In times like these, we need to practice the art of welcoming.  And by “we” I mean the whole world.

We need to rediscover the high art of welcoming the stranger,

… relearn that welcoming is an antidote to fear,

… exercise the art of welcoming until it is second nature,

… recognize that welcoming is a higher art than the art of war.

As waves of displaced people seeking refuge from war wash across the world, we need to welcome them and not build walls forcing…

What you must believe

Some time ago I wrote a little essay based on ministry I gave in worship with the title “It’s not about belief.”  In it, I assert that Quakerism has room for all kinds of theological beliefs because it is based not on faith but on practice.

I now think this assertion is not wholly true, because there is one thing you have to believe to be a Quaker: You have to believe it works.

You have to…

Liquid Offerings

What we do in Meeting for Worship is hard to describe in words, once you have said the obvious “sitting in silence.”  A metaphor may be better than further factual description:

Imagine we are all wineglasses, or perhaps just plain cups.  We gather like glasses set on a table, clinking together softly as we settle.

We come into the Meetinghouse full of ourselves:

Some prefer to be filled with fresh fruit…

Catholics recently made changes to the English wording of the Mass.  The priest says “The Lord be with you,” and where the congregation once responded with “And with you,” they now are supposed to say “And with your spirit.” I confess these changes don’t matter much to me.  Perhaps the change was necessary to redefine the relationship between priest and congregation, or because God might not hear these prayers if they were not said exactly right.

These invocational prayers, along with…