Read more about Clearness Committees
By Ron (reprinted from January 1999 newsletter) A Quaker clearness committee is a unique method of seeking discernment. The name expresses its purpose. Clearness committees help Friends find clarity. Friend Parker Palmer writes, “Behind the clearness committee is a simple but crucial conviction: each of us has an inner teacher, a voice of truth, that…
Read more about Love as Action
Love as Action, the first of a series of worshipful protests, was held on Saturday January 17 in the front yard of our meetinghouse. The 25 Friends and neighbors In Memphis were joining Friends in a dozen or more cities to build a collective presence against the rising authoritarianism. The day was cold, but hope…
Read more about Quaker Speech
By Carol When someone wants a broader understanding of Quakerism, we often suggest looking at the videos online called Quaker Speak without even noticing the oxymoron. If our worship is silent, what are we doing talking about speech? In fact, Friends are called to speak on many occasions — messages in worship and in Joys…
Read more about Beginnings & Endings
By Robert The article in November Memphis Friends News about launching a new meeting combined with my own recent Quaker experience has led me to reflect on how Quaker meetings begin and end. My wife and I are now spending about six months a year in Nelson Co, Virginia near our older daughter’s family. Surprisingly,…
Read more about Hummer
By Anne R. The six rosetteson the mason jar feederlooked identical to me,but apparently notto the – I want to say“persnickety” –ruby-throated hummerrounding the jar –idling on airbefore each oneuntil he found the one,and uncoiling his tonguesipped the blurof his scintillant selfin the sugar water,his turbo-charged wingschurning the leavesof the potted plant below,like freak gustsin…