My father is a complex character. As he has gotten older, I have been increasingly aware that I will not have him with me forever. It is for that reason that I’ve sought communication with him more frequently, trying to catalog his life’s history. Dad’s story is, in many respects, my own.

In our most recent conversation, he expressed ambivalence and a kind of…

Earlham School of Religion recently joined FAITH³’s 2014 Class of Seminaries That Change the World. According to FAITH³ Director Wayne Meisel, an important qualification for this distinction is that the school evidence a “commitment to faithfully engage in the world” and to assist students in…

Because God's blessings are abundant, they are free for the asking. Because God's grace is sufficient, there is no charge; it is a gift and not earned income, yet invites reciprocal outflow. Because God's redemption is paid in full, repossessing is not an issue - yet, there's no interest paid by most brokers.

If our lives have been purchased by God, why are we always looking for credit and worried about our net worth?! Where sin abounds, the economy of grace playgrounds for the…

Every calendar year, my Meeting conducts a Spiritual State of the Meeting survey. With time, the data collected from those who voluntarily submit their opinions will be transformed into a report. It will then be presented at Meeting for Business and sent to Yearly Meeting. Now that I am no longer a member of Ministry and Worship, I believe I can speak to what…

Ellen Michaud, the 2012 writer-in-residence at Earlham School of Religion, shares about the power of prayer in this recent article from Live Happy magazine:

"Praying with others can be a richly textured experience. Whether it’s done in the silence of a Quaker meeting or as part of a group singing an ancient melody with…

When this testimony was shared with me around 30 years ago, my personal experience of the sufficiency of Presence was affirmed.  These words testify to the Rock of Ages, inwardly experienced; starting me on a lifelong journey toward and struggle with a consciousness anchored and a conscience informed by the immediacy of…

I'm not sure how many people have noticed some major changes on the QuakerQuaker site over the last month or so.

Editors' Picks: The links to Quaker articles across the internet now come with handsome pictures. Even better, there's add context and commentary for each entry. I'm hoping this makes these more accessible to newcomers and helps engender more dialogue among Friends. I've been watching the great community and conversation on hybrid journalism/blog sites like…

Is not Presence a blessing when illness discomforts? We deepen down into the Quiet and invisible nurseries of healing open in and anoint consciousness. These invisible spaces of healing comfort consciousness with an inward peace effusing the dis-ease of the body with…

Here's a radio interview with my friend Nancy Bowker, who is a performing singer and a life-long Friend. The interview was aired on February 2nd on Northern Spirit Radio. Nancy speaks of her life with great forthrightness and grace, and intersperses the conversation with some of her music. Both her words and music show strength and beauty. Nancy Bowker radio interview

Stature: It has pleased the Court of Quaker Opinion to look to "Friends of Stature" for enlightenment and direction.

Nature: The truth that familiarity breeds contempt, or at least disregard, prevents such from being looked for "in(Meeting)house".

Stature: We supply the interest and enthusiasm formerly generated by itinerant Public Friends.

Nature: Aside from threshing ministry held in public, travelling ministers offered their supplemental assistance in Meetings and…

Yesterday I spent time observing the territorial and migratory behaviors of the Rufous and Allens Hummingbirds.

It happened that I came across this beautiful species of lichen commonly called Candy Lichen. The scientific name is…