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Life stream of Martin Kelley,
web developer, social media geek,
Quaker blogger, Philly native,
South Jersey transplant & Dad
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"When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it., for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others."
Paul of Tarsus, in his first letter to the Corinthians (2:31-16, NLT)
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Timothy Travis asks: Of What Value Is Theology?
If you share the traditional Quaker experiential knowledge of direct and transforming guidance from Christ/Light/Spirit, what good is theology? (the study of God and God’s relation to the world. What…
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"James Naylor": Walking the line between charity and safety
So now what do I do if he comes to Meeting? And what do I do if I am in a situation where it is just he and I in Meeting? Do I assume that God has my back? How does one tread that line of Christian love and charity, finding that of God in others, and staying safe? -
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Wess Daniels: the Testimony on Truthfulness
Irregardless of what we call it, listening to, learning, and living the truth are the central activities to the Quaker tradition of truth. These practices of the truth what we see in God’s own acts: when God speaks, God speaks truth, when God acts (as we see in the life of Jesus), God acts truthfully, and when we build communities based on the Holy Spirit these communities become learning communities of truth.
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Wess Daniels: Lady Wisdom as Mid-Wife
During one of our periods of open worship God reminded me of the role of a mid-wife. We all know what a mid-wife does and that maybe this is the language, and the image, that we in the church need to…
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NWYM's Colin Saxton on vision statements
A useful vision statement is sort of like a star to steer by. In the absence of a clearly illuminated path or an easy-to-read road map, a brightly lit star can keep us heading in the right direction. In ministry, when so many options are available to us and so many needs crying for attention, we need some sort of direction to help us stay focused on the work God called us to do. When we live in harmony with our stated vision, we not only see good results—we wind up moving forward together. -
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Su Penn: Still Thinking About My Quaker Meeting & Me
I want to be a person of God. I want my faith community to aid me in becoming a person of God. I want, in my faith community, to be able to use the word “God” without someone immediately following up with a comment about how uncomfortable they are with that word. I do not like listing our testimonies as a way of defining ourselves. I don’t like the SPICE acronym. And I don’t like suggesting that what we strive for is personal integrity rather than Truth.
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Brent Bill: As Way Opens
The heart of discovering God’s direction is contained in the wisdom of the Quaker saying “as way opens.” It’s become almost a Quaker cliché. But, as with all clichés, there’s powerful truth lurking…
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Valiant Micah visits an emergent church gathering
I am in awe of how I see God at work in the wider Church, despite our failure to fully embrace the Spirit’s work in our midst. I feel grateful for the connections that I have made this weekend with…
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Laura G: Interbranch communication and liberal Friends
The primary benefit of interbranch gatherings… is that I learn about new (to me) ways to find, deepen, and practice relationship with God and other Friends. Learning is not, however, the only…
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Emergent Quaker Diane asks about Quakers and creeds
Our beliefs about God or what God “should be,” can block our direct, unmediated experience of what God IS. Quakers are rightfully concerned about having that direct experience. However, I also…
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Anglican, Plain on a rule of life
A look at the rule of St Benedict:
A good routine, and good order, make room for prayer, meditation, scripture and holy conversation. Holy conversation, while needful, is not of first order. Silence is. We are to listen to God, not ourselves. A rule of life is creative. It creates time with God, and allows for the sponteneity of that joyous conversation, out of which good works will flow. Silence, prayer, good work will create peace, not just for the practitioner, but for all who are touched by that holy silence.
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Faith Kelley: God in all spaces
I was, once again, reminded of the very real temptation to view a certain space as being more sacred, more full of God’s presence, than other spaces. But of course, we’re all good Quakers here and…
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"But I am not a mystic. I am too enamored of words for that, and of the human body and the oceans of confusion in which it swims. I will confess, however, to wanting mystical things. Though I suspect I could not live with the consequences, I want a memory of a meeting with the Unknown that cannot be rewritten by doubt. But in those rare moments when what goes by God has knocked on my windows and doors, I have been too much in love with the sand dunes in front of me or the woman beside me (or both) to notice."
Why I Am Not a Mystic by Stephen Prothero in Killing the Buddha
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Susanne's Musings: Hung up on the problems of the world?
The missing joy factor is one of the reasons I am finding it hard to go to… [my] Quaker Meeting. I’m so hungry for joy these days, and we seem so hung up on the problems of the world, and seem to conceive of God mostly as a personal problemsolver or some sort of life coach who helps us with our attitude. I long to be with people who trust that God is working all things together for good, yes, that God works even after earthquakes and wars and heals people and transforms our hearts! I long to celebrate that even in the deepest, darkest places, God brings hope of better things to come.
