Becoming Friends With God

Becoming Friends With God

“I have been inspired by what Jesus says about friendship, particularly how we can have an intimate relationship with the Divine. Quakers have adopted this ideal friendship as the basis for their name, the Religious Society of Friends. In John 15, Jesus tells his disciples that there is only one commandment that really matters. Love. He then defines love as the willingness to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. This is a high bar for friendship, yet it is important to remember that real friendship usually entails some self-sacrifice.”

Nourish Your Torn Spirit

Nourish Your Torn Spirit

“Return to the most human, / nothing less will nourish the torn spirit, / the bewildered heart, / the angry mind: / and from the ultimate duress, / pierced with the breath of anguish, / speak of love.”

Light Arises Out of Darkness

Light Arises Out of Darkness

“Art thou in darkness? Mind it not, for if thou do it will fill thee more, but stand still and act not, and wait in patience till light arises out of darkness to lead thee. Art thou wounded in conscience? Feed not there, but abide in the light, which leads to the grace and truth, which teaches to deny and put off the weight, and removes the cause, and brings saving health to light.”

Accept Sorrow as a Friend

Accept Sorrow as a Friend

“What we must do…with God’s help, is to accept sorrow as a friend, if possible. If not, as a companion with whom we will live for an indeterminate period, for whom we have to make room as one makes room for a guest in one’s house, a companion of whom we shall always be aware, from whom we can learn and whose strength will become our strength. Together we can create beauty from the ashes and find ourselves in the process.”

Independence and Dependence

Independence and Dependence

“In the true marriage relationship the independence of the husband and wife is equal, their dependence mutual, and their obligations reciprocal.”

Being single and fulfilled

Being single and fulfilled

“Singleness is a state in which many of us find ourselves… Some of us choose, for various reasons to remain single – an absorbing career perhaps or the care of others which we feel demands all we have to give and in which we find fulfilment. We all need to love and be loved and for some of us this need is met, and can be met, in all sorts of nourishing ways. We need to look for these ways and then recognise them with joy when they come to us.”

Friends Do Not Take Readily to Being Cared For

Friends Do Not Take Readily to Being Cared For

“Friends do not take readily to being cared for. ‘Caring matters most’ has been quoted to us when seeking direction during our active years. But many of us will find that we ourselves are in need of full care in our old age. This will not be easy. It calls for ‘a different kind of living,’ as one Friend commented when answering questions about experience in a home for the elderly. Uprooted from familiar well-loved things, of house and neighbours, released from stabilising responsibilities (however small), there will be adjustments to be made.”

True Devotion

True Devotion

“I honor you / You honor me / Let this rhythm continue on / Eternally”

Quakerism in Couples Therapy

Quakerism in Couples Therapy

“When I became a therapist I thought it was the ethical thing to do to keep my religion off the couch. And in the beginning, that’s what I believed I was doing. But as I reflect, I see that my Quakerism has been a central part of my work from the very beginning, even though I rarely mention it out loud.”

Spirituality and Sexuality in Harmony

Spirituality and Sexuality in Harmony

“Our sexuality is ultimately tied to who we are as spiritual persons. The spiritual life enhances our sexuality and gives it direction. Our sexuality gives an earthy wholeness to our spirituality. Our spirituality and our sexuality come into a working harmony in the life of the kingdom of God.”

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