When I was in seminary, community was the thing. We were taught how to use models of group discernment to help us make important life decisions. We had a student government, run on Quaker principles, that was supposed to help us work together as a community. We had shared worship that was meant to draw us …
Last week, a young man was shot to death right across the street from us. The murder took place in broad daylight, right in front of a Catholic church. This hit pretty close to home. Literally. You could look out our front window and see the murder scene, right in front of a statue of the …
I’ve never been very good at poker. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a particularly strong poker face. I’m pretty easy to read. But that’s not my main problem. My lack of success in poker has more to do with strategy than it does with appearances. To play poker well, you have to have a firm …
We Quakers think a lot about our own demise. I’ve lost count of how many events, conferences, books, and lectures have essentially centered around the question, Will Quakerism survive? If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you already know that I believe this is the wrong question. The ultimate fate of Quakerism is not nearly so important …
As a Quaker, I’ve often been told that I’m supposed to be in the world, but not of it. I always thought I knew what that meant. But lately I’m not so sure. My life has been getting a lot more worldly lately. There’s a career that demands attention, a house that requires maintenance, and a …
I don’t know why it’s so tough to live in the present moment. Amazing things are happening every second. But for some reason, all my mind wants to do is run away. To the past or the future, it hardly matters. I’ll daydream about almost anything that isn’t right now. This is a big problem with …
I’ve been deeply embedded in the Quaker Industrial Complex for a long time. I’ve been one of those professional Quakers. I first became a Christian while studying at a Quaker seminary, and subsequently worked for years in official Quaker circles – at Earlham School of Religion, and later at Friends United Meeting. I’ve lived, breathed, and dreamed Quakerism. …