I had almost forgotten how I discovered the Quakers! So I'm grateful that I left detailed comments in my first blog post on this site. Here they are reproduced, from May 17th, 2009 (5th mo. 17, right?):

I'm considering expanding this blog a bit.

One day, I conceived the idea of doing a church crawl - a trip to a different church every week. After much hemming and hawing, I managed to drag a friend along. We went to a Catholic church in an up and coming neighborhood, filled with crying Mexican babies mixed with older white people. The priest was an obviously gay minister who gave a heartfelt homily on the meaning of honesty.

My friend backed out the next week. But I realized I would need to continue this.

The very next week, I went to a Quaker meeting for the first time.

I'd read about the Quakers in AP US history but didn't know much about them. I read up a bit before I went so I wouldn't be too surprised. I knew that I should sit in silence for an hour - and probably not say anything. I showed up, and people filed in until the place was pretty well crowded. There were people of all ages, which impressed me. I'm used to going to being the only person of my generation at church. Out of 30 or so people, there was one representative for each 10 year cohort.

Practiced in meditation, I sat in silence. It was a communal meditation. Then someone spoke giving us a quote of the day: a few questions asking much of our lives we should spend being rather than doing? I found it very thoughtful.

Silence passed, I could feel the community just being present, together. I kept looking at my watch just so I could know how I felt at different times. Around minute 15 the thought entered my mind, "so this is why Quakers know so much about peace." Something about the sitting with each other in silence was so loving, so supportive, so accepting. Someone said an old Quaker saying afterwards, "all of man's problems come from his inability to sit with himself for an hour."

I visited a Mennonite church today as well. It's striking to me how much more *peaceful* these churches feel to be in. People take things slowly, they don't dream of violence. I always feel that same peace as if I'm sitting on top of a mountain. I felt that with the Quakers too.

Tears started to come to my eyes. I do not cry often. In fact it had been months. But I felt at home, like I'd found a family. It was really powerful.

A few Friends stood up and told stories. One stood up (as I learned he does every week) and said what a pleasure it was to worship with us. He definitely expressed my sentiments.

The hour ended and we shook hands. I didn't introduce myself - I just wanted to watch. Another thing that struck me was how socially conscious the Friends were. Their announcements were activist movies, how to help others in hard times, donations, fundraisers for the poor. They brought out tea. I laughed as a lady reassured us, seemingly very worried, that the tea and coffee were all fair trade.

I was impressed. But I still wanted to learn more and keep testing this experience.

Often when I go to churches, people are pretty warm and accepting, but I feel a secret wish on their part that I will convert. They seem afraid. The feeling is like an invisible tentacle that grabs me and tries to keep me there. It's creepy.

So I got to talking with a few Quakers and mentioned that I'd come as part of a church crawl, just to learn more about communities in my area. The Friend thought the idea was awesome, and immediately began brainstorming other churches that would be cool to visit. There was no hesitation, no hurt, no "how can we get you to stay". Totally spontaneous, and not a trace of tentacle. Just "have you ever checked out the Baptists? They're great." I was thinking that I doubt the Baptists are this awesome.

I talked to another Friend, and I shared that I was impressed by how intelligent the questions and stories and announcements I'd seen were. He told me that he drives about an hour to come here. "This is religion for adults," he said, raising a comic eyebrow. There was no hidden agenda, no insecure need to get people to think like them. I also began to notice that the Quakers I've met, for a reason I still don't know, seem to be some of the best listeners I have ever met. They are definitely the best group of listeners I have ever met.

I spoke to a couple who had been coming to the church together for over 60 years - the wife over 80, had come there in the womb. I talked to a third group of guys - and we discussed baseball before the next section of the service.

This section combined a panel of adults and a panel of children, each discussing what made a good meeting for them, what God seemed like to them. I found the discussion extremely thoughtful, intelligent. In short, adult.