Instead, we write queries (probing questions) that help us reflect on our beliefs and actions; and yearly meetings, which are regional organizations of local congregations (known as monthly meetings), record our common values and experiences in manuals entitled Faith and Practice. Site by. Even though his views were viewed by some as a threat to society and he was jailed for blasphemy in 1650, Fox and other early Quakers continued to share their beliefs. It is confirmed in testimonies in the Bible and referred to by Friends with such terms as "the Christ Within," "the Inward Light," and "the Seed of Truth." We come to know truth experientially. I have no idea whether our venture will pan out, but I’m enjoying our discussions. Or they may be a leading to stand and speak. Quaker missionaries first arrived in America in the mid-1650s. There are not many AA quakers. The movement came at a time when the idea of secular rationalism was being emphasized, and passion for religion had grown stale. Alas, here we are, still jumping at every cough, looking askance at strangers, and updating our wills. When the way does not open, we question if we have correctly understood our leading. Some people will have a profound sense of awe and wonder because they know God is present. It helps if the meeting can settle a few minutes before the appointed time. a kid growing up in Danville, it was my job to adjust the TV antenna to pull in the signal from Indianapolis. When we do, our values become our testimonies, or witness, to the world. The goal of all Quaker yearly meetings is to support, nurture, and protect the discernment of each meeting. Besides, it wasn’t all that important of a meeting, just a little gabfest about COVID-19 with a hundred or so schoolteachers and administrators. Op - by all means go and try it. When the pandemic hit in February, I assumed things would be back to normal in a few months, given the swift and brilliant national response. Go in as soon as you are ready. Like the scientific method, Quaker faith and practice rely upon experience as a guide. Anyone can worship on their own, but for Friends the gathered community worshipping together is a critical component to what it means to nurture the life of the Spirit. Simplicity requires clear priorities and often inspires plainness and lack of clutter. Her home, Swarthmoor Hall in northwest England, served as a gathering place for many of the first Quakers. The Quakers took up the cause of protecting Native Americans’ rights, creating schools and adoption centers. In 1652, he met Margaret Fell, who went on to become another leader in the early Quaker movement. Within just a few years, several thousand Friends had moved to Pennsylvania from Britain. (The Amish, who live separate from society and reject modern technology, are a Christian denomination whose origins date back to 16th century Switzerland.). But then, all is fair in love and war. The Irish, like many immigrant groups arriving in America, were fleeing hardships at home, only to endure further troubles ...read more, Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. My wife once had a Zoom meeting while I, unaware of her activity, was in the next room singing George Jones’s immortal ballad, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” My wife kept yelling at me to pipe down, but people always do that when I sing, so I didn’t take her seriously. Simplicity requires integrity, which is honesty in all dealings, telling the truth on all occasions, and consistent adherence to one's values. Of course, Communists are sneaky, so it’s possible he’s a secret agent sent here by the Chinese to infiltrate the United States by hacking into Quaker business meetings. It was a time of religious turmoil in England, with people seeking reform in the Church of England or starting their own competing churches. I do know this: Zoom is the best invention since coat hangers, tinfoil, and copper wire. Our meetings, like meetings in the past, can be vital centers for family-like relationships and support. A meeting for worship is a practice of the Religious Society of Friends (or "Quakers") in many ways comparable to a church service. Without creeds, Friends have become diverse in our beliefs about God. I was thinking of this recently while participating in a Zoom meeting, after delivering a 10-minute oration with my microphone muted. Central to their beliefs was the idea that everyone had the Light of Christ within them. What they see in my Zoom background is a table piled with stuff I need to sort through and throw away some day when I have time, a space heater that no longer works, and my fishing pole. "Christians do not believe in god as "light," but in the flesh and blood personage of Jesus Christ. meeting, just like a facilitator in real life who helps keeps a worship or meeting on track. A Religion of Everyday Life, Telling the Truth About God – Quaker Approaches to Theology, © 2020 Friends Publishing Corporation. Fox and Fell married in 1667. Subscribe now and save 50% off the cover price of the Indianapolis Monthly magazine. We do not worship in isolation: we try to hold ourselves aware of all those gathered with us, uniting in a common purpose, so that the waiting and listening become an act of sharing. The Shakers (officially the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearance) were founded in England in the 18th century. Nonetheless, Friends common experience of God's presence within and among us has led us to realize that there is that of God, or something of the Divine, in everyone. All Rights Reserved. When we first started meeting via Zoom, people warned me it wasn’t secure, that hackers could interrupt our meetings and take over. Most ceremonies will follow the basic structure below: In our corporate search for truth, Friends use the worshipful Quaker process of decision making, a process for finding unity in all decisions that affect our communities. We have no prearranged prayers, readings, sermons, hymns, or musical orchestrations because we wait for God's leadings (guidance and direction) and power in our lives. Afterwards, feel free to speak to anyone, particularly if you wish to know more about Quakers. Listen with an open mind to what is said. Every month, I attend a meeting of the elders of my Quaker congregation. I was raised in a nondenominational Christian household, but I am curious about Quakerism. Nurture the Life of the Spirit – Quakers believe that the meeting for worship is essential. Having spent much of my adult life avoiding meetings with the discipline customarily seen only in Olympic athletes, I am delighted others are discovering that the wheels of life can spin happily along without five meetings a day. On the other hand, the community knows that it must listen carefully to heartfelt dissent, as God's leading may come through any one of us. The differing opinions and beliefs of individual Friends are challenging to many Friends and to many Friends meetings. Anonymous: Anonymous wrote: Anonymous wrote:The hostility on this thread is offensive. They will be in charge of the technical side of the meeting. That means I’ve saved the equivalent of two whole work days since the virus hit, though for the life of me I can’t tell you what I’ve done with them. Each contribution may help somebody, but our needs are different and can be met in different ways. But keep in mind only 359,000 Quakers still exist in the entire world. After about an hour, the person closing meeting for that day will turn and shake hands with some near them. Despite our diversity, Friends find that we can live in accordance with our common values. We seek to become united in love and strengthened in truth, so we enter a new level of living, despite the different ways we may account for this life-expanding experience. They primarily belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has more than 16 ...read more, About 33 million Americans can trace their roots to Ireland, the small island off the western coast of Europe, which has a population of just 4.6 million. I meet each Tuesday with TV producers who think a book I wrote will make a good television series.
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