Faith in Community: Core communal practices of Quakerism
Quakerism has developed unique approaches to worship, communal decision-making, and ongoing nurture of spiritual gifts and ways of holding each other accountable in love and in truth. All spring from a theology of the Light Within or Inward Christ—God’s unmediated guidance of the faith community via direct ongoing revelation via the willing, listening hearts of the faithful in the present time.
- The Light Within: Christ has come to teach His people Himself – Quaker theology of direct unmediated revelation as the wellspring of Quaker practice & witness
- Quaker Worship: Gathered hearts & Spirit-led vocal ministry
- Leadings: Many gifts, many ministries – Discerning one’s call, clearness committees, oversight of ministries, faithfulness groups
- Eldership: Nurturing others’ spiritual gifts – history, role in the meeting, accounts & experiences, relationship with those carrying ministries
- Gospel Order: Hearing & following God’s guidance with others – Meeting for business, membership, accountability, healing rifts within the faith community
- Good News: Sharing our light with others – sharing what we have found with others, being invitational, claiming our truth without believing we are the only path to God, universalism
Witness: Transforming our ways of living & the world around us
This is a single Testimony rooted in our Quaker faith—not a basket of separate social testimonies. This Testimony is a form of prophecy—words and ways of living that express and live out God’s vision of the world. True prophecy stands in sharp contrast to the values and practices of Empire. Each dimension of this prophetic speaking and living flows from and is rooted in core Quaker faith.
- Testimony: This is our Testimony to the World – , God’s hopes for the world, speaking & writing God’s vision, living the vision, the Lamb’s War
- Truth: The truth will set you free (“Integrity”)- plain speaking, living out consistently the things we believe in all aspects of life
- Justice: Let justice roll down like a mighty stream – treating all people with dignity and respect regardless of gender, faith, class, race, country of origin, or whom they love.
- Simplicity: Leaving space for God to get through – single-heartedness, plain living, spaciousness that keeps our hearts open to God’s voice in our hearts
- Peace: The seeds of war in these our possessions
- Earthcare – Liberating the creation from its bondage
Transformation: Personal practices drawing us closer to God & heal our brokenness
Having a willing, teachable heart is key to a life of faithfulness. And our ability to open our hearts is in turn deeply tied to the extent that we feel ourselves to be loved—by God and by those near us. We are learning how to live in and love our own bodies as temples of God’s spirit—and to untangle and heal many form of brokenness that get in the way of our ability to love and serve God with all our heart.
- Willingness: Learning how to lean on God – submission, bearing the “easy yoke” of dependence on God, willingness to be changed by God, letting go of willfullness & isolation from God
- Prayer: Being present with God, asking for help, naming our needs, praise and gratitude.
- Embracing Change with Open Hearts – birth, growth, relationships, aging, and the mysterious passage we call dying
- Love & Trust: Caring for one another – the capacity to receive love from God & others, pastoral care, vulnerability, marriage, family, friendships
- Embodiment: Living in, caring for & praying for our bodies – wholeness, self-care, spiritual healing of bodies, faithful sexuality
- Healing Personal Wounds: Compassion & accountability – paths to healing & repair in mental health, addictions, abuse, and trauma
Resources: For deepening our personal & corporate life in God
These provide a variety of tools and practices by which our hearts can be cracked open through reading and reflecting on the Bible, the writings of Friends, song, poetry, and adult religious education courses, workshops, and long-term programs. All facilitate a deeper relationship with God — both for us as individual Friends and for our meetings.
- Bible: Living in the power in which the scriptures were given forth – Christ (God working in our hearts & lives) is the Word not the words of scripture, capacity to understand the deeper meaning, different approaches to Bible study & reflection
- Quaker Writings – early (16th c.), middle period (17th-18th c.), modern (20th-21st c.), Quaker libraries and publishers.
- Teaching – courses, workshops & retreats, programs, retreat centers
- Song – song as ministry, as a spiritual practice, group singing, use in retreats
- Poetry – Quakers’ & others poems that deepen our journey
- Art & story – using the visual arts, play & story for spiritual formation. Faith in Play that work for all ages and those with different learnign styles.