New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself,…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgSHi1OsIXk

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself,…

Conscience, Conscious, Consciousness, Self-conscious ... toward a deeper understanding of the Early Quakers.

There was a time when the word “conscience” also expressed conscious, self-conscious, consciousness, and conscience. In the 17th century the two meanings began to split until conscious and conscience took on…

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself,…

I was reading a brief biography of Madam Guyon by a Guyon scholar, Nancy James, who is an Episcopal Priest.  James mentions that after Guyon was released from prison she lived out her days in southern France.  During this period Guyon kept up an extensive correspondence and received visitors from far and wide.  Among the visitors James mentions are Quakers from Pennsylvania.  Madam Guyon lived from 1648 to 1717, so these would be Quakers from colonial Pennsylvania.

I have not…

I began a vocal ministry during Meeting for Worship yesterday by discussing an anecdote told by the writer Robert Fulghum. As the story goes, Fulghum had a profound religious experience in the most unlikely of venues, a grocery store in Pocatello, Idaho. Profundities greeted him in every corner, in every nook and cranny. I don’t recall all of them, but I do…

Intentional: As the Court of Quaker Opinion is well-versed in the contemporary importance of intentional living, we look to a new age of spirituality.

In-Tensional: The danger of your mantra is shown by the many New Agers using intentional spirituality to further their worldly aims and success.

Intentional: There has always been a belief that the good will prosper in this life. Ours is the way of having that belief become reality.

In-Tensional: Beliefs need to be rooted…

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself,…

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself,…

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself,…

New Testament Inspired:

Beautiful Quaker Words: James Nayler’s Deathbed Testimony

There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself, so it…

When I was young I went to my father and said that I had a big exam the next day, "so say a pray for me".

That day things got busy and studying for the exam wasn't at the top of my priorities, but later that night I had the time to say my prayers and ask God to just let me pass the exam.

Well days came and went and so did the exam, until about a week later it was handed back with a "F" at the top of the page.

I laughingly suggested to my father that "well I guess God…

Isaiah 66 – “With heaven my throne and earth my footstool, what house could you build me, what place could you make for my rest? All of this was made by my hand” (66:2). Still God’s eyes are “drawn to the man of humbled and contrite spirit” (66:2). People sacrifice all kinds of things to their idols rather than respond to God’s love. Jerusalem should rejoice, for now “towards her I send flowing peace, like a river” (66:12). She shall be comforted.

There is a constant…

There are countries that still respect the contingencies of nature. Specifically, if there has been early snowfall and plenty of it, ski resorts in the Alps get the benefit of opening early with plenty of trails to offer. But if there is late or little snow, then livestock farmers reap the benefit of an extended grazing season.

Nature giveth and nature taketh away; blessed be the Lord! Needless to say, in those countries with respect only for human control/man-ipulation of nature,…

Isaiah 65 – The last chapters are an apocalyptic vision – post-exilic or even later in time. The Lord has been ready to help those who went astray, but no one ever asked for help. “I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me” (65:1). All day long the people threw dirt into God’s “face” – burning incense of pagan altars, breaking the laws God gave to their ancestors. They will suffer punishment at God’s hands “both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors”…

In preparing for a Quakerism class on 'testimonies'  I rejoice that many are feeling as I, that we get away from understanding the core meaning of what it means 'live the testimonies' when we use shorthand.

I find that is actually true for many things, actually.  When we use shorthand, there is more of a tendency for people to get hooked incorrectly on the meaning we want to convey.

So I am really enjoying Pink Dandelion's 'An Introduction to Quakerism' ... well, for many…

Isaiah 64 - “Oh, that you would tear the heavens open and come down—at your Presence the mountains would melt” (64:1).

“No ear has heard, no eye has seen any god but you act like this for those who trust him. You guide those who act with integrity and keep your ways in mind” (64:4-5). “And yet, Yahweh, you are our Father; we the clay, you the potter, we are all the work of your hand” (64:7-8).

All we ever had from you is destroyed – Zion,…

For most of you, this won't make much sense. But I've had some requests to post the talk I wrote for my recent Search 4th day retreat. ( Search 4th day: A lot of 20/30somethings hanging out in a cabin talking and singing about God.) Below you'll see the transcripts. *Note* It says I wrote it four days before, in reality I woke up at 3am that Friday deciding I didn't like it, and rewrote pretty much the whole thing. Please…

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.- 1 Corinthians 15:56

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Sometimes we hesitate to do good because we don't see any results. Our standards are earthly, full of the shortcomings…