Any longing we have for God is our response to God's longing for us. We do not have
to get God's attention, we are God's attention.
I left the conference sure that I wanted to know more about a religious community that promoted God's
unconditional love. I made several retreats at the monastery in Cambridge, Massachusetts I experienced
the mystery of God's presence in the silence of the monastery. The monastery offered sacred space that
was saturated in years and years of prayer. The Brothers offered holy hospitality.
A "monastic in the world" began to germinate within me. I needed the support and structure of the
Fellowship of Saint John the Evangelist. I wanted to be closely associated with the community despite
the fact that I lived far from the monastery.
I applied for membership to the Fellowship of Saint John. After a preliminary period of six months, I
was installed as a a full member in a prayer service that took place during a Sunday Eucharist in my
home parish, Saint Alban's Church.
As a FSJ, I seek to live an ordered life of prayer and service in association with the Society of
Saint John the Evangelist. The Rule of Life for the Fellowship of Saint John is a modified version of
the Benedictine Rule of Life for the Brothers of SSJE. The Benedictine Rule of Life addresses four
aspects of life: prayer, rest, community and work.
Fellowship of St. John
The Fellowship of Saint John is comprised of nearly 1,000 men
and women throughout the world who desire to live their
Christian life in special association with the Society of Saint
John the Evangelist. They have a vital interest in the
life and work of the Society and support our life and ministries
with their prayers, encouragement, and financial gifts.
The Brothers of the Society welcome members of the Fellowship
as partners in the Gospel life, and pray for them by name in our
daily worship, following a regular cycle. Together with us they
form an extended family, a company of friends abiding in Christ
and seeking to bear a united witness to him as "the Way, the
Truth and the Life," following the example of the Beloved
Disciple.
Members of the Fellowship of Saint John seek to live an ordered
life of prayer and service in association with the Society, and
follow a Rule of Life which expresses a common commitment to
faithful discipleship. The purpose of the Rule is to strengthen
our abiding in Christ by bringing rhythm, order, and balance to
our discipleship. The Rule helps us to offer the whole of
ourselves to God each day and keeps us open to God's love and
will for us.
Members are encouraged to adapt the Rule to their particular
life circumstances, describing for themselves how they will
endeavor to live out the Rule. The bond between members of the
Fellowship and our Society is spiritual and personal. Members of
the Fellowship seek to maintain their personal connection with
the SSJE brothers by praying regularly for us, by visiting the
houses of the Society when possible, and by keeping up to date
with the life and ministry of the community through our Cowley
magazine.
The Brothers' Cross
The
Society of Saint John the Evangelist finds a profound
significance for our own lives in what the Gospel of John tells
of the Beloved Disciple's friendship with Jesus and his call to
be a witness to the mystery of the Incarnation. We bear the name
of Saint John the Evangelist to show the church what is the
source of our inspiration and our joy. The brothers' bronze
cross bears an intricate weaving of images from the Johannine
writings of the New Testament:
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The mandorla shape of wings surrounding
Christ is drawn from images in the Revelation to John and
from the Book of the Prophet Malachi (4:2): "The sun of
righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings."
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The vine and grape motif (at the base)
recalls Jesus' words about abiding in him: "I am the vine;
you are the branches" (John 15:4-5).
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Bearing the scroll at the feet of Christ is
an eagle, the traditional symbol for Saint John the
Evangelist, taken from the images of the four living
creatures described in the Revelation to John (4:6-8).
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The scroll bears the inscription et verbum
caro factum est, "And the Word was made flesh" (John 1:14),
recalling the dedication of SSJE to the mystery of the
Incarnation.
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In the arms of the cross, the letters IPEV
are an acronym (in Latin) for "In the beginning was the
Word," from the Prologue to John's Gospel.
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The letters SSJE are imprinted in the circle
around the cross.
The Fellowship of
Saint John
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SPIRITUALITY & WORSHIP
