Let us wage a moral and political war against war itself, so that we can cut military spending and use that money for human needs.

Greetings:

In a previous blog post on Progressive Quakers I noted that the progressives were fully immersed in the idea of progress; that things will inevitably get better and better.  And it was this idea of progress which allowed the progressives to undermine traditional Quaker Faith and Practice so effectively.  It was also this idea of progress which provided them with conceptual tools for their support of W.W. I.  Chuck Fager in his two books on Progressive Quakers seems to agree…

Did you see all the fresh flowers and flags in the graveyards yesterday? Dust to dust, as they say. I was in the garden planting and thought how appropriate that here in Vermont, many people wait until Memorial Day to plant their gardens, past the danger of frost (usually). Life rising from…

How do parents & young people experience Quakerism?

Friends,

Quaker Universalist Conversations invites both Quaker adults and young people growing up in Quaker families and meetings to share their thoughts in writing.

See our Submission Guidelines and email us at…

May 18, 2015

I had the good fortune to be at the Guilford College Commencement on Saturday: a joyful ceremony on a sun-dappled day. (I was there to celebrate the graduation of my nephew, James Alexander Trout.)

The day had additional resonance for me because it marked the final commencement for Max Carter, Director of the Friends Center at Guilford since its…

I woke this morning thinking about the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. I have two or three cords of wood sitting in my backyard waiting to be split for firewood. This is next winters warmth. It is also a lot of work that can't be put off because it needs to season. This is where the fable comes in; am I an ant or grasshopper? The story is one of Aesop's Fables,…

May 13, 2015

If we believe that all are called to ministry, should Yearly Meetings specially record some people as ministers?

When a group of meetings were set off from Indiana Yearly Meeting a few years ago and then formed the New Association of Friends, they had the challenge of working out all…

Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy…

Friends, I want to alert you to the growing crisis in Burundi, where the peace agreement following the civil war in the 1990s appears to be breaking down. Friend Jon Kershner has posted accounts from two Quakers who have been involved in Burundi (about 35,000-40,000 Quakers live there). Please hold…

from

http://kwakerskripturestudy.blogspot.com/2015/05/resuming-bible-study.html

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For a very long time now I have not been able to see any very good reason to study the Bible. Yes, it's a collection of writings one needs to come to terms with, to account for, to find some meaning in -- but once you have, why read further?



After wrestling with…

I know Quakers like to preach Peace.  It's hard not to point out reasons why War is wrong.  The maimed, the dead.  However, I think that it's a waste of time.  You can't convert people to live in peace who believe in their heart that justice requires an eye for an eye.  As Jesus taught peace requires going the extra mile and continuously forgiving each other.  Not just seven time and not even seven times seven times but all the time.  And yes preaching forgiveness can be just as hard as…

My last post to this site showed me in an angry, accusatory mode. It is not a role that I intend to repeat. I hope I will never feel as though I need to adopt it again. Now, two weeks later, I'm weary and tired. This process of constant scrutiny and periodic, fresh accusations of wrongdoing has worn me down. While I don't think that particular reaction and approach…

“Podrán cortar todas las flores,

pero no podrándetener la primavera.”

 ― PABLO NERUDA

“You can cut all the flowers,…

I need a miracle. I cannot bring into the world all the good that I want, no matter how much it is needed. But by some miracle, I can learn to play my part.

Our Quaker faith was born into a time when knowledge was becoming understood as being directly accessible to all people willing to exert the proper effort, not as only accessible to and dispensed by anointed priests. Guttenberg launched the mass production of printed books in the mid-1400s. Luther challenged the corrupt teachings…