Exciting Challenge ~ Jenny Spinks

"Simple and sustainable living is effective when we are connected to each other; when we work together in community, and when we are connected with the earth; when we are closer to our food sources. People in the world who live in this way experience a happiness and fulfilment that we are deprived of-that deep sense of belonging that comes with those connections and that encourages a faith in G_d, or the light, or the universal spirit. So living the simplicity testimony is not a series of personal sacrifices for the good of others. It is choosing a path that leads to our own inner wellbeing, and more joy in our lives. I believe that it does not help us to be hard on ourselves and act out of guilt. Instead we can see it as an exciting challenge to make it a priority to increase those connections in our lives and see how that improves our sense of inner wellbeing and, as a beautiful side effect, reduces the inequalities in human society helping to create a culture of peace."

~ Jenny Spinks

More at 
https://www.quakersaustralia.info/sites/aym-members/files/pages/files/2007%20Lecture.pdf

Artwork from Ellie Ling http://www.ellieling.co.uk/

Grace of Silence~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Let us resolve: First, to attain the grace of silence; second, to deem all fault finding that does no good a sin; third, to practice the grade and virtue of praise.” 

~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

More from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe

Artwork from Marion Lee James http://marionleajamieson.ca/

The Most Un-Quaker-ly Person~Wee Dragon

"I am probably the most un-Quaker-ly person you will ever meet.  I am loud, you know when I am in a room, and I am at many times filled with fight and avarice.  I am always thinking, always planning, rarely stopping either my body or my brain.  I am always hatching a new plan.  Quiet and silence is a struggle for me.  As I plow through my life like a bull in china shop, I throw things at problems like flaming arrows, often making them into catastrophes.  Then, I run bloody murder from the destruction. It is exactly because of this that I know that I am called to the Society of Friends.  This girl needs silent worship, a simplified life, a view that G-d is in all….a path and a way that opens to the Divine instead of calling it down with demands and force.  Most of all, I need a testimony of Peace."

~Wee Dragon

More at (scroll back to the early posts and read forward to get the full flavour of this wonderful blog)
https://weedragon.wordpress.com/

Artwork from Chris Dunn http://chrisdunnillustration.blogspot.co.uk/

Tasks of the Present~ Elise Boulding

"For most of us, the great enemy of the Kingdom is Today. The trap of dailiness catches us, and makes cowards of us all. For the train leaves for the office in five minutes; if the beds aren't made and the dishes washed now the house will be a mess all day. The baby is crying for his bottle, nobody can find any clean underwear this morning, and the editor of the Meeting's Monthly Bulletin must have information about all the committee meetings to take place next month within an hour. It is not only that these things can't wait today, it is that the same things recur with the same immediate urgency day after day after day. It is not as if we could work up an extra burst of speed, finish our tasks for once and all, and then be free to do "God's work." The more we long to be doing other work, the more overwhelming the tasks of the present seem, until they sap our courage and our strength. Or we may respond to the pressure by a complete about-face, and come to feel that these tasks are after all the only ones that matter. Then we are in danger of finding all our security in our daily routine, and will fear anything that might change it.
Should we leave our daily tasks then? Should we leave the plow standing in the middle of the furrow to follow Him? There are some people whose special gifts require them to do just this, and no man should hinder them. But God does not call most of us away from the plow; he would rather have us shift bosses, since it is after all His acre, and start plowing the field for Him. ..... For those of us who know that it is right for us to stay where we are is it possible to avoid the trap of dailiness? Can we transform our homes and offices into advance outposts of the Kingdom?......I am too tired to be patient, too tired to pray, too tired to make our home "a place of friendliness, refreshment and peace, where God becomes more real to all who dwell there and to those who visit it." And all the time that I have been telling myself this, I have been turning my back on the one Source of refreshment that I needed! If we keep our backs turned to God, His Kingdom gets to seem more and more unreal and impossible, and we come to expect less and less of ourselves in the way of service."

~ Elise Boulding

Much more worth reading at http://www.quaker.org/pamphlets/wpl1956a.html

Artwork from Victoria Stanway http://www.victoriastanwayart.com/index.htm

Abundant Joy ~ Jana Llewellyn

"It’s great to share your beliefs, practice, and faith with others. But too many Quakers spend a lot of time talking to other Quakers about what it means to be Quaker. (Feel free to read that sentence again.) We can’t continue to worship the institution rather than the Spirit. When a person has a deeply personal relationship to God, and if she has found the Light within her, it spreads. People feel it. She (or he) has the capacity to inspire. I have grown very weary of hearing Quakers talk about the semantics of history and theology, or focusing on the “Quaker view” of the many problems in the world. We should be focusing more on Light instead of dark. Pessimism is easy. It’s harder (but much more rewarding) to spread the light, find the good, listen, create, be in tune with the universe. An intimate relationship with God does not manifest in dourness and solemnity, but in abundant joy."

~ Jana Llewellyn

More at http://firstdaypress.org/gods-weird-people/

Artwork from Bridget Farmer http://www.bridgetfarmerprintmaker.com/p/about-me.html

Don't Wait ~ Virginia Shurman

"As modern people, we may be struggling with many questions about prayer. How can we influence God? Should we try to do so? How can we pray rightly? What are we to think when our prayers appear to go unanswered? It is important to begin to pray, no matter where you are in regard to these questions. It is known from experience that prayer brings us closer to God, so don’t wait until you have solved these questions to pray. London Yearly Meeting encourages Friends “reverently yet daringly to make fuller experiment of the life of trust and consecration through prayer, that they may know relief from the burden of anxiety and perplexity and realize the joy of health and victory, whereby they may become centers of radiant energy for the help and healing of others.”"

~ Virginia Shurman

More at http://www.tractassociation.org/tracts/prayer/

Artwork from wORKINGaRTs at 
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/wORKINGaRTs?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav

Sharers in the Guilt ~ Anna Sewell

“Do you know why this world is as bad as it is?... It is because people think only about their own business, and won't trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, nor bring the wrong-doers to light... My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.”

~Anna Sewell

More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Sewell

Artwork from Herbert Cole http://www.artmagick.com/pictures/artist.aspx?artist=herbert-cole

Good and Fruitful Account ~ Caroline Stephen

"The amount of solitude which is attainable or would be wholesome in the case of any individual life is a matter which each of us must judge for himself.…A due proportion of solitude is one of the most important conditions of mental health. Therefore if it be our lot to stand apart from those close natural ties by which life is for most people shaped and filled, let us not be in haste to fill the gap; let us not carelessly or rashly throw away the opportunity of entering into that deeper and more continual acquaintance with the unseen and eternal things which is the natural and great compensation for the loss of easier joys. The loneliness which we rightly dread is not the absence of human faces and voices — it is the absence of love…Our wisdom therefore must lie in learning not to shrink from anything that may lie in store for us, but so to grasp the master key of life as to be able to turn everything to good
and fruitful account."

~ Caroline Stephen

More at http://quaker.org/fqa/types/t21-woolf.html

Artwork from Linden Dean http://www.lindendeanart.com/index.htm

 

To Belong Within ~ Ann Barnes

"Perhaps I should be asking 'Why did it take me so long to find the Quakers?' For finding it has felt like a homecoming.I have found the beauty of silent worship - the silence where I may find my Inner Self and seek to listen to that deep, Inner, Sacred Voice.I have found the challenge and freedom of a form of worship that holds no dogma, creed, liturgy, ritual or clergy. And yet this has been no home-coming - rather a stepping out on a new phase of that most challenging of life's journeys, the search for Truth, for inner peace and for a better understanding of what it means to belong within the Christian faith."

 ~ Ann Barnes

More at http://thefriend.org/article/of-bath-water-and-plastic-ducks/

Artwork by unknown artist (please let me know if you have that information).

Release it Gently ~ The Quaker Scholar

"Most often, I think, we are wounded during our childhood. There is a reason that as people age, they tell the stories of their childhood over and over again. In the telling, there is acknowledgement. In the telling, we remember the story, sometimes relive the embellishments as much as the facts and acknowledge how much both elements have wounded us. In the acknowledgement, slowly comes the acceptance. Acceptance of both fact and fiction, of pain and joy, of the wholeness of the story and complexity of reality - it is this acceptance that brings us back to a state of healing. For we learn something much deeper than the lesson of forgiveness. We learn what it means to love even the hard pieces. To love them healthily. Not to cling, hold and cherish our pain - but to love it enough to hold it softly and release it gently. To love ourselves enough to shift into new understanding. To love ourselves back to wholeness."

~ The Quaker Scholar

More at  http://quakerscholar.livejournal.com
Artwork by Frances Gearhart https://artsy.net/artist/frances-gearhart

So Short a Time ~ Cat Chapin-Bishop

" How many times do we turn away from a neighbor, because their lawn ornaments are too bright and slightly tacky, or because they clench a cigarette between their lips in concentration as they work in the garden, because they give us too much advice, or don't hold exactly the same values that we do?
It is one thing, that we turn away from those among us who do real harm in the world.  But if we are honest, how much more often do we refuse to see the humanness in ordinary men and women....... if we would only allow ourselves to see them properly--unique, whole, and beautiful, and here for so short a time?"

~ Cat Chapin-Bishop

More at  http://quakerpagan.blogspot.co.uk/
Artwork from R.C. Goreman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._C._Gorman

Intimate Conversation~ Agnes L. Tierney

"The habit of turning instinctively to God at any moment of life is of immeasurable benefit to mind and spirit. The entreaty of the moment may be for one’s own strength, forgiveness, courage or power to endure. It may be petition for the well-being of another. It may be an involuntary expression of gratitude for joy or peace in one’s own or another’s life. Whatever the need, longing or aspiration this instinctive prayer may take the form of silent communion, of petition in words, or in times of perplexity or trouble, enjoyment or happiness, of something akin to intimate conversation."

~ Agnes L. Tierney

More at. http://www.pym.org/publications/pym-pamphlets/effective-prayer/
Artwork from Giuliana Lazzerini http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheBluebirdGallery?page=1

Definitive Answers ~ Iris Graville

"Definitive answers had long been a comfort to me.  I listened, without questioning, for years to the wisdom of my parents, teachers, and ministers. I welcomed the certainty that there was an explanation, a logic, a right answer, for the many parts of life I didn't understand. Eventually, though, somewhere around the time my Lutheran pastor frowned at my questions, such conviction began to feel stifling rather than reassuring......

That’s what has kept me among Friends for over thirty years.  Not only is it acceptable to ask questions, it’s expected.  We use open-ended questions that invite us to speak from our own experiences and that guide us to explore how God is leading us now, individually and collectively.  So now, I sit in the silence—sometimes on a hard, wooden bench, but usually on a couch in a friend’s living room or on a folding chair at a Quaker gathering, at other times on a rocky beach or deep in a pine forest—and ask questions. And now, it’s the questions that sustain me through life’s mysteries."

~ Iris Graville

More at  http://bloggerbyconvincement.blogspot.co.uk

Artwork by Roger Medearis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Medearis

The Mystery of it All ~ Susanne Kromberg

"I can no longer keep myself from telling everyone who wants to listen that hope, joy, peace, and feeling safe arise out of being in the hands of a God who promises to be with us in whatever we encounter. How can I keep from proclaiming what I know to be true – that this God of ours has plans of peace for us? That God is actively at work, using even the bad things that happen for good.The mystery of it all is that as I allow this joy and gratitude to bubble up within me, I can hardly keep myself from throwing myself into work for peace and  justice. The more I trust God, the more I also see God at work in societal developments, too. It looks like peace, abundance, and safety are just waiting to be birthed into the world, and I want to be part of it!"

~ Susanne Kromberg

More at  http://quakersusanne.wordpress.com/

Artwork Natalia Moroz http://www.nataliamoroz.com/

Giving Priority ~ Jenny Spinks

"Our culture encourages us to consume more and more. This makes us poorer spiritually by depleting the quality of our connections with each other, the earth and the spirit. These connections are what bring us greatest fulfilment. The global emphasis on materialism severely threatens the environment and human relations at many levels. It is part of our commitment as Friends that we try to live our lives under the guidance of the spirit. We have our testimonies of truth, peace, equality and simplicity. We have our processes for business, worship and clearness. We are well positioned globally to reach out to our affluent neighbours and offer wellpracticed alternatives to consumerism. Living the simplicity testimony improves our sense of wellbeing and the well being of the planet. We benefit from giving priority to our spiritual connections and thus resist the seductive pull of materialism. We can support each other as we try to live our lives with integrity"

~ Jenny Spinks

More at http://www.quakers.org.au/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=43

Artwork from Ethel Spowers http://www.bookroomartpress.co.uk/biographies/29.html

Not be Fooled ~ Elsie Boulding

"But we must also trust ourselves. In a world that specializes in props and supports, both physical, psychological and spiritual, and devices to make life easier, let us not be fooled into expecting too little of ourselves. If we keep our eyes turned toward the Kingdom, we will know that all things are possible in God's Sight. Paradoxically, we must not expect too much, either. For even though we are faithful in prayer, there are periods of spiritual dryness which come to us all, periods when the inward obstacles loom very large indeed, and the Kingdom seems to recede."

~Elsie Boulding

More at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elise_M._Boulding

Artwork by Oleg Besedin http://www.saatchionline.com/profiles/portfolio/id/415108

Both Within and Beyond Us~ Lorna M. Marsden

"Our testimonies arise from our way of worship. Our way of worship evokes from deep within us at once an affirmation and a celebration, an affirmation of the reality of that Light which illumines the spiritual longing of humanity, and a celebration of the continual resurrection within us of the springs of hope and love; a sense that each of us is, if we will, a channel for a power that is both within and beyond us."

 ~Lorna M. Marsden

More at. http://www.quaker.org.uk/testimonies

Extraordinary Courage~ Ellen M. Ross

"We often overlook the extraordinary courage that marks the lives of people who stand apart from the dominant culture’s endorsement of violence as a means of achieving the “good” longed for by so many. Courage is at the core of these people’s prophetic willingness to create a world of peace, and enables them to do the seemingly impossible, aware that suffering and even death may be likely outcomes of their roles in the cosmic struggle of good against evil.

In my research, I frequently encounter the seeming simplicity of the implacable commitments that lead believers to challenge the status quo in order to advocate on behalf of the oppressed, the poor and the hungry, and to protest against systemic oppression perpetrated by war, slavery, and greed. For many Christians, the history of war stands in contradiction with fundamental divine commandments: Thou shalt not kill. Love your enemies. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. History is a witness to how often these deceptively simple aphorisms are ignored, forgotten, dismissed as naïve, or overshadowed by a battery of detailed objections."

More at  http://www.friendsjournal.org/quakers-culture-and-the-transforming-power-of-love/

Artwork from Paul Peter Piech
 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-paul-peter-piech-1327233.html

“She’s Quaker” ~ Veronica Nicholson

"Around sixth or seventh grade I remember discussing religion with a friend. We were in the backseat of her car and her mother, who was driving, politely asked me if I attended any type of Christian services. Before I could answer, my friend’s sister, sitting in the front seat, casually interjected, “She’s Quaker,” before continuing to suck up the remnants of her Slurpee. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and tried my best to hide a frown of irritation. Why would she be so quick to answer such a personal question for me? More importantly, who told her? I assume it had been her younger sister, my friend, but it reinforced an existing feeling that I was a walking anachronism."

~ Veronica Nicholson

Read more at http://www.nassauweekly.com/growing-up-quaker/

Artwork by Roy Lichtenstein http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Lichtenstein

Fear of Silence ~ Kathryn Damiano

"It almost seems as if it is impossible to speak and not commit "sins of the tongue" - the insensitive response, the unkind word, speaking badly about someone. The longer the conversation, the more likely it will turn to running someone down. There is a thin line between wanting to know about someone out of caring and discerning when it turns to gossip.

We are also subject to the stimulation of millions of words printed in books, magazines, newsletters, and announcements. We are told that we must keep up with changing ideas and paradigm shifts in order to be responsible citizens, to be competent in our field, and to be an intelligent, informed person. Verbalism is related to our society's understanding of power. Words are used to edify, persuade, control, and to compete with others. Yet, research indicates that we spend a lot of time repeating the words of others - what we've heard on t.v. or have read and that this reliance on other's words tends to atrophy our own thoughts. Is this kind of "freedom of speech" actually a type of mind control? How can we be in a position to critique the society if we are so caught up in its ways? In what ways does this habitual inner and outer chatter dim the prophetic witness we are called to as Friends?

Yet our culture seems to promote a fear of silence. Silence seems to lack boundaries, it can make us feel that we are not in control. Silence conveys emptiness so it is harder to accept as real and full in a society that commands us to be satisfied and fulfilled at every moment."

~ Kathryn Damiano

More at  http://www.quakerinfo.com/silence.shtml

Photograph of Charles Darwin by unknown (to me anyway) photographer.