“Worship is the response of the human spirit to the presence of the divine and eternal, to the God who first seeks us. The sense of wonder and awe of the finite before the infinite leads naturally to thanksgiving and adoration.”
“While I was too young to have any religion of my own, I had come to a home where religion kept its fires always burning. We had very few ‘things’, but we were rich in invisible wealth. I was not ‘christened’ in a church, but I was sprinkled from morning to night with the dew of religion. We never ate a meal which did not begin with a hush of thanksgiving; we never began a day without ‘a family gathering’ at which mother read a chapter of the Bible after which there would follow a weighty silence.”
“A lovely morning. All around me was calculated to impress my heart with love and gratitude, and in my time of stillness, I earnestly sought an increase in ‘the increase of God!’ but to be kept very low at my Saviour’s feet—there only, I know, is safety to be found by me—and to be kept there, even through deep suffering, I now regard as my choicest blessing.”
On leading a Quaker workshop:
“I find it easy to recognise the presence of the Host. People come to me in tears, telling me of profound transformational experiences, and I stand in awe. I’ve held the space, but the work hasn’t been done by me. My job is to make room for the Spirit to do its work. It is a constantly humbling experience.”
“A few months ago, during silent worship, I visualized myself standing in a very bright shower of light coming down from above, from a source I couldn’t see because the light was too bright. The light was moving and flowing over me, as the water in a shower does, with a very soft kind of rushing sound… The rushing shower seemed to overcome some of my resistance to receiving the unconditional Divine love I believe it symbolized…”
“They come thereby to enjoy and feel the arisings of this Life, which, as it prevails in each particular, becomes as a flood of refreshment and overspreads the whole meeting, for man and man’s part and wisdom being denied and chained down in every individual, and God exalted, and his Grace in dominion in the heart, thus his Name comes to be one in all, and his glory breaks forth and covers all.”
“My parents intentionally raised me to be thankful. I spent a lot of time in my childhood, at times almost against my will, writing “thank you” notes for presents or experiences I received from relatives and friends. But over time, that discipline of writing thank you notes changed my view and taught me what I believe is genuine gratitude and thanks.”
“Although I had passed through some very pinching trials, and some seasons of close exercise; yet, that Holy help has been near in the time of need. In the remembrance thereof, my soul feels renewedly bowed in thankfulness to the great Author of every blessing.”
“I felt gratitude pouring out of my heart, like light out of a bright window, reaching toward all who had offered their kindness and help. ‘This is what it feels like to be whole-hearted,’ I told myself. The whole-heartedness issued not only from gratitude, but also from an awareness of my vulnerable dependence on the goodness of God and other people. I felt blessedly connected with everyone and everything.”
“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.”
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