4 meetings that are doing Quaker Quest in Philadelphia had announcements on public radio and several people came up to me - I was wearing my standard plain blue shirt with the collar button closed - and commented on it. From what they said I conclude that Quakers are known and admired, and that a friendly invitation to a Quaker Quest type event will get a positive response.

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while i know that internet, books, videos can't replace the joy and comfort of actual presence of people i am very thank full for these things in my life i received literature from the Britain yearly meeting. i was amazed they sent it all the way to Ohio USA. it only took 4 days. i wish there were more things around here for people who cant attend meeting but for right now i study spiritual writings and wait in silence(pray) at home by myself Continue

Everyone is against war. But we still have wars. No one wants to see their son, daughter, nephew, niece or neighbor maimed or killed. But they still are. So what good is a peace testimony except as a means of justifying the existence of the Religious Society of Friends? A peace testimony without peace is useless. It's not even a light in the darkness. It might be a candle, but it's an unlit one. If you want peace it's time to light the candle.



I am not a political activist. I am a… Continue

Oh Friends! Sink down into the prayer of Jesus. Follow the threads through the tapestry of the text - a hymn of glory. Here is the NJB:

Father, the hour has come:

glorify your Son

so that your Son may glorify you;

so that, just as you have given him power over all humanity,

he may give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.

And eternal life is this:

to know you,

the only true God,

and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

I have glorified you on… Continue

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1 Corinthians 6:9 is a hot topic these days. It seems that it is time for me to share some of the results of my prayers about it, since like it or not, the debates and arguments and rhetoric have begun to frequently touch my daily life, and it seems to be time to open up a bit about what I have been receiving in prayer.…

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Brian McLaren has emerged as a voice that asks aloud the questions that

many of us have wrestled with in silence. As a result, he has been

lionized (and sometimes idolized) by those who find resonance with his

theological ponderings. He has simultaneously been demonized and even

slandered by those who are disturbed by his explorations into what it

means to follow Jesus in the 21st century. He has become both an

antenna and a lightning rod for the light and heat… Continue

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On another site, a Friend has posted a thoughtful and seemingly thorough response to an inquiry from someone asking about orthodoxy, the Bible, and leadership among Quakers especially as it relates to worship and spoken ministry.



I wanted to gently point out that what has been written applies to a segment of the unprogrammed Quaker world (in which waiting, or silent worship is practiced), but not to all of it.



As it turns out, I was unable to successfully post a comment at… Continue

In an on-going series of Jesus Loves You Twitter/Facebook status updates, I thought it was time to compile the most recent offerings. I average about five of these per week, and get plenty of suggestions from folks. In this most current batch I drew on hymns and praise songs for some of my inspiration. You will also find me playing with various warnings and disclaimers and hear… Continue

Hello Friends,



I have searched for answers to this question, but have found yet no one really discussing this very much. The topic: Simplicity in Food. I suppose this could be a discussion topic in the Plainness and Simplicity group, but I don't know if it would be welcome there, and so, I hesitate to clutter that page unnecessarily. I will say that I feel a commonality between what seems to be a call to me to eat simply and Quaker Jane's description of why she went… Continue

I want to share my reflections on the comments to my original post on Unity. I think Friend Raye nailed it. The key to Unity with God is Holiness. If we all concentrate on becoming Holy as our Father in Heaven is Holy we will draw closer to Him and each other. We have to resist the strong temptation to get sidetracked by religious beliefs, dogma, theology or whatever you want to call our convictions about God. Our job is to love our neighbor and our God. If I do that and you do that, we will… Continue

This is in response to Simon Heywood's blog on David Boulton's book The Trouble with God posted here.



As a nontheist Quaker, I will begin by saying that while I do not agree with everything that David Boulton writes in TTwG*, I do not consider him anti-Quaker. Far from it, I consider him a respectable Friend with whom I have co-clerked a workshop and more than a few… Continue

Of Bonnets and Barnesville*





A couple of weeks before Isabel, her wee one Tabitha and myself were to travel to Ohio for Yearly Meeting, I came across a bit of a conundrum. I was getting the sense that I was to dress Plain; and not only that, but with a black bonnet to match Isabel's, as well. The reason this was difficult was because A) I didn't have said black bonnet and B) I didn't want to seem like a Quaker Jane groupie*, and C) I hadn't worn full plain dress in… Continue

The Jewels of Quakerism Project is a four-fold endeavor undertaken by Callid and Kristina Keefe-Perry.





First. the Jewels of Quakerism is the name of a course taught for six weeks during the Summer of 2009 at the Pendle Hill Quaker Retreat Center in Wallingford, PA. That class will focus on another "Jewel" each week, showcasing the Keefe-Perry's understanding of what makes Quakerism particular and powerful. The Pendle Hill description of their class can… Continue

Many of the difficulties of atheists... come from the way God has been described to them.



They start wrestling with the question, "Can an infinitely good being be in charge of, be responsible for, this universe full of Historical Events and other forms of suffering?" They see some Christians in terror of this allegedly good and loving being, whom they are told intends to inflict eternal suffering on many people for having turned out Bad--or merely turned out impolite to deities, too… Continue

We were all driving up Paca Street, just about to turn the corner onto Druid Hill Ave. Destination: home. It was a gorgeous, sunny spring day. All the sounds of the city, the klaxons of impatient drivers, the sirens of cops and firefighters rushing off to help victims or put out fires, real, figurative or just perceived. Of course, with me in the car, the topic of religion arose, the context of which I don't remember. What I do recall, as we turned right onto my street, cherry blossoms blowing… Continue