Hello William, Are you familiar with any extensive research on the Wilkinson-Story breach with Fox? I've been studying Roger Williams and keep coming up against Williams' agreement with Wilkinson and Story against Fox and the establishment of centralized governance in the Quaker body. However, the references I have found are too spartan in content and I seek a deeper understanding of the division and ultimate succession Wilkinson and Story from the early Quaker gathering.
Dear William, I couldn't help but wonder about your wife's cancer. I hope you don't mind my bringing it up again. May I ask what type of cancer she had William? Please say if you don't want to speak of it any more. She's gone ahead of us and I personally believe the timing is out of our hands. We care for our physical body as best we can and add quality to our lives to reach our end day on time but not early. I suspect you had a good few years with her and what a blessing that is nowadays in this crazy mixed up world we inhabit.
You say you are a survivor of the same. Did you have it at the same time? Did you trace it back to a mutual time? I ask only because it looks like Brian's started after a shocking and unexpected event. And I wonder if it's similar to the factual illness called Broken Heart Syndrome where a person develops an irregularity deep within the heart after great sadness? By the time we discovered Bri had it, the shock in our life had melded away but we faced a life that was forever changed. A new type of normal, if you like. The crisis was long gone. Did you experience anything like that? When I was 29 I also had cancer. I found out about it in stage 4 , the last stage. I too had had a life changing shock 4 years before. Something that really shook the foundation of my being. After surgery I just forgot about it. I just knew it wouldn't return. That was 28 years ago now.
Can you tell me how you have managed this crisis and risen above it? It seems you are very outward looking. Did that come from a time of introspection? Can you tell me the secret of how you have survived such a difficult time? What spiritual practices helped most? I've read Job. I figured that maybe I could learn from his experience. But it didn't help. It didn't make real sense to me. Can too I suggest what might help. My family were non believers and all passed on. Community doesn't exist due to being like gypsies until we can settle. Maybe you can suggest something? I will visit the local Quakers who have contacted. They are a very small group. Thanks again. And I pray for you still.
The prayer means so much to us. I was just praying for you a couple of hours ago. We're currently in Clacton-On -Sea, Essex. It is about 1&1/2 hrs train from London on the east coast. The home we're selling is a good 4 he drive north and east on the border with Wales. By the way, we lived in Texas awhile. About 20 years ago.
It's a real pleasure to have met you William F. Rushby :) & God Bless You and yours, AMANDA Q. KITTERIDGE-STOTE :)
How thoughtful of you to take an interest in my longing for a plain community. Sometimes I have to accept some things are not to be. My deep longing and prayers for such remain though. For now I will live the philosophy expressed in the scriptures of "being content wherever I find myself". I didn't mention before that my husband needs constant monitoring following renal cancer with a not so good prognosis. He has been and still is my main carer as I need frequent rest. We had to leave our home, put it up for sale, travel south to access a skilled renal oncologist 13 months ago. We were told our home would sell within 3 months. We've reduced the price way below its value & it's a puzzle to even our long suffering real estate agents as to why it doesn't even get viewed. And so we rent short term and move too frequently and life is tight. There is a message in this story and as we have no permanency at a time when we most desire a sense of security and community, I can only surmise that I must learn to "Be content in whatever situation I find myself". Please forgive me if this isn't the place to say so much. Anyone who is moved to pray for our home to sell and permanent housing and Brian's continued remission, please do so fervently. The house we need sold is called THE OLD SURGERY. We've sent and hand delivered a letter explaining our need for a home we could rent first and then buy on the sale of our home to about seven churches. One kindly responded and have included our need in their pew notices. I must admit I was beginning to feel invisible even to my Christian family and dare I admit, invisible to my Heavenly Father for the first time in my 57 years. If anyone else has had an extended Job-like experience, would they reply with their testimony please? Ours commenced four years ago when out of the blue my strong, healthy, loving husband was told he had renal cancer, we then in the space of nine months lost our two poodles to a rare cancer. We had been settled, happy, secure in our future. We were in Australia. We moved back to the UK from S. Australia's 8 year drought, during Brian's first remission, because we thought the hot climate was exacerbating my pain and depleting my energy. Since that decision it feels like we've been picked up in a storm and dropped into a friendless detritus leftover from the deluge. Did I pray and listen to His plan for us before leaving Australia? No, not really. We thought from a human stand point it was a no- brained. We prayed for help toward OUR decision. We were wrong. And so, we have the choice to be content. Or be desolate. Your love and prayers would lift us so much as our Father works out His perfect solution. After all, in the spirit of plain-ness we learn contentment. May He bless and keep you safe. Pray and listen Friends! You are our encouragement by simply being. Thank you for your time and space to share. And we'd love to hear more from wise William :) Bless you.
Thanks, William. I am an Episcopalian, but I have also had experiences with the Community of Christ (Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in childhood, Roman Catholicism, and Unitarian Universalism. I became interested in the Quakers maybe 20 years ago, but never formalized any relationship. There was no meeting near. I was a longtime participant in the Wider Quaker Fellowship of the FGC. It seems that in my recent search for deeper spirituality, I have rediscovered the Quakers. I am taking another look to see where it leads me.
My little gang of goats are Dwarf Nigerian. I have bred and milked in the past but realized one can't continue producing baby goats on 5 acres! They are delightful pets, very hardy and carefree, they they do brush clearing, poison ivy removal, and soil building for my permaculture experiments. Thus much hauling! vicki mariner
I was raised Catholic and drifted into Buddhism about 15 years ago. But I never got beyond experiencing Buddhism as sort of an intellectual exercise, rather than a personal spiritual path. I more or less gave up on religion and spirituality a few years back.
Over the past few months, several events in my life have converged to give me a nudge back into the spiritual world. It was time to connect with something bigger than myself again. I came across Quakerism almost by happenstance, and everything spoke to me, from the silent meeting to the lack of hierarchy to the peace testimony. I'm still learning the ropes -- attending meetings, making F/friends, and reading voraciously -- but this feels like home, and I haven't been able to say that about a spiritual path for a long time.
Although I never lost my admiration for the teachings and ministry of Jesus, I still wrestle with my conception of a higher power. Fortunately, the Quakers give people the room to explore those questions. I probably draw as much inspiration from the Tao Te Ching as I do from the Gospels, but somehow I figure I'll work it all out.
Looking forward to making some acquaintances here and joining in on the discussions.
Thanks, William! I appreciate your kind words :-) So nice to get a warm welcome, especially as it's so snowy outside at the moment!
I moved to Iceland back in 2007, predominately to learn the language, but also because I'd heard it was a very liberal, safe country to live in. Now, nearly eight years later, I'm settled down and enjoying the usual stresses of day-to-day life ;-) Still loving it here though!
Fascinating that you're fellowshipping with the Mennonite crowd, how lovely! I'm currently cohabiting with Lutherans. They're a lovely lot :-)
Sometimes with great difficulty. I am an ordained Old Catholic priest but I am one of those without a parish being more of a theologian than a parochial minister. I have been involved with Friends since the 1990s.
Hello again Bill, first of all a very big sorry for getting your name wrong (twice), but many thanks for your grace in telling me about your history. It's very interesting to hear of your path and I'm going to look up your work.
I do enjoy going to Meeting here, and the members seem lovely people, but find they all ignore Christianity (this may not be the case, but it does seem that way to me) and that is why I have ended up with the Anglicans, not because of the 'outward signs', but for the centrality of God, Her Son and the Spirit. From my brief look around QQ I'm glad to see a range of views expressed and want to grow in my faith.
Thanks again. I will also look up the Spitz's (!) on the website you suggest. Take care in Siberia! Sounds rather grim but beautiful.
Hi John, thank you for your welcome. Today is quite mild (27C) and overcast, but it has been and will be very hot over the weekend. I hope your winter is not too bitter - I experienced a northern autumn once and while it was very beautiful, it was enough for me.
I currently attend an Anglican church very close to the closest Meeting House to me. I have attended meeting on and off there for about 8 years. I was initially attracted by the story of a former Western Australian senator who became a Quaker and after hearing a story on Radio National about Australian Quakers and the setting up of the Friends School in Tasmania. As someone who was brought up in a Baptist church, whose parents then became Pentecostals, I have always searched for what it means to live a spiritual life everyday, at work and at home and in every relationship, not just on holy days and not just in the 'heat of the moment'. How do you grow to this, what does it look like, is this the Kingdom that Jesus talks about? When I started to read about the light within, 'what canst thou say' and the acceptance of others (I've not found this in other churches with a disabled child) among Friends, I felt that these were truths that were worth exploring.
About a year ago, I was doing some research into my birth family and although I cannot be sure I think I am related to some Quakers in the States, one of whom wrote a pamphlet The meaning of the Quaker Meeting and attended the Newtown Square Meeting. It was/is rather bizarre if this is the case.Since then I have tried to contact family members but have not had much luck and as I said the link may turn out not even to be true, but given the number of Friends in Australia. it's quite the coincidence.
Thanks again John for the welcome. Is there anywhere I can read your spiritual journey?
There is a Oberholtzer family association in Pennsylvania. Also a book published of Oberholtzer geneaology. The basic idea is that we all trace back to Oberholtz, Switzerland above Lake Zurich and the city of Wald.
Our Quaker ancestors came from England and Ireland to America. first to Nantucket Island, then North Carolina, Indiana and then onto Iowa and California.
An alternative idea that appeals to me is to submit the 8 completed chapters to a publisher, with the idea of dividing the whole thing into a two- or three-volume work, with the first volume or two volumes thus being ready the the editing/production process. I will run this idea past my accountability committee and see if it passes muster.
This year I taught a class, presenting a summary of the main argument -- and I am trying to find a publisher to put it out as a pamphlet -- at the moment, Barclay Press is sitting on it and not responding to my reminders.
I was obviously too sanguine about my progress in 2011. "up to 1895" -- would have been early in chapter 8. I am now pretty well along with chapter 9 (3 years later) -- and still have two full chapters to go after that. I don't expect chapters 10 & 11 to take as long as chapters 8 & 9 -- but still think it will be at least two more years of reading and writing. And then when I am finished writing, there will be the unpredictable amount of time to secure a publisher and all of the production time after that!
A month ago you kindly left a welcome note on my QuakerQuaker page. I haven't had a chance to be on the page lately but I did want to thank you for your message. I appreciate it.
Actually your wife grew up very near Cherokee Iowa and Paulina was a small town that we passed on our way to my aunt and uncle in Sheldon! Small world.
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Hello William, Are you familiar with any extensive research on the Wilkinson-Story breach with Fox? I've been studying Roger Williams and keep coming up against Williams' agreement with Wilkinson and Story against Fox and the establishment of centralized governance in the Quaker body. However, the references I have found are too spartan in content and I seek a deeper understanding of the division and ultimate succession Wilkinson and Story from the early Quaker gathering.
Keith
Dear William, I couldn't help but wonder about your wife's cancer. I hope you don't mind my bringing it up again. May I ask what type of cancer she had William? Please say if you don't want to speak of it any more. She's gone ahead of us and I personally believe the timing is out of our hands. We care for our physical body as best we can and add quality to our lives to reach our end day on time but not early. I suspect you had a good few years with her and what a blessing that is nowadays in this crazy mixed up world we inhabit.
You say you are a survivor of the same. Did you have it at the same time? Did you trace it back to a mutual time? I ask only because it looks like Brian's started after a shocking and unexpected event. And I wonder if it's similar to the factual illness called Broken Heart Syndrome where a person develops an irregularity deep within the heart after great sadness? By the time we discovered Bri had it, the shock in our life had melded away but we faced a life that was forever changed. A new type of normal, if you like. The crisis was long gone. Did you experience anything like that? When I was 29 I also had cancer. I found out about it in stage 4 , the last stage. I too had had a life changing shock 4 years before. Something that really shook the foundation of my being. After surgery I just forgot about it. I just knew it wouldn't return. That was 28 years ago now.
Can you tell me how you have managed this crisis and risen above it? It seems you are very outward looking. Did that come from a time of introspection? Can you tell me the secret of how you have survived such a difficult time? What spiritual practices helped most? I've read Job. I figured that maybe I could learn from his experience. But it didn't help. It didn't make real sense to me. Can too I suggest what might help. My family were non believers and all passed on. Community doesn't exist due to being like gypsies until we can settle. Maybe you can suggest something? I will visit the local Quakers who have contacted. They are a very small group. Thanks again. And I pray for you still.
The prayer means so much to us. I was just praying for you a couple of hours ago. We're currently in Clacton-On -Sea, Essex. It is about 1&1/2 hrs train from London on the east coast. The home we're selling is a good 4 he drive north and east on the border with Wales. By the way, we lived in Texas awhile. About 20 years ago.
It's a real pleasure to have met you William F. Rushby :) & God Bless You and yours, AMANDA Q. KITTERIDGE-STOTE :)
How thoughtful of you to take an interest in my longing for a plain community. Sometimes I have to accept some things are not to be. My deep longing and prayers for such remain though. For now I will live the philosophy expressed in the scriptures of "being content wherever I find myself". I didn't mention before that my husband needs constant monitoring following renal cancer with a not so good prognosis. He has been and still is my main carer as I need frequent rest. We had to leave our home, put it up for sale, travel south to access a skilled renal oncologist 13 months ago. We were told our home would sell within 3 months. We've reduced the price way below its value & it's a puzzle to even our long suffering real estate agents as to why it doesn't even get viewed. And so we rent short term and move too frequently and life is tight. There is a message in this story and as we have no permanency at a time when we most desire a sense of security and community, I can only surmise that I must learn to "Be content in whatever situation I find myself". Please forgive me if this isn't the place to say so much. Anyone who is moved to pray for our home to sell and permanent housing and Brian's continued remission, please do so fervently. The house we need sold is called THE OLD SURGERY. We've sent and hand delivered a letter explaining our need for a home we could rent first and then buy on the sale of our home to about seven churches. One kindly responded and have included our need in their pew notices. I must admit I was beginning to feel invisible even to my Christian family and dare I admit, invisible to my Heavenly Father for the first time in my 57 years. If anyone else has had an extended Job-like experience, would they reply with their testimony please? Ours commenced four years ago when out of the blue my strong, healthy, loving husband was told he had renal cancer, we then in the space of nine months lost our two poodles to a rare cancer. We had been settled, happy, secure in our future. We were in Australia. We moved back to the UK from S. Australia's 8 year drought, during Brian's first remission, because we thought the hot climate was exacerbating my pain and depleting my energy. Since that decision it feels like we've been picked up in a storm and dropped into a friendless detritus leftover from the deluge. Did I pray and listen to His plan for us before leaving Australia? No, not really. We thought from a human stand point it was a no- brained. We prayed for help toward OUR decision. We were wrong. And so, we have the choice to be content. Or be desolate. Your love and prayers would lift us so much as our Father works out His perfect solution. After all, in the spirit of plain-ness we learn contentment. May He bless and keep you safe. Pray and listen Friends! You are our encouragement by simply being. Thank you for your time and space to share. And we'd love to hear more from wise William :) Bless you.
Thanks, William. I am an Episcopalian, but I have also had experiences with the Community of Christ (Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in childhood, Roman Catholicism, and Unitarian Universalism. I became interested in the Quakers maybe 20 years ago, but never formalized any relationship. There was no meeting near. I was a longtime participant in the Wider Quaker Fellowship of the FGC. It seems that in my recent search for deeper spirituality, I have rediscovered the Quakers. I am taking another look to see where it leads me.
Hello William and thank you for the warm welcome.
My little gang of goats are Dwarf Nigerian. I have bred and milked in the past but realized one can't continue producing baby goats on 5 acres! They are delightful pets, very hardy and carefree, they they do brush clearing, poison ivy removal, and soil building for my permaculture experiments. Thus much hauling! vicki mariner
Thanks for the welcome, William!
I was raised Catholic and drifted into Buddhism about 15 years ago. But I never got beyond experiencing Buddhism as sort of an intellectual exercise, rather than a personal spiritual path. I more or less gave up on religion and spirituality a few years back.
Over the past few months, several events in my life have converged to give me a nudge back into the spiritual world. It was time to connect with something bigger than myself again. I came across Quakerism almost by happenstance, and everything spoke to me, from the silent meeting to the lack of hierarchy to the peace testimony. I'm still learning the ropes -- attending meetings, making F/friends, and reading voraciously -- but this feels like home, and I haven't been able to say that about a spiritual path for a long time.
Although I never lost my admiration for the teachings and ministry of Jesus, I still wrestle with my conception of a higher power. Fortunately, the Quakers give people the room to explore those questions. I probably draw as much inspiration from the Tao Te Ching as I do from the Gospels, but somehow I figure I'll work it all out.
Looking forward to making some acquaintances here and joining in on the discussions.
I moved to Iceland back in 2007, predominately to learn the language, but also because I'd heard it was a very liberal, safe country to live in. Now, nearly eight years later, I'm settled down and enjoying the usual stresses of day-to-day life ;-) Still loving it here though!
Fascinating that you're fellowshipping with the Mennonite crowd, how lovely! I'm currently cohabiting with Lutherans. They're a lovely lot :-)
Thou art welcome, William ! See my reply to thy message.
Thanks again Bill, sometimes the things we search for are there all along!
Peace
William,
Sometimes with great difficulty. I am an ordained Old Catholic priest but I am one of those without a parish being more of a theologian than a parochial minister. I have been involved with Friends since the 1990s.
Hello again Bill, first of all a very big sorry for getting your name wrong (twice), but many thanks for your grace in telling me about your history. It's very interesting to hear of your path and I'm going to look up your work.
I do enjoy going to Meeting here, and the members seem lovely people, but find they all ignore Christianity (this may not be the case, but it does seem that way to me) and that is why I have ended up with the Anglicans, not because of the 'outward signs', but for the centrality of God, Her Son and the Spirit. From my brief look around QQ I'm glad to see a range of views expressed and want to grow in my faith.
Thanks again. I will also look up the Spitz's (!) on the website you suggest. Take care in Siberia! Sounds rather grim but beautiful.
Peace to you Bill
Hi John, thank you for your welcome. Today is quite mild (27C) and overcast, but it has been and will be very hot over the weekend. I hope your winter is not too bitter - I experienced a northern autumn once and while it was very beautiful, it was enough for me.
I currently attend an Anglican church very close to the closest Meeting House to me. I have attended meeting on and off there for about 8 years. I was initially attracted by the story of a former Western Australian senator who became a Quaker and after hearing a story on Radio National about Australian Quakers and the setting up of the Friends School in Tasmania. As someone who was brought up in a Baptist church, whose parents then became Pentecostals, I have always searched for what it means to live a spiritual life everyday, at work and at home and in every relationship, not just on holy days and not just in the 'heat of the moment'. How do you grow to this, what does it look like, is this the Kingdom that Jesus talks about? When I started to read about the light within, 'what canst thou say' and the acceptance of others (I've not found this in other churches with a disabled child) among Friends, I felt that these were truths that were worth exploring.
About a year ago, I was doing some research into my birth family and although I cannot be sure I think I am related to some Quakers in the States, one of whom wrote a pamphlet The meaning of the Quaker Meeting and attended the Newtown Square Meeting. It was/is rather bizarre if this is the case.Since then I have tried to contact family members but have not had much luck and as I said the link may turn out not even to be true, but given the number of Friends in Australia. it's quite the coincidence.
Thanks again John for the welcome. Is there anywhere I can read your spiritual journey?
Peace to you and your family
Kerri
There is a Oberholtzer family association in Pennsylvania. Also a book published of Oberholtzer geneaology. The basic idea is that we all trace back to Oberholtz, Switzerland above Lake Zurich and the city of Wald.
Our Quaker ancestors came from England and Ireland to America. first to Nantucket Island, then North Carolina, Indiana and then onto Iowa and California.
An alternative idea that appeals to me is to submit the 8 completed chapters to a publisher, with the idea of dividing the whole thing into a two- or three-volume work, with the first volume or two volumes thus being ready the the editing/production process. I will run this idea past my accountability committee and see if it passes muster.
Vail
This year I taught a class, presenting a summary of the main argument -- and I am trying to find a publisher to put it out as a pamphlet -- at the moment, Barclay Press is sitting on it and not responding to my reminders.
Vail
Friend William Rushby:
I was obviously too sanguine about my progress in 2011. "up to 1895" -- would have been early in chapter 8. I am now pretty well along with chapter 9 (3 years later) -- and still have two full chapters to go after that. I don't expect chapters 10 & 11 to take as long as chapters 8 & 9 -- but still think it will be at least two more years of reading and writing. And then when I am finished writing, there will be the unpredictable amount of time to secure a publisher and all of the production time after that!
Vail
A month ago you kindly left a welcome note on my QuakerQuaker page. I haven't had a chance to be on the page lately but I did want to thank you for your message. I appreciate it.
William,
Thank You for the friends invite.
I consider it an honor to be your friend
Rick
Actually your wife grew up very near Cherokee Iowa and Paulina was a small town that we passed on our way to my aunt and uncle in Sheldon! Small world.
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