I was walking the dog today and processed a lot of this Plain thing that has been going on. I realize by just saying, “I think I’ve figured it out” that I have not indeed figured anything out for any length of time. So here’s what I have so far.…

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While a member of another faith group, an old joke was invoked every time turnout on any given Sunday was less than expected:



Q: Why don't ______________ go to church during the summertime?

A: They don't have to.



This same conundrum, modified slightly, could easily apply to many liberal Unprogrammed Friends, regardless of the season or the time of year. I make light of this not to raise the specter of collective guilt, but… Continue

This morning at meeting for worship a toddler reminded me of an experience that I knew as a child and was reintroduced to by my daughter. It seems I need a remedial lesson.



Beatrix, our newest attender, has just learned to pull herself to a standing position. She approaches the world with awe and wonder. Her aim to touch, taste and explore. She does so with absolute trust. She celebrates with squeals and hands beating a rhythm on a nearby chair. Fearless, she crawls forward unaware of… Continue

I have written openly about my Christ-centered faith on numerous occasions. I rediscovered it relatively recently after rejecting it out of hand earlier in life. The best way to describe the experience is that, for whatever reason or another, it found me, rather than the other way around. A belief in a higher power keeps me mentally supple and not fixated on the… Continue

On Tuesday afternoon, while returning from an errand, I stopped briefly at Union Station here in DC to get some lunch. Union Station has long been a busy depot by which rail and bus traffic arrives and departs, and it also serves as a rail and bus stop for area public transportation. With the passage of time, part of the inside of the terminal has been… Continue

As I have lived my life more in line with the Spirit, I have felt a greater communion with others. My anger and resentment has diminished noticeably. I find myself more comfortable around people who are superficially different from me. But I notice too that my emotional response to other people's pain and suffering is considerable. Where before I might have dismissed a tragedy with a shrug of the shoulders, I now often burst into tears. When… Continue