“Whether we believe that God is personal, or Universal Goodness, or the Light, I hope that Friends can come to realize that we didn’t “earn”  the most important things in life, such as love, health, or even inner peace. Life itself is a gift beyond what words can describe, and therefore the most appropriate response to life is gratitude. When we are truly aware of life’s preciousness, expressing gratitude becomes heart-felt and Spirit-led. When we express gratitude to people, we affirm that we care about them and appreciate the divine within them. For me, this kind of gratitude is the heart of real community.”

“It has often been in my heart to write a short account to leave behind me of the Lord’s gracious dealings with me, and of the great mercies, which in His infinite love, He has freely bestowed upon me, far beyond my deserts or expectation, to my great joy and consolation. Praises, thanks, glory, honor and renown, be given and ascribed unto Him; for He alone is worthy, God over all, blessed forever, amen.”

“So every man, according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver, (mark, a cheerful giver,) and God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that ye always having all-sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work, as is written, “He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever;” mark! now he that ministereth seed to the sower, both ministereth bread for your food, and multiplies your seed sown, and increaseth the fruits of your righteousness. Isa. 4:10. and 2 Cor. 9:7-10. Being enriched in every good thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”

“It was during my nine-year stay in Australia that I first experienced Quakerism. The communal silence of Quaker worship was such a gift, as was the evolving friendship and kindness of those who sat with me. I was painfully aware of my inability to offer a monetary gift as an expression of gratitude for my spiritual nourishment. And so it was with relief that I learned that, though Quakers don’t pass a collection plate, they do pass committee sign-up sheets. There were no paid employees organizing worship times, cleaning the meetinghouse, or managing the records. There was only a community of willing hands. My skills had found a home… Like God, gratitude is a verb. At least, that’s how I experience it.”

“Let us visualize practicing gratitude as a well-crafted testimony of our intentions and aspirations. This is something that can have a strong impact on our individual selves as well as in our society. On a personal level, for example, when we are grateful for the gifts that others have given or shared with us, we create space for better relationships based on mutual support and care. This is also an opportunity for confronting our limitations and for setting the stage for change.”

“Over the course of my years of Quaker worship I have learned that certain attitudes help me into worship – particularly humility and gratitude. Gratitude is easy; I can think of all that I am thankful for, and that’s probably the best way into worship on a difficult, distracted day. By humility I don’t mean grovelling and feeling awful about myself. It means, simply, remembering that I am not in charge, that I do not know what should happen (either in the meeting or beyond it) and so I am listening intently.”

“This way of seeing our Father in everything makes life one long thanksgiving and gives a rest of heart, and, more than that, a gayety of spirit, that is unspeakable.”

“Gratitude is not, strictly speaking, one of the commonly cited Quaker values. But, when we engage in gratitude, we engage more deeply with the Quaker values we do hold. When we are grateful for the actions or kindnesses of others around us, we are more connected to Community, and more invested in it. When we are grateful for the natural world, we notice and connect to it, and can be more interested its Stewardship. When we stop to be grateful for the roof over our heads, we have awareness and empathy for those without this blessing in their lives and can re-commit ourselves to Service.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

“In my religious community, the Quakers, there are many different understandings of God, and some might not even believe in a God, as such. From that perspective, the God in question is an inner experience, the love and connection felt between people, maybe a metaphor which could help me to live a better life. With God within and alongside rather than above, there would be no actual giver for the gift. But I still feel gratitude.”

“When I go up to kiss my sleeping children and linger with them, in quietness and love, that is prayer. There is a wordless unity of God, myself, my children, a sense of gratitude and reverence, awareness of my need for strength, shame for my failings, a promise to try again.”

“We began this month reading theologians’ interpretations of this quote and of the Scripture from which it is thought to be derived. Along the way we learned more about what early Friends meant by the Inner Light and that, in searching for the Light in others, we should remember to see the Light in ourselves. We read that although it is often difficult to love our neighbors, we have something new to learn about God in every interaction.”

“I think we exist to discern and do the will of God, and that looks like a lot of different things. Historically, Friends have experienced God asking us to listen—asking us to preach—asking us to care for each other—asking us to bear witness in the world. Sometimes the purpose of the Quaker community is to join (or lead) the nonviolent protest, to stand face to face against injustice, to be arrested, to prevent harm or, at least, to shine a spotlight on that harm. And sometimes the purpose of the Quaker community is to make sure the parent who’s just had surgery doesn’t have to worry about dinner. Oftentimes, I think it’s both.”

“If we love God and give ourselves to Him, we must give ourselves to the whole world. Otherwise we would divide off our personal experience of God from His Greatness and Infinite Presence and turn what ought to be dedication into private enjoyment. One of the holy miracles of love is that once it is really started on its path, it cannot stop: it spreads and spreads in ever-widening circles till it embraces the whole world in God. We begin by loving those nearest to us, end by loving those who seem farthest. And as our love expands, so our whole personality will grow, slowly but truly. Every fresh soul we touch in love is going to teach us something fresh about God.”