Foreword—I spent more than half of 2013 at Pendle Hill in Wallingford, PA, and fell in love with many things about it. My latest passion is with their pamphlets. Here I have, after reading them, set down the most impressive excerpts of each, with rare paraphrasing and additions of my own [in brackets]. Most of all I am impressed with the timelessness of these pamphlets, the old- est of which go back more than 80 years.
Zoe White; 1988)
About the Author—Zoe White was born in 1951 and grew up in North London [in the Church of England]. She joined the Society of Friends in
1982. Zoe graduated from St. Andrews University , Scotland Brussels
Introduction—This pamphlet
emerged as a result of studies & expe- rience in the area of pastoral care
during the years of study at Earlham, [and is concerned with exploring] a theological
basis which provides the foundation for pastoral care for several reasons. Having
clarity about theological roots will help inform the self-understanding of the
one caring & provide nourishment to prevent burn-out. It will help inform a vision for pastoral care. It can help ensure that the caring work is grounded
in assumptions consistent with Friend’s practice.
Pastoral care must not be primarily a
problem-solving endeavor and must not hand over responsibility unilaterally to
a team of experts. We hope for healing
and the solution of problems. In
pastoral care, this will not happen because we have set out to accomplish it. It will happen as a by-product of the process
of deepening and sharing our vision of God [and in community].
Theology is what happens when I allow God’s
Word of creation to speak through me in life’s daily events; it happens when [I
bring] disciplines of art, self opening & deep self-knowing into the service
of love. I approach pastoral care as the Art of Everyday. Pastoral care is the work
of mediating God’s love to others & the world. It happens [through everyone]
& through many aspects of life in the faith community. Pastoral care also happens
through conversation, through the Elders & Overseers' watchful guidance, &
through spoken ministry.
It calls
for presence, fellowship, communion, & commitment, & it recon- ciles and heals. It is a work of [all] the people, for [all]
the people; it is a work of faith. I will start by reflecting on my 10-week
Hospital Chaplaincy Training Program. The
course was designed so that roughly half of the student’s time was spent “on the
floors” with patients. This model encourages much reflection on experience and
self-critical analysis of our interactions.
[Journal
Entries]—This is my 3rd
day. The beeper in my pocket feels like a time bomb. I feel totally overwhelmed
and helpless. Did I absorb their panic, or am I just seeing
my own panic reflected in them? How do I cope? This work forces me to cross
boundaries. In crisis, our theological dif- ferences fade into insignificance;
only shared humanity counts. This work brings me back into direct relationship
with Jesus Christ.
Jesus saw this pain and hopelessness and yet continued to
believe in the Vision of God. Many times over the past few days I have watched science
& technology come to a screaming halt by the bedside of a dead or dying per- son.
Death is no respecter of intellects or theologies. White, middle-class, theological
agendas have kept me from, rather than connected me with, my experiences of God,
the world and other people, my need for repentance and forgiveness.
Last
night I prayed by Frances Frances Frances
[Reflections
on Theology]—How have my experiences
with death &/ or illness informed my
thinking about my theology & pastoral care? Beside Frances
Any
theology has to be able to reflect this organic process with all the vitality &
uncertainty of the moment. [It will of necessity be always incomplete and never
systematic. To be adequate as a foundation for pastoral care, a theology must
be able to speak with a personal voice from the depths of per- sonal experience. Systematic theologies can become alienated from
the per- son of the writer. A theology which
is not held in tension with the stories of people’s lives may become a liability
in healing a world and people in crisis.
Rather than advocating an anti-intellectual stance, I am seeking to redress
an imbalance in theology between affective and speculative modes of thinking &
being. Pastoral care demands a theology
which reflects whole personhood.
[Pastoral
Theology at its Best]—Pastoral theology
is at its best to the degree its intellectual rigor is informed by body knowledge
and intuition. [Beverly Harrison writes]:
“Feeling is the basic bodily ingredient that mediates our connection to the world
… Failure to live deeply in ‘our bodies, ourselves,’ destroys the possibility of
moral relations between us”; failure destroys the possibility of a practical
pastoral theology. Our bodies need to be
finely attuned, watching for signs of life, signs of hope and hazards. [In pastoral care], our bodies act like barometers,
picking up vital signs as keenly as do monitors by the patient’s bedside.
My theology
will be revealed to the extent that I believe my theological task to be one of artistry,
[and myself] an artist of the Spirit. To practice theology as the art of the everyday,
I must believe myself to be the
bearer and receiver of this Truth. The task is delicate and demanding,
requiring trust. I must be prepared to watch for images, to hold them with care
and sensitivity. I must treat no thought as irrelevant, but rather find my way to
the heart of it. Maria Rilke writes: “The
future must enter into you long before it happens … Just wait for the birth … for
the hour of new clarity.”
[Art
of the Everyday: Example and Discipline]—I received Marilyn Monroe’s image, which seemed to be impressed onto a
large rock or boulder. I played with the image, & eventually I emerged with
a short poem: “I saw the face of Marilyn Monroe/ Impressed on rock,/ Not carved
or painted,/ But pro- jected from some distant shock./ Cast there for life,/ Like
the resurrection on the shroud,/ It was the face of a star screaming.” I understand that we are never wounded [or
healed] in isolation from one another or from the world.
Without relinquishing
my self to Spirit, the Spirit won’t be free to move through me; my art won’t live
& my love won’t touch others. Slowly, I came to realize that I would only learn
the truths necessary for this work through human interaction and engagement. My primary resource would not come in the form
of a kit or system. It would come from my faith experience and my willingness to
be vulnerable.
The
practice of any art demands a discipline, and theological artistry is no exception.
Matthew Fox writes: “It is very important
that we recover a spiri- tuality of discipline … creativity requires hard work.” There is the discipline of journal writing, which
represents an honest and courageous attempt to draw close to one’s experience and
to the Inner Guide. [The theological content
that emerges is important, as is] the discipline and practice of writing, which develops some practical skills which are crucial for the work of caring.
Listening—In journal writing, I hope to be able to listen for the
unloving voices which sabotage my attempts to love myself & others. I try to
encourage & nurture those other more generous voices which are expressions of Spirit which seek me out. The journal is where
I engage the process of revelation & the emergence of meaning in the world.
In listening to another or to my deep- est self, I am involved in the process of the evolution of knowledge.
Jack L. Seymour wrote: “Communication is a complex
operation understanding all the linguistic symbols used, the context within
which they are used, & how they are shaped by the other person’s actions.” The
interpretive process involves understanding the other in terms of his or her own
self- understanding. The act of setting aside my agenda is a loving act & a
faithful response to the command to love my neighbor. To the extent that we can
listen well to ourselves & others, so we are able to move closer to God who
calls us into being.
Story-telling—As I write in my journal, I tell my story. Paul W. Pruyser
writes: “Modern pastoral theology requires in its practice a personal language that
can capture experiences, events outlooks, struggles, attitudes, feelings, hopes.” Through the stories of Biblical lives, God is
manifested through the personal and social, the relational and political.
Here, I find a truthful theology. Story-telling is basic to pastoral care,
because in telling our stories we name that which is “home” for us, our proper
place, which is crucial. It is upon this developed sense of our own personal
“belonging” that our spiritual authority, integrity and credibility ultimate rest. We must be prepared to speak of the places we
have found and called “home” as we are to speak of the process of seeking.
In journal
writing, we build the place of belonging, we tell the story of the searching and
finding which we share with others. Early Quaker’s “home” was represented by their
collective vision of a just society.
Friends’ journal writing both informed & reflected this vision.
Discovery of their common “home” moti- vated their witness & testimony to the
world. Pastoral care happens in the context of a community which listens to,
writes & speaks its stories, [which provide the symbols & common
language for our Art of the Everyday]. I believe one’s work in the journal
[can] represent an art-full theology which will be a primary resource for our
care for others.
Our shared work of pastoral care, and the artistry which is to inform it, depends upon our ability to relinquish and open ourselves to listen, create, and share our stories. We must be at home in the messiness [and incompleteness] of being human in relation to God. [We must speak personally in language which conveys existential realities even as it analyzes or solves them. A theo- logy of creation and of artistry is one of playfulness, color, spontaneity and surprise. It is only by being faithful, [creative] artists of the Spirit that we can avoid becoming victims of the guilt, fear and fatalism which give rise to so much pain and misery. [Using] the process of artistry is a radical act of cou- rage, defiance, [& love], which will cause us to be able to look death squarely in the face knowing beyond all doubt that it does not have the last word.
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Our shared work of pastoral care, and the artistry which is to inform it, depends upon our ability to relinquish and open ourselves to listen, create, and share our stories. We must be at home in the messiness [and incompleteness] of being human in relation to God. [We must speak personally in language which conveys existential realities even as it analyzes or solves them. A theo- logy of creation and of artistry is one of playfulness, color, spontaneity and surprise. It is only by being faithful, [creative] artists of the Spirit that we can avoid becoming victims of the guilt, fear and fatalism which give rise to so much pain and misery. [Using] the process of artistry is a radical act of cou- rage, defiance, [& love], which will cause us to be able to look death squarely in the face knowing beyond all doubt that it does not have the last word.
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282. Batter My Heart (by Gracia Fay Ellwood; 1988)
About the Author—Gracia Bouwman Ellwood was born into a devout Dutch Calvinist family in Washington. Having experienced from an early age the confusing effects of a conception of God both life-giving & life-destructive, she has long desired understanding, the healing of hurts, and union with God. She and her family joined Friends in the early 1980s. The present essay has its origin in pain. [It will cause pain] as it seeks to do surgery [on an old Bibli- cal view]. Ultimately it is good news, of recovery and liberation. Gracia has written many books and articles and teaches Religious Studies at California State University Long Beach
[Excerpt from “Batter my Heart” by John Donne] Batter my heart, 3- person’d God/ . . . and bend your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new./ Except you enthrall mee, never shall [I] be free,/ nor ever chast, except you ravish me.
The image of the outraged divine patriarch is unacceptable because it encourages tendencies to violence in human husbands/fathers. [There is a] complex pattern of mutual creation between human mind that projects God in its own image and the figure of God which takes on a life of his own and be- comes a model that shapes its own shapers. Gracia Fay Ellwood
The image of the outraged divine patriarch is unacceptable because it encourages tendencies to violence in human husbands/fathers. [There is a] complex pattern of mutual creation between human mind that projects God in its own image and the figure of God which takes on a life of his own and be- comes a model that shapes its own shapers. Gracia Fay Ellwood
The surprise is that after I face my monster, I find myself riding my monster; the energy that worked against me is the energy that works for me; my monster has become my ally, & my vehicle of joy… The risk [of following a leading] no longer held me back because I have learned my only real safety lies in following my Inward Guide… What helps me go through the hard times is the knowledge that deep in my soul, I rest in God. Charlotte Fardelmann
[Introduction]—All who read the Bible as Holy Scriptures are selective in their use of it, but Friends are more self-consciously so than most. [Since the final authority is the Light within], Friends find it comparatively easy to learn from the Bible’s wealth without struggling with “difficult” passages that affirm violence. An important source of the evils of hierarchy, oppression and violence is the Bible, the very source that has often inspired its readers to oppose them. The Bible has done much to shape Western culture as a whole. Its effect has been ambivalent, tending to put out the fires of violence and oppression by day while relighting them by night.
[“Jealous God”]—The divine name Yahweh (YHWH) [has sometimes been interpreted as “jealous,” and] has usually been rendered “the LORD” in our familiar Bibles. The term is appropriate to the overall picture of Yahweh presented in the Hebrew scriptures. [While] there are divine traits traditionally associated with femaleness, and gender-neutral images, in most instances Yahweh is a patriarchal being, and the revelation of his will to Israel is man- centered with women being auxiliary to his purposes.
In form the 10 Commandments are modeled upon the suzerainty treaty, a treaty imposed on subject people. The erotic image or dimension may rea- sonably be seen as implicit; it becomes explicit in the symbolism of the pro- phet Hosea. It is very likely in reaction to a sexual relationship between Canaanite deities that Hosea and the prophets after him developed instead a Sacred Marriage between Yahweh and Israel
[Yahweh/ Battering Husbands and Battered Wives]—Yahweh, as a masculine Deity who shows possessiveness, domination and violence, was necessarily made in the image of his patriarchal worshipers. Israel
The battering relationship's key trait is inequality, a shared presumption of the husband’s dominance. The wife finds her raison d’étre in the marriage & is responsible for its success; any unhappiness means she failed. Yahweh would be comparable to the] husbands that never give a flickering indication that they ever do wrong. The 2 sides of charmer and beater alternate in a 3- stage cycle: tensions builds with minor violence; lose of control & violent phy- sical assault; fury is exhausted, reparations are made. Some batterers do not have a 3rd stage. [In the Bible,] there is restored intimacy after she [Israel
[Divine Jealousy]—After Israel
Not all instances of Yahweh’s jealousy fit the batterer image. There is evidence that in the content of the erotic metaphor, Yahweh’s jealousy is of this irrational sort. Usually battered wives describe themselves as in fact innocent. In the Bible there are confessions of guilt (Lamentations 1:18 -19), and protes- tations of innocence (Psalm 44: 11, 17, 20). The [punishing,] violent attacks of Assyria and Babylon
[Forms of Abuse and Sexual Assault]—The abuse which the battering husband inflicts takes several forms in addition to physical attack: economic deprivation; social isolation; sexual assault. The husband is usually the chief breadwinner; even if she has her own income, he will control it so that she is in the position of supplicant. The economic relationship between Yahweh as husband and Israel Israel
Battered women are often told that they are being sexually provocative to other men. Unusual, “kinky” practices are often forced upon her; she often does not know from one time to the next whether sexual relations will be pleasurable or a dreadful ordeal. Yahweh punishes Israel
[Child Abuse/Sexual Attitude]—Some men who batter their wives also abuse their children, [anywhere from ⅓ to slightly over ½]. The extended image of adultery and wife-battering in Hosea very early includes the children, who are initially rejected because the husband (Hosea, symbolizing Yahweh) believes they are not his. [The children of Samaria 13:16 ] are not symbols only but real human beings, victims of Yahweh’s violence against Sa- maria
What of Gomer, Hosea’s wife? Did she actually commit adultery? Was she happy to be pursued and reclaimed by a man who was tenderly loving one day and talking gang-rape and evisceration another? Ezekiel also includes child battering in his imagery of wife-abuse, as Yahweh incites the rapists to kill their children. Clearly the issue is that the children are his property, and he kills them to increase the torture to their mother.
The battering husband is deeply ambivalent about female sexuality. He desires intimacy with her, [but not the vulnerability that goes with it.] He reacts to her like a toddler to his enormously powerful mother. It is difficult for him to see how dangerous his tantrums have become. There are texts that show that Yahweh as husband is not only enraged with Israel
[Interpreting the Prophetic Metaphor]—Some may hesitate to accept the language of battering to describe Yahweh’s violent judgment, implying as it does that the divine “husband” is a destructive, pathologically disturbed indi- vidual and the human “wife” an innocent victim, because it seems to do away with the reality of human guilt. [We are actually] applying the prophetic critique to the prophets themselves. Feminists will see marital possessiveness as a dehumanizing outgrowth of patriarchy, while mystics in many traditions will call any form of possessiveness a deluded attempt to put the finite for the Infinite.
Few would deny that abusing the poor [calls for outrage]. What is unac- ceptable & abhorrent is imaging these social evils as the acts of the rebellious child or insubordinate wife, justly incurring the husband’s and father’s violence. The prophets have turned the natural image upside down when they metapho- rically blame 2 oppressed classes. Because they supplied images of wrathful God & sinful Israel Israel
But the poor fit of these and similar images was suspected early. This awareness was reflected in the book of Job and verses like Genesis 18:25. Finally and most crucially, the image of the outraged divine patriarch is unac- ceptable because it encourages tendencies to violence in human husbands/ fathers. Peter Berger and Sallie McFague have shown the complex pattern of mutual creation between human mind that projects God in its own image and the figure of God which takes on a life of his own and becomes a model that shapes its own shapers.
[Wisdom as Female]—We should note that in the book Proverbs and the apocryphal wisdom literature there is a reversal of the unbalanced erotic image: a dominant female figure, Wisdom [with her] shadow side, the Loose Woman, an evil seductress who draws unwary males down to Sheol. Since Proverbs and Sirach recommend rods and whips for children and slaves, God as Lady is no more trustworthy a liberator than God as Lord.
The sacred Marriage appears explicitly as the union of Christ and Christian (i.e. Church) and as the Lamb and the Holy City
Revelation has nothing good to say about any flesh-and-blood woman. One notable thing about the 144,000 men who were redeemed from the earth, is that they “were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.” [On the other hand] we have a glorious archetypal Woman adorned with sun and stars who gives birth to a male child destined to rule the nations. There is another, the Whore, who is the victim of violence from God. From Wisdom Literature, we have the Madonna/Whore figure split between 2 figures, the Bride and the Harlot.
The Harlot, representing Rome
[Quaker Approach to Biblical Themes]—[The violent, abusive imagery so far surveyed] stands condemned by Friends’ testimonies, which arise from the Light Within and the conviction that it is borne by all. The teaching of George Fox is that the Spirit which inspired the writers of Scripture must be realized and active within us. Themes of compassion for & empowerment of the oppressed were taken up and developed by the historians, the prophets & the psalmists, [not without oppressive imagery of women and children, but it is there, nonetheless].
Besides Exodus is the Song of Songs, the “Paradise Regained” of the Hebrew Scriptures. The equality of the lovers provides a critique of the male dominant & violent Sacred Marriage. [Freedom & not possessiveness is the hallmark of the lovers’ relationship]. He shows no revulsion or ambivalence in regards to her sexuality. [They suffer under a repressive patriarchal society], but these evils are rejected. There is little, if any, suggestion of violence. As long as the relationship remains mutual respect rather than dominant submis- sion, the one-sided battering of the patriarchal Sacred Marriage can’t deve- lop, & their chances for happiness are much better.
[It stands in contrast to the oppressive Sacred Marriage imagery, & yet] it also has been sacred Scripture for Jews & Christians for millennia; the spiri- tual meanings of divine/human union found in it are part of its history & total significance. It shows up the disease at the roots of the other Scriptural erotic imagery, & remains a life-giving alternative model; [it is a much healthier model than the patriarchal model, as sociological studies show].
Historically, Friends have wisely focused on gender-neutral images of the Divine (e.g. Light, Seed, Spirit). Can we continue to use male images for God in the old manner without implicitly supporting patriarchy? Can we use any hierarchal images for God or any images of submission for humanity, without in some way fostering oppression? I see no way we can do so and remain loyal to our testimonies. [Any] images, [male or fe- male,] of inflexible hierarchy are equally unacceptable.
To use non-hierarchical male and female imagery can be a different matter, one which has its own problems. The primary one is the deep resis- tance people have to using explicit female imagery for God at all; it seems ridiculous, or unreal. [Giving God female “powers” is worse than a purely macho God. And a balanced, fluid switching back and forth will seem awk- ward, and] make many uneasy, but it is bound to stretch our consciousness and break the power of the model. We can speak to God all day long as Friend, Love, Beloved, or simply Thou—without being troubled by questions of gender.
What becomes of those persons who have derived their identity as Christians or Jews from a commitment to the Bible as sacred Scripture, yet are courageous enough to acknowledge this death-dealing theme that pervades it? The Bible need not be summarily discarded: indeed it is very unwise to try to cut ourselves off from our roots in this manner, to lose the history of our forebears who proclaimed liberty.
A breakdown of total worldview into meaninglessness is likely to happen to many if we proceed firmly toward the dethroning of that long-term idol, the Lord. Taken as a whole, Friends have been much less stunted spiritually by the idolatry of maleness than most groups and individuals in our culture. But we have not come through whole and sound, nor have we brought in the Kingdom, or rather the Peace of God into our own midst.
[Quaker Approach to Battered Women & Hierarchies]—Battered women may be among meeting attenders or members. We need to be aware of the signs, & to emphatically not dismiss or disbelieve on the grounds that her spouse/lover is mild-mannered, sensitive, or involved in humanitarian causes. Woman & children should be in a safe place before negotiations begin. Therapy should come from a professional knowledgeable about batte- ring. The need for volunteer workers, shelters & safe houses exceeds the supply virtually everywhere.
Doing away with every vestige of mastery-submission patterns among ourselves, & opposing them in the world at large seems to be not possible [E.g.] In adult-child relations control appears necessary for a lengthy period of time. We can oppose all permanent human hierarchies of profession, class, race, & sex by refusing them submission or even recognition. We must “call no man master” on earth, & emphatically not in heaven. “No long do I call you servants ... I have called you Friends.” (John 15:15).
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283. Sink Down to The Seed (by Charlotte Fardelmann; 1989)
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283. Sink Down to The Seed (by Charlotte Fardelmann; 1989)
About the Author—Charlotte Lyman Fardelmann, a professional jour- nalist and photographer, was a major contributor to Living Simply, 1981, and wrote Islands Down East: A Visitor’s Guide, 1984. She is a member of Dover Friends Meeting in Dover , NH Char- lotte
Give over thine own willing, give over thine own running, give over thine own desiring to know or be anything, and sink down to the seed which God sows in thy heart and let that be in thee, and grow in thee, and breathe in thee, and act in thee, and thou shalt find by sweet experience that the Lord knows that and loves that and owns that, and will bring to the inheritance of life, which is his portion. Isaac Penington
Desperation—This journey begins in trouble. Perhaps all journeys emerge out of the pain and chaos of troubled times when one is thrown off balance enough to be open to something new. [I had Islands Down East to write] when writer’s block hit me. Canceling family plans and [skipping com- mittee meetings] only freed up more time to accomplish nothing. I put myself [under pressure and could not find God]. My feeling is that this is precisely the point God likes to see. We are ready to let something die. Only then can something else be born.
I stood up in my Meeting for Worship and told God and the assembled group about my condition. My answer came in the silence. I was to slog along on my book until it was finished, and then “do something else.” My writer’s block was broken and words flowed from my finger tips. I took a 4-month sab- batical to figure out what the “something else” was. [The time in between one lifestyle & the next is] an uncomfortable time. [During this time I found metaphors in the events of my life that seem to indicate a new vehicle for my way forward, training for a new lifestyle, and other changes to bring out a new me.
At first I signed up for a week at Pendle Hill. I wrote in my journal: “I am feeling nervous about my week at Pendle Hill, sort of like I made an appoint- ment with God.” Sometimes the anxiety grows so large that people may be- lieve they are going to die. What is dying is a part of themselves, a way of life that they do not need any longer. There were humbling experiences where I had strong ego involvement. There was a teacher who heard my inward jour- ney and reflected it back to me in a way I knew was authentic. She said: “Trust you are being led. You don’t have to choose everything. In fact you may find it’s hard to get away from being led.”
[After getting home from my week’s sojourn], I found two levels of inner knowledge. [One level said]: “one term (3 months) is my limit.” But one journal entry (my deeper wisdom) says, “I am going to Pendle Hill for 9 months.” I had a vision of a corridor with many windows and a large round room. Outside the windows and inside the room was filled with white light. The message came: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” (John 14:27)
God Grabs me by the Gut—The big beautiful trees at Pendle Hill were golden, orange, & raspberry as we arrived for Fall Term. It was a show, a final display of brilliance before the season of “letting go.” [The whole atmosphere was very welcoming]. People of all ages from many countries gather [at meal- times], all seekers on the path joking & laughing one minute & switching to intense conversation with ease. [At the same time that I felt warmed & wel- comed] I also felt disoriented. It was unsettling not to have one’s usual under- pinnings available. [Disinterest in my photographs & articles led me to muse]: “Íf I’m not a journalist/ Photographer, who am I?”
Into that void, bits of myself began to be uncovered and emerge. Pen- dle Hill offered students a place of safety, a place of acceptance, a place where one could become vulnerable. At Pendle Hill one was held in prayer. Difficult times [e.g. accepting love, discarding old, inner tapes, job transition, divorce, abuse] were seen as lessons from which we grow. The Meetingroom was simplicity itself, with benches facing in on four sides. The quality of the Spirit there could be very nourishing; most attended meeting, although only half were Quaker. For me meeting for worship was a time of being melted, of sitting in the Spirit and being worked on deep down. [A central message at this time was]: “Rest in the Lord; you are my Child.”
Work is an integral part of life at Pendle Hill; [physical labor] helped keep people grounded in reality. There is also pain, anger, hurt, guilt, & every other feeling. It’s all grist for the mill, the grindstone of community, where peoples’ rough places are made smooth. [Of the many classes offered], I did not intend to take “Traveling in Ministry,” yet something moved deep inside me during the introductory class; little did I know I would be traveling in the ministry a year later. My superficial mind didn’t know that but my deeper wisdom guided me. In the classes, which opened with silent worship, the highest authority is not the teacher, but corporate revelation.
Students met with a [spiritual] consultant once a week for an hour; I also kept, & still keep, a journal. [It wasn’t all seriousness; there was also lighthear- ted fun]. I kept getting intuitive glimpses that something was coming. [I had a spiritual, mystical initiation that took place over a 2-week period, & included a 2-day retreat at a little campus hermitage]. I wrote down the important experi- ences of my life & the lessons they had taught me. “I feel my gut is like a mag- net & God is a big magnet … the force is so strong I will never be able to pull away.”
I began to get “assignments in the night.” 7 times I got up and went to the pottery shed to make a sculpture. There were 7: “God Grabbing Me by the Gut”; “Dark Night of the Soul”; “The Pillory”; “Facing My Monster”; “Re- birth”; “Stripping”; [“Baby in God’s Arms]. I put them in a circle with the Baby in the middle. Another thing I noticed as “baby kicks.” One teacher explained this could be symbolic of giving birth to a new part of myself. “Mystical exper- iences are a sign of reality; it is the reality that is important, not the mystical experience.” It was the safety net of being companioned by people with spi- ritual wisdom that allowed me to risk the perilous journey into the dark and uncharted waters of my inward landscape.
Transformation—Things began to build during the 2-week period be- tween the new moon & the full moon. During this period my heart had a lot of generalized fear, a vague anxiety. From my room I could hear the train whistle every hour as the train started over the trestle that bridged the Crum Creek. The train’s rumbling scared me to the core of my being. The night of the full moon, one of my classes scheduled a sleep-out under the moon. This full moon was called “Moon of the Deer’s Sorrow”; it was a time of letting go. [After listening to the train whistle nearly all night long] I’d had enough. I deci- ded to face my monster. I headed toward the train trestle.
(Looking back at this night, I realize my judgment was not sound be- cause I was in a deeply-inward state of mind. I walked down to the trestle and out onto a little platform halfway across where I could stand; it was the twilight hour before dawn. I recited “The Lord is my Shepherd” and “Amazing Grace” while I waited. Finally I spotted the train light at Wallingford Station. The noise was deafening and the Light became brighter and brighter as the train approached. I knew my job was to keep my eyes on the Light and not flinch or turn away; this took enormous determination, but I managed to “stare down the Light until the train passed. The light penetrated my being Through my eyes and connected with a light deep within myself. In that holy instant I was transformed.
Looking back after several years, I have come to the realization that train was a symbol for me of the power of God while the train light symbolized the Light of Christ, the eternal living Christ. All that change was my recog- nition & acceptance of this love & life & truth & power that is God & an ac- knowledgement that I would forever after live my life out of that recognition. I had crossed over to a new country; a new Charlotte
Time Management & Inner Peace—I asked God, “What’s different now?” The answer came: “You’re mine.” I [now] was part of a larger whole in which my role was asking God where I might best fit into [God’s] overall design. The work was fundamental, as in changing my use of time. Winter Term I received the inward message that I should not take too many courses because I was to have an “Inner Course,” called “Time Management & Inner Peace”; it would involve obedience. The idea that I might be led to inner peace was appealing, as it was inner anxiety and chaos that led me to Pendle Hill. [Even now I had inner pressure from my “inner driver.”]
I became sick with a long-term flu. It was evident that God and I could use this time for prayer. When we refuse to listen to the still small voice and to our friends, we have to listen to our bodies. [My] inward message was: “Slow down. I’ll help you slow down. Just ask me before you make any appointments or take on any new task.” I objected, but friends thought it was good idea. [“Centering breaks” became an important part of my day.]
Isaac Penington wrote: “Be not hasty, be not forward in judgment, keep back to the life. A few steps fetched in the life & power of God are much safer and sweeter than a hasty progress in the hasty forward spirit.” [I took “Quiet Days” with God]. I do my most important chores the day before and let the rest go until the day after. I continued this discipline back in New Hampshire
Coming Home—When it came time to leave Pendle Hill I did not want to go home. My fear was that as soon as I went home, I would spring back to my old ways like a rubber band that had been stretched. While my inner “seedling” felt fragile, I don’t think it really was. The question is how to stay open to God’s Spirit, how to connect once more with that life and power that one has experienced.
I listen with more trust to the inward guide. The nudges and pulls are a little clearer. My attempts to follow the leadings are more frequent and often more daring. [I direct my skills of journalist and photographer inward rather than outward. One cannot research spiritual realms and stay in the observer role. Recognizing, understanding, and responding to other people doing a process like mine eventually led me into become a teacher.
I’m less competitive and more cooperative since my time at Pendle Hill. I’ve discovered that who I am does not depend on what I produce; that is not how I am valued. The projects on which I now work tend to be cooperative ventures shared with other people. I met a woman and asked her if she would like to be my “spiritual friend”; we meet and share our spiritual journeys and our lives as a whole. My journal is my companion, a place to cry, to heal, to pray, to record inspiring bits of reading or ideas. Most important is prayer, meeting for worship, my Quiet Day, and occasional longer personal retreats.
I developed a slide show: “Stand Still in the Light: A Spiritual Journey at Pendle Hill.” With my “traveling ministry,” I became part of a broad intercon- necting network among Friends. My leading was putting me out where I felt most uncomfortable. When God leads us along perilous roads, God also pro- vides us with support, often in the form of love and help from real live people.
On hindsight I have figured out that God leads us into our weakness in order to bring us to wholeness. The surprise is that after I face my monster, I find myself riding my monster; the energy that worked against me is the energy that works for me; my monster has become my ally, and my vehicle of joy. The surprise gift was that my fear was taken away. I suspect that it was by the grace of God because it was not a gradual process. The risk [of following a leading] no longer held me back because I have learned my only real safety lies in following my Inward Guide. What helps me go through the hard times is the knowledge that deep in my soul, I rest in God. At the core of my being, where I used to have anxiety, there is inner peace.
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284. Thomas Kelly as I Remember Him (by T. Canby Jones; 1988)
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284. Thomas Kelly as I Remember Him (by T. Canby Jones; 1988)
About the Author—T. Canby Jones was born in Japan Westtown School , PA Haverford College , PA Norway US
Are we people whose lives can only be explained by saying, the Eternal Life and Love are breaking through into time, at these points? Do we hunger for the same sort of miracle in our lives which transformed that of Thomas Kelly?
[Introduction]—Thomas Kelly died at 48, on what he called “the grea- test day of my life.” [His writing project about a life of total commitment to God was about to take off, & he was looking forward to the Friends World Commit- tee for Consultation in Washington Haverford , PA
His Message—“Deep within us all there is an inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice … a dynamic center, a creative Life that presses to birth within us. It's a Light Within which illumines the face of God & casts new shadows & glories upon the face of men.” Kelly reminds us that we are not initiators in this process, for “the Hound of Heaven” is baying on our tracks. Thomas Kelly affirms: we can learn to live our lives on 2 levels at once.
The surface has earthly responsibilities, but way down deep in the cen- ter we can live in “continuously renewed immediacy of divine Presence.” The 1st attempts at “stayed-ness upon God” are awkward & painful. But it is worth it because we have begun to live. [Eventually there will be] periods of “dawning simultaneity” [of living inward & outward]. We will then look out upon the events in the world “through the sheen of the Inward Light, & react toward men spon- taneously & joyously from this Inward Center
A Life of Prayer Without Ceasing—A major call in Tom Kelly’s mes- sage is the call to a life of constant prayer, what Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross called “the Prayer of the Quiet” or the “Prayer of Simple Regard.” With the inward eye we constantly look at the Lord; nothing is said, or even thought.
Thomas Kelly also speaks of the prayer of inward offering up [i.e.] of everything and everyone around you, the prayer of inward song—“Inner exul- tation, inner glorification of the wonders of God fill the deeper levels of mind … as a background of deep-running joy and peace; as a dancing, singing tor- rent of happiness, which you must hide lest men think you … filled with new wine.”—and the prayer of inward listening. It not only requires regular times of private personal prayer in the silence of all flesh but develops into constant inner communion in which we can hear and obey God’s faintest whisper.
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“Creative, Spirit-filled lives do not arise until God is attended to, till his internal teaching … becomes a warm experience. Thomas Kelly also simplifies intercessory prayer, which he calls the prayer of inward carrying. “These are not a chance group of people; they are your special burden and privilege]: You quietly hold them high before God in inward prayer, giving them to Him, vica- riously offering your life & strength to become their life and strength.” Finally, there is infused prayer. “There come times when one’s prayer is given to one, as it were from beyond oneself, laid upon us, as if initiated by God. It is as if we were being prayed through by a living Spirit…”
Call/Gateway to Holy Obedience—The heart of Thomas Kelly’s mes- sage is found in holy obedience, which stems from life lived at the center, and constant awareness of God’s presence. “There are plenty to follow our Lord halfway, but not the other half; it touches them too closely to disown them- selves. It is just this astonishing life which is willing to follow Him the other half that I would propose to you… Only now & then comes [someone] willing to go the other half, to follow God’s faintest whisper. [Then] God breaks through, miracles are wrought, [The world very much needs] such committed lives … The life that intends to be wholly obedient, wholly submissive, wholly listening, is astonishing in its completeness; its simplicity that of a trusting child.”
“It is an overwhelming experience to fall into the hands of the living God, to be invaded to the depths of one’s being by God’s presence, to be invaded without warning, wholly uprooted… In awful solemnity the Holy One is over all & in all… Blessed death [comes], death of one’s alienating will.” Active holy obedience involves: “flaming vision”; be in the world and in prayer at the same time; no self-recrimination for slips; “relax and learn to live in a passive voice.”
Fruits of Holy Obedience—5 fruits of holy obedience are: humility, holiness, entrance into suffering, simplicity, & joy. Humility is “holy blindedness,” by which a soul sees naught of self, personal degradation, or personal emi- nence, but only the Holy Will working. Such single-minded humility makes us bold, fills us with courage, enables us to take absurd risks because of the faith which now burns within us. In Thomas Kelly’s holiness, “God inflames the soul with a burning craving for absolute purity. One burns for complete innocency & holiness of personal life… The blinding purity of God in Christ, how captiva- ting, how alluring, how compelling it is!”
Entrance into suffering is accepting the discipline in which pain becomes a sacrament, carrying “the [anguish and glory of] the Cross as lived suffering. God has planted the Cross along the road of holy obedience… God loves the miracle of willingness to welcome suffering & to know it for what it is—the final seal of God’s gracious love.” The [4th] fruit of holy obedience is simplicity of the “trusting child”; [it bring the last fruit], radiant joy. “Each of us can live such a life of amazing power and peace and serenity, of integration & confidence, on one condition—that is if we really want to …We have not counted this Holy Thing within us to be the most precious thing in the world. We haven't surrendered all else.”
Thomas Kelly has also discovered that: “Lives immersed drowned in God are drowned in love, & know one another in God, & know one another in love … 2, 3, 10 people may be in living touch with one another through God who underlies their separate lives. Their strength becomes our strength and our joy becomes theirs. Daily and hourly the cosmic Sacrament is enacted, the Bread and wine are divided amongst us by a heavenly Ministrant; the sub- stance of His body becomes our life; the substance of His blood flows in our veins.”
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[Thomas Kelly Queries]
Do you really want to live every moment of your lives in God’s Presence? Does every breath you draw breathe a prayer, a praise to God? Do you sing and dance within yourself to be God’s and only God’s, walking every moment in holy obedience? Is love steadfastly directed toward God, in our minds, all day long? Do we intersperse our work with gentle prayers and praises to God? Do we live in the steady peace of God, a peace down at the very depths of our souls, already a victor of the world and our weaknesses? Are you a miracle of radiant eternity lived in the midst of time? Am I such a miracle? Are we people whose lives can only be explained by saying, the Eternal Life and Love are breaking through into time, at these points?
The Story of His Life—Thomas Raymond Kelly was borne 4 June, 1893 near Londonderry , Ohio
His father died in September 1897. His mother moved to Wilmington
At Wilmington College Haverford College , PA. Pickering College Japan
When the US Blackpool . [Thomas Kelly’s Quaker practices and pacifist stance made him very unpopular with camp administrators]. The YMCA sacked Thomas Kelly and all those who held simi- lar beliefs. Back at Hartford Wilmington College Wilmington
Back in New England , Thomas Kelly pursued the PH. D. and served as pastor of a nondenominational church in Wilson CT. Germany Berlin Friends Center Germany
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The first years at Earlham were happy ones. Tom loved his Teaching. But the strictures of evangelical Quakerism in Indiana Germany
Additional Study at Harvard/Return to Earlham—Thomas Kelly grew disillusioned with the lack of response to this vision among Earlham colleagues & Friends in the mid-west. He studied at Harvard in 1930. A small fellowship, borrowed money, supply preaching, & filling in for a Wellesly professor allowed him to spend 2 years studying. Kelly found each day of study with Clarence I. Lewis & Alfred North Whitehead exploded new horizons, brought freshness to his writing style, & made him determined to seek a 2nd Ph. D. degree, this one from Harvard. Eventually he was forced to return to Earlham.
Back at Earlham he became even more ferociously committed to the life of a scholar. He spent that summer studying Émile Meyerson. He had to plead with Harvard to let him stand for a Ph. D. Thomas resented his days back at Earlham. [His zealous efforts to finish] his Harvard thesis [took a severe toll on his health]. In the summer of 1934 he accepted an invitation to give a series of lectures at Pendle Hill. Spiritually he was approaching the low point of his life. In early 1934 he was invited to teach at the Univ. of HI
In December 1934 Thomas Kelly suffered a nervous breakdown. His strength returned in mid-March & he was able to complete his Ph. D. thesis by May and send it off to Harvard. Whitehead thought that Kelly’s true interest lay religion. In Hawaii Thomas Kelly was disillusioned with the lackadaisical atti- tude of many of the University faculty toward scholarship. While there he developed massive files & syllabi on Chinese & Indian thought; he helped revive Honolulu Friends Meeting. There were health problems for both Lael and Thomas. President Comfort of Haverford College
Haverford 1936-1938/New Man/1st Meeting—Back in Philadelphia
In late 1937 “the cliffs caved in and filled up a chasm.” The inward war- fare ended, the scholarly & spiritually minded person inside Thomas Kelly be- came “of twain one new man.” This cataclysmic event of late 1937 was a life- changing one. He knew 1st- hand what it meant “to be drowned in the over- whelming seas of the love of God.” Friends could see the “fire” of the Holy Spirit in his eyes, hear it in his laughter. [He was deeply affected by the incre- dible suffering and sin of a world poised on the verge of world war and by “Galilean glories”.
He preached 3 lectures at Coulter Street Meeting in Germantown , PA. vine Center
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I 1st came to know Thomas Kelly 4 or 5 months after his experience of inner healing. He was the leader of a weekend retreat at Albert Bailey’s family farm. What I remember most is what I did not like. To insist that we had to disown ourselves, endure pain, carry a cross, and lose our lives to them; that made no sense. It was also one of the most important lessons I learned through my beloved teacher, Thomas Kelly.
Plowed Down to the Depths—During his experience in Nazi Germany, he goes on record on how he was “opened up” into a new “childlike dedication to God.” “Last winter … I was much shaken by the experiences of the Pre- sence—something I did not seek, but that sought me. Even in the midst of a people torn with fear of being overheard and sudden arrest, Thomas Kelly came to a sense of inward joy and peace. “I seem at last to have been given peace. “One thing I have learned or feel, so overwhelmingly keenly, is the real pain of suffering with people … Some here have found all the power of Apostolic days in the early Church. Something of the wonder of the Aposto- lic power and serenity and peace in suffering is taking place here, and I have found life’s dimension opened up amazingly. I have been plowed to depths I’ve never known before.”
Kelly and Heschel—[Thomas Kelly met Abraham J. Heschel, “a mystic who would be profoundly at home in a Quaker meeting”] on a limousine ride to a railway station. They wrote to each other after the encounter. From Thomas Kelly I learned the fervent love of God. From Abraham Heschel I learned the meaning of the compassionate anger of God; this Jew and this Quaker were spiritual friends.
Back at Haverford 1938-41/His Life a Miracle—My first Sunday as a Haverford freshman I attended Haverford Friends Meeting. Rufus Jones commented on Psalm 90. Thomas Kelly spoke on the latter part of Psalm 73 with power and fervor. I asked Thomas Kelly whether it might be possible to have a religious discussion group; Tom was overjoyed at the prospect. Our sessions consisted of Tom reading aloud his favorite passages while we sat silently and contemplatively drinking it all in.
He brought out Letters by a Modern Mystic, by Frank Laubach, a con- temporary and an American. [Hearing his story of] loneliness and then an overwhelming revelation of the love and presence of God, [we heard] a direct challenge to us to hunger after God with all the energy of our souls. Thomas Kelly told us of his vision that we should become a band of itinerant preacher, like George Fox. We became active in service projects, like helping with a Sunday School, Young Friends Movement, and Friends World Committee Meetings. Messages from our group began to be heard in mid-week and Sunday meetings at Haverford.
The new depth & power in Thomas Kelly’s life meant both greater bles- sing & greater difficulties for him as he faithfully called all persons to the Light within them. [His new simplicity] was very disturbing to the sophisticated, critical & sometimes cynical Haverford student of that day. He was fully accepted by his fellow faculty, even though his depth of fervor did not speak to the condi- tion of some of them. He poured himself with new energy into his committee work with the American Friends Service Committee.
In his religious ministry at this period he struggled to rid himself of the “learned phrase,” “the scholarly allusion,” to speak the simple language of the heart. [Except for “Tom Kelly’s” boys, most students required to attend] the Thursday morning meeting for worship intensely disliked or were deeply dis- turbed by Thomas Kelly’s calls to live radiant lives for God.
He also learned that one has to endure times of spiritual aridity and apparent abandonment by the Holy Spirit. We must “learn not to clamor perpetually for height but walk in shadows and valleys and dry places, for months & years together; so must group worshipers learn that worship is fully valid when there are no thrills, no special sense of covering … I’m persuaded that a deep sifting of religion leads us down to the will, steadfastly oriented toward the will of God. In that steadfastness of the will one walks serene and unperturbed praying only, ‘Thy will be done.”
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Opposition, ridicule or periods of spiritual dryness were all suffered during Thomas Kelly’s last 3 years by an optimism born of joy. Thomas Kelly preached at the lobsterman’s Nazarene church. The love of God that shone forth from Thomas Kelly was what those dear people called, “the love of Christ.”
In October 1940 there was interest in publishing his lectures or manu- scripts, and the beginnings of a book called The Light Within. He wrote a brief message called Children of Light which says in part: “We must humbly bear the message of the Light. Many see it from afar & long for it with all their being. Amidst the darkness of this time the day star can arise in astounding power & overcome the darkness within & without … It is given to us to be message bearers of the day that can dawn in apostolic power if we be wholly committed to the Light … Radiant in that radiance we may confidently expect the kindling of the Light in all men, until all Men’s footsteps are lighted by that Light, which is within them … It is a great message which is given to us, that the Light over- comes the darkness. But to give the message we must also be the message."
After Thomas Kelly’s death, Douglas Steere with some help from “the gang” accomplished a vicarious service of love by bringing into print the book which we agreed to call A Testament of Devotion. The book is a testimony to the miracle Thomas Kelly knew in his life. It continues to speak to the spiritual need of thousands, more than 40 years after his death. Are we people whose lives can only be explained by saying, the Eternal Life and Love are brea- king through into time, at these points? Do we hunger for the same sort of miracle in our lives which transformed that of Thomas Kelly? If we do so with all the energy of our souls, it will also happen in us.
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285. Letter to a Universalist (by John Punshon; 1989)
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285. Letter to a Universalist (by John Punshon; 1989)
About the Author—John Punshon was born in the east end of London in 1935. He was educated at Brasenose College Oxford Birmingham
Dear Friend/My Own Bias—I cannot minister as I feel called, because I know the words that come naturally to me are often unacceptable to you. You feel that true Quaker thought and experience leads to your position and not mine. I want to engage in an exploration of faith with you, because I have come to feel that our difference go beyond personal preferences and reflect a deep collective crisis of identity for unprogrammed Quakerism.
My early experiences of Christianity were all positive, [from a little coun try church and a strict evangelical Anglican church; I went to a universalist church in my adolescence]. The Anglican vicar’s faith was on the surface, and he showed little sense of mystery, or awareness that religion operated at many different levels. The universalist minister, on the other hand, used Christian terms that said one thing but meant another. He side-stepped the surface meanings of Bible passages by explaining what its “deeper meaning” was. I was both dying of thirst on the surface of religion and drowning beneath it. Social gospel is more appealing that personal salvation.
Objections to Christianity—My Christianity involves the Trinity, incar- nation, resurrection and atonement of Christ, church membership, Sermon on the Mount, and parables of the Kingdom; covenant, salvation and redemption are metaphysical realities. We are the 1st people to have access to a greatly expanded understanding of the universe. Christian anthropomorphism as an explanation of the forces, powers and processes of the universe is naïve; it is too crude to be true. Christianity says we are all sinners; it offers a cure for a pathological condition which most people seem not to suffering from. The main reason against the credibility of my own faith is that we are changing the way and the substance of what we think about. If Universalism is true, Christ is not the Savior of the world. My faith is then false and the sooner I recognize that fact the better.
An Approach to Universalism—The most noticeable thing about you universalists is that you use words that imply you have something new which at the same time has roots deep in the past. You have a deep sense of solidarity, or “unity with the creation.” Some look forward to a combination of the best & richest features of the great world faiths, others see mystical experience of religious consciousness as the great common ground among the faiths. Those things are not unique to you; many of us who follow Christ or Islam have the same sentiments.
Universalists say that it is possible to have a wider range of experiences and relationship with ultimate reality than the Christian tradition could ever per- mit. They see that no religion has a monopoly of truth and there is truth to be found in all religions. For Christians, religion is the working out in life the belief that in Jesus Christ there is the definitive self-disclosure or revelation of God. For you, religious commitment is based on the unfettered search for religious truth; religion's substance is in the spiritual process rather than the content. Traditional believers are irritated with your answers to faith questions because they do not realize that your faith is not a defective variant of theirs; it is a diffe- rent kind of religion.
A Different Issue—The conception of religion as personal process is at variance with the way the world seems to me to be. Fundamentalism flourishes where [religious minorities try to maintain integrity amidst] a different dominant faith. [My route to] mutual toleration and harmony, is by taking other faiths at their own estimation of themselves, not by our interpretation of them]. It is the differences and the challenges they present that we stand the best chance of widening our own understanding and also where we find the opportunity of overcoming destructive narrow-mindedness. [Dialogues and solutions about how a minority’s beliefs can be implemented in the culture of the majority faith have little to do with universalism.] The battle of tolerance takes place within orthodoxy, which stands between liberalism and fundamentalism. That is where the action is.
A Critique of Universalism—As part of its working definition Universa- lism denies exclusive claims to truth in every religion, because while all reli- gions can be partially true, none can be wholly true; [that includes Universa- lism]. One cannot simply assert that there is truth in all religions as if that were all. Without a working definition of what truth is, one can hardly know what aspect of a religion is true. Many Quakers opt for a common mystical experi- ence which is seen to lie beneath the surface diversity of the great world reli- gious systems.
[Many contemporary Friends, following the “Quakerism is Universalism” line of reasoning say] “Christian faith is really too restrictive a basis for mem- bership of the Society of Friends, so we must accept all who share our values regardless of our beliefs and traditions.” A unilateral universalist reconstruction of Quakerism can only take place by ignoring the position of the non-universa- list majority in the Society of Friends. I'm not ready to make this kind of break. [More and more], the substance of Quaker belief is summarized in a series of saws and maxims. They work like trump cards, [ending all chance of further arguments].
Some Saws and Maxims—The seeker is the ace of trumps. “Quaker- ism began among the 17th century Seekers” who rejected doctrines in favor of experience. That is not how Quakerism began. The notions card says that since Quakers refused to discuss things like sin, salvation and atonement, i.e. notions, we have no need of theology or Bible. The early Quakers had a pre- cise theology and knew the Bible backwards. The new Light card is from 1931 London Yearly Meeting (“Be open to new light from whatever quarter it may come).” The personal testimony is all card, [from George Fox’s] “But what canst thou say?” is used to minimize corporate commitment and elevate since- rity of a conviction over its truth.
The utterances of the Quakers of old had a context, they were part of a terminology, they were derived from a coherent & consistent theological frame- work. Compared with this rich dialogue growing out of experience, I find one- line summaries of a profound faith trivial and depressing. Anyone seeking to say that Christianity is a part of our testimony may now be told that they might be happier elsewhere. [In my own meeting] I am highly inhibited in saying anything specifically religious at all in case I tread on somebody’s toes. The one thing out of the question [in 1st-Day School] is explicit Christian teaching.
The following points would likely be raised in any discussion of this is- sue. 1st, there is “that of God in every one.” Unless you know what is meant by “that” and “God” it isn't much help. 2nd, there are values; Friends share many common values. I don’t know about you, but I go to meeting to worship God, not to have values. [It is too broad of a characteristic & includes too many to define Quakerism].
Then, there is the individualist move. It is customary to say in some quarters that the Society of Friends has never made any unalterable statements of belief. Many deduce from this that no gathering or body may make any authoritative statement about what Quakerism is. Universalists sometimes argue from these principles that the Society cannot deny membership to non- Christians. This is a set of assumption about the nature of the Society of Friends which is open to question. It's highly arguable whether doctrine will support those who reckon that it's continuing revelation that is leading Quaker- ism toward Universalism.
[The conditions for continuing revelation] rested on conversion to a faith in the triune God of the Christian revelation. Continuous revelation is cumula- tive, not selective. It teaches us to believe more deeply, not more narrowly. You ought to either accept the tradition or face the fact that it may be human preference and not divine guidance that causes Quakers to change their col- lective minds.
The Problem Stated—The majority Programmed Quakers ask: Why is it so hard to talk about Christ? The absence of an institutional requirement for novelty to prove itself over time has led the unprogrammed tradition to open itself to outside influences without being clear about what effect they would have on it. I have seen the rapid growth of the opinion that it is this syncretism above all other things which is the defining characteristic of Qua- kerism. If you worship the Spirit that was in Jesus, but not Jesus, & that you follow him only as a great moral teacher, I don’t see how your position can be the foundation for a community. Your position seems incompatible with the Quaker tradition & what it says about Christ. The argument against Univer- salism being an essential feature of Quakerism, is that it ignores the fact that most Quakers are Evangelicals, not Universalists.
[Your interpretation of] George Fox’s assertion about Christ [is that] Fox was describing an experience of God, but it was not an experience of the pre- existent, incarnate, risen Lord. Fox’s letter to the Governor of Barbados is doctrine and very similar to the Apostles’ Creed; it cannot be denied, [so it is ignored in the Disciplines]. [From your standpoint] Fox was either using theo- logical notions [to describe his experience] or he meant something quite diffe- rent that he lacked the means to express.
The Influence of Cultural Relavitism—Cultural relativism asserts that truth is defined not by reference to facts, but to what a given culture under- stands; truth is culture-specific. We can judge the past by the present; we can- not use the past to judge the present. Not only is Fox’s claim not authoritative, but it cannot be now. Any assertion that we share a common faith with Fox and Penn is a philosophical impossibility. Cultural relativism raises as many ques- tions as it solves. Universalism and pantheism were real options for Fox in the 17th century, and he turned them down. He was not as culture-bound as you might think.
Scientific Method and Quaker Faith/Conclusion—Some Friends use the thought of Teilhard de Chardin to show ways in which the symbolic system of Christianity might be utilized to take faith (and Quakerism) beyond Christian exclusivism. Teilhard’s ideas can be combined with Jungian explanations of human personality. Science provides us with models of reality and not immu- table truths. Some Friends find it difficult to sustain traditional understanding of God in the face of these things. I find a willingness among Friends to adopt contemporary philosophy of science as a basis for religion. Christianity must be abandoned because it relies on revelation, for which this world view has no place. [Is current secular orthodoxy preferable to traditional religious orthodoxy?] I do not think [this method] can support a theology in the way Universalists variously claim.
1st, I do not think that philosophical & scientific knowledge dovetail into one another the way Teilhard thought they did. 2nd, there is a tendency among Friends to adopt interesting ideas in the field of scientific enquiry and then use them as if they were authoritative and immutable. I do not think the philosophy of science will provide an adequate foundation for religion if Christianity is to be abandoned because it is considered to be outdated.
3rd, I don’t see the logical connection between adopting such ideas and a preference for Universalism against Christianity. These arguments give no reason for preferring one against the other; they challenge both. Unless we believe in other sources of truth than the human understanding, we shall find ourselves treading what history shows to be a very dangerous path. There is no reason why we should be apprehensive [about discussing our differences openly], provided we don’t let our emotions stand in the way of our judgment, or put our own desires in the place of our quest for truth.
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286. War Taxes: Experiences of Philadelphia YM Quakers through
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286. War Taxes: Experiences of Philadelphia YM Quakers through
the American Revolution (by Elaine J. Crauderueff; 1989)
About the Author—Elaine J. Crauderueff has worked for Friends in several capacities involving teaching and curriculum. She is also an active member of the war Tax Concerns Support Committee. This pamphlet is a result of work done for a master’s thesis in religious studies atVillanova Uni- versity
About the Author—Elaine J. Crauderueff has worked for Friends in several capacities involving teaching and curriculum. She is also an active member of the war Tax Concerns Support Committee. This pamphlet is a result of work done for a master’s thesis in religious studies at
[Introduction]—In the winter of 1979, I began an unplanned spiritual journey. I was working on a flyer about governmental budget priorities. I read “The Moral Equivalent of Disarmament,” which said in part: “How much longer can the church continue quoting to the government its carefully researched figures on military expenditures and social needs [while] serving up the dollars to fund the berserk priorities? Our bluff has been called.”
During my spiritual journey I came to a quiet and very firm clarity that I could not pay war taxes. I explained to the IRS what I was doing with the money I wasn’t sending to them. Every year since then, my husband Mike and I have resisted war taxes in a variety of ways that have seemed right for us to make our witness. The results have not been dramatic, at least in terms of affecting the federal budget. We don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it. We have come to know that it is the least we can do to witness to God’s love and power.
War taxes were an issue for Philadelphia YM Friends right from the start. Quakers controlled the PA Assembly & were influential in New Jersey
A few refused to pay for war in any form. [Others were offered or sought ways of side-stepping the issue by paying for war indirectly]. English Friends were not concerned about how the government used their taxes, believing that to be Caesar’s responsibility. Several attempts were made to convince Phila- delphia Friends to conform to the tax-paying ways of English Friends. Eliza- beth Redford was the notable exception and was eldered by her meeting. In the 1st half of the 1700s, Philadelphia YM advocated obedience.
Philadelphia YM in an epistle wrote: “When at any time it hath pleased God to suffer the rulers that hath been over us to Impose any thing against out Allegience to God, we have Patiently suffered under them until the Lord [opened] their Understandings and mollify their Hearts towards us.” A few Friends felt that their allegiance to God was violated by the war tax of 1711; some refused and were jailed. Friends generally paid the war tax during this period. [How willing they were] is not clear from the surviving sources.
In 1722 Philadelphia YM included the war tax issue at its sessions; the lack of unity, yet growing concern was clear. [1736 Meetings called for obedi- ence in] “the payment of Duties to the Crown.” In 1739, the YM asked Friends to be “vigilant in keeping the peaceable Principles professed … & in no manner to joyn with [those] making warlike preparations offensive or defensive.” As- semblyman James Logan said: “All Civil Government … is founded on Force.” If Quakers could not be pacifists & participate in politics, they should get out of politics.
The End of the “Holy Experiment”—When the legislators continued to approve war sums, with the normal equivocations, they were moving headlong into a confrontation with an emerging & growing spiritual revitalization in the Philadelphia YM. John Woolman, John Churchman & others addressed the Assembly as follows: “we shall at all times heartily & freely contribute … for benevolent purposes … [but] we apprehend that many among us will be under the necessity of suffering, rather than consenting to the payment of a tax for [war] purposes.”
The Assembly responded with great indignation. They compared their 1755 bill with the 1711 war tax bill, even though in their bill they were spending money on war directly (The Crown spent the money in the 1711 bill). A Phila- delphia YM committee wrote a radical interpretation of the Peace Testimony. Friends were increasingly alarmed at the legislators’ behavior, and as a body and as individuals labored with its members in the Legislature to get their resignations; 6 resigned from these efforts. “The Epistle of Tender Love and Caution,” at the end of 1755, was the 1st YM statement by a committee, en- dorsing individual and corporate war tax resistance.
Friends Reaction to the War Tax—The actions that Philadelphia YM & individuals took on war taxes during the French & Indian War reveal an evol- ving understanding of the Peace Testimony to be more dynamic. John Wool- man wrote: “I could not see that [the example of upright-hearted men who paid such taxes] was sufficient reason for me to do so. [Danger to the so- ciety would result if “by small degrees there might be an approach toward that of fighting, till we came so near that the distinction would be little else but the name of a peaceable people.” Joshua Evans wrote: “it Opened very clear to me … that to hire men to do what I could not for conscience sake do myself was very Inconsistent. I refused to defray war expences (tho my part might appear as a drop in the Ocean yet it is made up of drops).”
Assemblyman James Pemberton resigned from the Assembly that had become a war Assembly. His brother Israel
The Revolutionary War Period/Taking a Stand: Amending the Discipline—During the Revolutionary War period Friends in America faced the war tax issue directly, and the meeting’s control over individual behavior was vastly expanded to include clothing, furniture, marriage, fighting, and military assistance. Members could be eldered and disowned for violating Society discipline. How would individual Friends respond to war taxes and formal Advice? What would result in taking a radical position on the war tax issue?
The war tax issue [was especially difficult, because] it was “difficult to separate in a time of war the support due to the usual demands & needs of the State from those directly & obviously for war purposes.” The use of Continental Currency was an issue that highlights the daily dilemmas confronting Friends who were conscientiously opposed to supporting war. It “was considered a co- vert means of taxation to finance the prosecution of war.” The YM decided to allow for each person to determine individually what was right action, & to “abide in true love and Charity” [with those of opposing view]. [John Cowgill of Duck Creek & Thomas Watson of Buckingham suffered ostracizing, boycott, public ridicule, jail, & court martial for faithfulness to their religious duty].
By 1776 the war tax issue was a yearly meeting concern. Friends in New Jersey
The Meeting for Sufferings again considered the tax issue just prior to the 1778 YM. Chester Quarter asked: At what point should a Friend refuse to support what in peacetime would clearly be acceptable, but in war might actually or implicitly support the war effort? The YM wrote the [tax resister’s intent to] maintain the Peace Testimony “hath remarkably tended to unite us in deep sympathy with the seed of Life in their hearts, … [all mem- bers should] avoid complying with the injunctions & requisitions made for the purpose of carrying on War, which may produce uneasiness to themselves or tend to increase the sufferings of their Brethren.”
In 1780, the YM recommended: “according to the Advices given forth by this Meeting at sundry Times, … the Members of our religious Society be again exhorted to attend the Monitions of divine Grace, and carefully guard against suppressing them in either themselves or others.”
After the war, the government carried a huge war debt. Most Friends paid the taxes for defraying the war debt. Gloucester
The YM affirmed that those Friends should keep careful accounts of their losses and forward them to the Meeting for Sufferings. The strong Minute from 1776 was not changed for well over 100 years. Compliance, though, was low and the practice of disownment over the tax issue did not lead to large numbers of disownments. It can be accurately said that Philadelphia YM en- dorsed and supported war tax resistance as a matter of enforceable discipline during the American Revolution.
Friends Witnessing—The stated Discipline of the Religious Society of Friends reflects the actual practice of the Society only to the extent that indivi- duals choose to follow it. Some Friends followed it, but not nearly all. Since some Friends had political agendas, their neighbors assumed that all Friends motives were partisan. The total of recorded sufferings in Pennsylvania
Anthony Benezet and B. Mason wrote a tract entitled, in part, Reasons why we ought not to pay Taxes to support War. They refuted the usual Scrip- tural arguments and concluded with: “how then can we do that by proxy under the Character of a tax, which we cannot do in Person or with a Fine? … let us not through fear of suffering give out Money for the worst of purposes.” Sam- uel Allinson wrote Reasons against War, and paying Taxes for its Support, and discerned criteria for determining rightly led action: “Whenever an act strikes the mind with a religious fear that the performance of it will not be holding the light of the Gospel of Peace, or be a stumbling block to others it ought carefully to be avoided … that may be a cross today which was not before.”
Enforcing the Discipline—The possibility of being read out of meeting for paying war taxes irked Friends who had patriotic leanings. Isaac Sharpless wrote: The integrity of Quaker testimony against war was at stake, & gathering up all their reserve of strength & shutting their hearts against the pleadings for mercy … they cleared the Society of open complicity with war. There was a lot of variation in the severity of dealings with deviators.
Isaac Grey published Serious Address to Such of the People Called Quakers … as profess Scruples … concerning Obedience to Civil Authority in 1778. Grey accurately explained that “no precedent for censure or condem- nation can be found in the history or proceedings of Friends. Why should there be pain and separation when “love & union might be preserved?” His Meeting labored with and eventually testified against him. Almost all who participated in the military were disowned; less than half who paid war taxes were disowned. A total of 239 Friends in Philadelphia
The War Ends and the Witness Continues—Some Friends who par- ticipated in the war effort and had been disowned or left on their own began to reconsider. They began asking to be reunited with their meetings. Friends continued to suffer persecutions for nearly a decade after the war ended. A Quarterly and Yearly Meeting “Taxpaying was titely tried by a Large Commite and to pay refused.” After decades, Joshua Evans was still not defeated by the apparent ineffectiveness of his witness. Once he determined that paying for war was wrong, he could not do regardless of changing circumstances, in- cluding not paying a Duty on imported articles because: “I could see no mate- rial differences between paying by Tax or Duty [for war].”
Thoughts for the Present—Philadelphia YM continues to deal with the religious concern of war tax refusal; they have evolved detailed administrative policies to support employees who refuse war taxes. The historical witness of Philadelphia YM Friends is inspiring, inconsistent, and at times, embarrassing. However their struggle encourages us today to be both more patient and challenging with one another. What does Peace Testimony mean to indivi- duals & the Society of Friends as a body today? [An especially meaning- ful part is: “That the spirit of Christ, by which we are guided, is not changeable, so as once to command us from a thing as evil and again to move unto it.” Is there nothing that we now believe to always be true?
While I confess still to desire the strength of a unified Quaker witness, I know that the Spirit of Christ makes the future results of all spiritual journeys, others and my own, unknowable. Just when I am comfortable accepting our diversity, John Woolman’s words call out: “To conform a little to a wrong way strengthens the hands of such who carry wrong customs to their utmost extent; the more a person appears virtuous and heavenly-minded, the more powerfully does his conformity operate in favour of evildoers.” History can be used to strengthen either side of the war tax argument. Friends [need to be] mindful that war tax resistance is not a matter of doctrine, but the result of an individually changed heart, a matter between each Friend and God.
Queries—What obligation do Friends have “to beware lest by our example we lead others wrong?” Do you respect the feelings of others on issues, even when you differ with them? What are the ways you Meeting responds to the war tax issue? Is your Meeting open to war tax resisters & war tax payers? How are you challenged by the diver- sity of opinion and action of Friends through the American Revolution? Are there Quaker beliefs or practices for which you would be willing to lose property or be jailed? How does the Spirit of Christ help you to discern what is right for you on this and other issues of conscience?
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287. Milestone 70 (by Carol R. Murphy; 1989)
About the Author—She was born inBoston , Mass. Massachusetts Philadelphia American University
Queries—What obligation do Friends have “to beware lest by our example we lead others wrong?” Do you respect the feelings of others on issues, even when you differ with them? What are the ways you Meeting responds to the war tax issue? Is your Meeting open to war tax resisters & war tax payers? How are you challenged by the diver- sity of opinion and action of Friends through the American Revolution? Are there Quaker beliefs or practices for which you would be willing to lose property or be jailed? How does the Spirit of Christ help you to discern what is right for you on this and other issues of conscience?
http://www.pendlehill.org/product-category/pamphlets
www.facebook.com/pendlehill?fref=ts
287. Milestone 70 (by Carol R. Murphy; 1989)
About the Author—She was born in
The only child of a poet father & a musician mother, I grew up a bookish youngster with few playmates. My abilities [and later vocation] ran in the groove of reading, thinking and observing rather than participating.
12/9: Among my Christmas letters, I still correspond with a woman a few years
older than myself, whom I met through my pamphlet writing. She felt iso- lated in
rural area, and wanted spiritual and psychological growth. I exchanged
sympathetic comments and gave her the name of a religiously oriented coun- selor;
she went into the guidance counseling field ; we have exchanged visits. I don’t seem to fall in love with people so much
as with pursuits, temporary vehicles for some value or latent ability which I need
to enrich my life.
12/16: The movie Yentl
defies our usual sexual boundary lines, & is a meditation on the intellectual
woman as displaced person. My path is that of a Quaker celibate, which is marginal
in my very married & suburban Meeting.
12/18: I am interested to note that Isaac Bashevis Singer has touched on androgynous themes in at least 2 stories, one about a transvestite youth whose outburst of heterosexual passion leads to his accidental death, & the other about a saintly young Hasid who has a marriage ceremony for his ani- mus & anima aspects.
Christmas Day & December 27-29—Christmas: Nowadays we think of time as linear, but on special occasions we experience it as circular. [We con- nect past Christmases with this one when we get out decorations from storage. There was the Christmas when my mother was in the hospital, eerily echoed 11 years later when I was in the same hospital a few days before Christmas.
12/27: The Library inAmerica Rock- port , MA Gloucester , MA
12/28: I finished reading a life of Teilhard de Chardin today, [& saw] re- semblances between Teilhard & AlanWatts .
Both died suddenly when they felt their lives no longer had anywhere to go. It’s
hard not to find egotism in the use of their women as the men pressed onward &
upward to some abstract vision. Does one
want to adopt the “my fulfillment 1st” attitude of today?
12/18: I am interested to note that Isaac Bashevis Singer has touched on androgynous themes in at least 2 stories, one about a transvestite youth whose outburst of heterosexual passion leads to his accidental death, & the other about a saintly young Hasid who has a marriage ceremony for his ani- mus & anima aspects.
Christmas Day & December 27-29—Christmas: Nowadays we think of time as linear, but on special occasions we experience it as circular. [We con- nect past Christmases with this one when we get out decorations from storage. There was the Christmas when my mother was in the hospital, eerily echoed 11 years later when I was in the same hospital a few days before Christmas.
12/27: The Library in
12/28: I finished reading a life of Teilhard de Chardin today, [& saw] re- semblances between Teilhard & Alan
1
12/29: Elizabeth Vining’s and May Sarton’s idea of making special re- cords of their 70th year gave me the idea of doing the same as a follower, not an imitator. I must acknowledge that I’m not personally touched by ritual. Rituals have to begin in childhood to speak to the deep unconscious beyond the level of conscious beliefs. There are non-religious rituals in our com- munities and our sports. Baseball is its own universe with its own “scared” history.
January
1987—1/1/87 : As with Christmas, the coming of a new year cycles back
to memories of previous years. A year or
so ago I was dismayed at having a library “dumped in my lap.” Now, after a workshop
for Friends meeting librarians, I have climbed a rung in the ladder of capability. On the other hand, my 2 remaining aunts died within
months of each other. [Their approaching deaths were] the occasion of many emergency
telephone calls and an occasional journey of 200 miles through New York
1/2: A wet & stormy day, good for dismantling the little Christmas tree built
of styrofoam balls stuck with toothpicks. I reviewed the cards I received.
1/11: In May Sarton’s, The Magnificent Spinster, the central point is the validity of a life of many friendships but no marriage. It is a relief to read of very kind people in an unkind & lonely world, yet one perversely wishes for some vinegar in this blandness. F(f)riends have played a large part in Daisy New- man’s life; my parents were relatively friendless. They lived on a small inheri- tance rather than looking for contacts that would connect them with the intel- ligentsia to which they should have belonged.
1/15: Today the train was delayed & bumped along in a desultory way. Over the loudspeaker a voice explained “The less than relentless pace” of the train was due to something wrong with the rear cars. “Thank you for your pati- ence, ladies & gentlemen, & please include SEPTA in your prayers.”
1/18: [On my] list of “authentic” persons or endeavors motivated by religious faith and a spirit of love and dedication, [I include]: Mother Teresa; the AFSC; and Steve Angell of the FCNL.
1/30: On this gloomy, snow-covered day it was good to hear a familiar mewing call and spot a yellow-bellied sapsucker in the maple tree. There are now mockingbirds and house finches, but a decrease of the warblers, and the varieties of sparrows and thrushes that used to come.
February 8 & 15—2/8: In meeting this morning I thought of a new area of psyche to add to Freud’s id, ego & superego. I propose the 4th area would be the “meta-ego” or “extra-ego”—that which directs the person away from self- consciousness or satisfaction of needs ([e.g.] esthetic sense of beauty, ab- sorption in creation, or meditative mysticism, [including] the Inward Light of the Quakers).
1/11: In May Sarton’s, The Magnificent Spinster, the central point is the validity of a life of many friendships but no marriage. It is a relief to read of very kind people in an unkind & lonely world, yet one perversely wishes for some vinegar in this blandness. F(f)riends have played a large part in Daisy New- man’s life; my parents were relatively friendless. They lived on a small inheri- tance rather than looking for contacts that would connect them with the intel- ligentsia to which they should have belonged.
1/15: Today the train was delayed & bumped along in a desultory way. Over the loudspeaker a voice explained “The less than relentless pace” of the train was due to something wrong with the rear cars. “Thank you for your pati- ence, ladies & gentlemen, & please include SEPTA in your prayers.”
1/18: [On my] list of “authentic” persons or endeavors motivated by religious faith and a spirit of love and dedication, [I include]: Mother Teresa; the AFSC; and Steve Angell of the FCNL.
1/30: On this gloomy, snow-covered day it was good to hear a familiar mewing call and spot a yellow-bellied sapsucker in the maple tree. There are now mockingbirds and house finches, but a decrease of the warblers, and the varieties of sparrows and thrushes that used to come.
February 8 & 15—2/8: In meeting this morning I thought of a new area of psyche to add to Freud’s id, ego & superego. I propose the 4th area would be the “meta-ego” or “extra-ego”—that which directs the person away from self- consciousness or satisfaction of needs ([e.g.] esthetic sense of beauty, ab- sorption in creation, or meditative mysticism, [including] the Inward Light of the Quakers).
2/15: Isak Dinesen’s stories are dreamlike
& archetypal. They bewil- der the relentlessly factual minds of my conventional,
middle-classed senior citizens group. [Here], I plead for recognition of a truth
not communicated by “facts” alone. New Age literature [misses the connection]
with earth,hile] scientists & engineers miss the sense of the
non-measureable’s reality.
March—3/11: A new Papal pronouncement against artificial
insemina- tion and fertilization [reminds] me of how traditional religion is
still often ruled by fear of humankind’s increasing power to manage our
biological fate. We do have to
understand and cooperate with nature to guide it to a higher pur- pose. A church open to feminine understanding would
be a better guide than negative pronouncements by celibate patriarchs.
3/12: [A Vietnam veteran & officer said] he felt he had no right to pass moral judgment on [his government’s de-personalizing the enemy]; he was merely following his government’s orders (and speaking like a “good German”). 2 vital resolutions are: never depersonalize any person or group of persons; never abdicate one’s right of moral judgment to anyone else—least of all to a government.
3/12: [A Vietnam veteran & officer said] he felt he had no right to pass moral judgment on [his government’s de-personalizing the enemy]; he was merely following his government’s orders (and speaking like a “good German”). 2 vital resolutions are: never depersonalize any person or group of persons; never abdicate one’s right of moral judgment to anyone else—least of all to a government.
2
3/15: [My writing style does not] present the picture of an industrious writer dedicating the morning hours to writing; it takes me several years to put down in longhand at odd moments enough ideas to work with. I could use a helpful other to defrost the fridge, gather the laundry, service the car and pay the bills on time. [I am tempted to stay at home and worship in solitude and nature]. Yet there is a need for sharing with others in
3/20:
A rift seems to be opening up between 2 kinds of Quaker commit- tee members. The
younger people who should be taking over the [tasks the el- derly are doing] are at
work all day & can only come in the evenings. Must we devise a way of compensating people for taking a day away from
work? Is our yuppie culture too frenetic for religious endeavor to survive?
3/24: I would agree [with Henry Cadbury] that Jesus spoke to the needs of the non-mystic; we can’t confine the religious life to contemplatives only. Cadbury & I would be outside the pale, “buses” rather than “trolleys” [i.e.] self- powered & self-steering, [rather than the mystical], always in contact with gui- ding rail & empowering wire.
3/27: Yearly Meeting time again. Faces have changed, some have vanished forever, [but the places, the events, & the process are much the same]. Minutes are proposed, nearly approved, then fall before nitpicking of those who wish to assert themselves; some have a valid stop in mind.
April—4/12: Our meeting fell into one of its periodic & frustrating de- bates about a troublesome visitor to our worship. It became apparent that we are trying to use rational argument or moral reproach to influence someone who is disturbed at a deeper level than reason or moral finger-pointing can reach. We are neither saints nor psychiatrists; hence our helplessness is manifest.
4/21: I now have undertaken the task of sending cards from the meeting to members 75 years old or older. Some of these are still very active in meeting affairs. A meeting has to reach those who share a common interest in spiritual search & expression, beyond ordinary sociability.
4/27: Is the country a mere abstraction or is it all of us protecting our social cohesion? What is the relationship between reticence and truthfulness? You destroy a person when you destroy her deepest relationship.
4/28: In college my extracurricular life took place at home, where we maintained our family activities of quiet study and reading aloud in the evening. [50 years later], as I peruse the student’s biographies, I’m in awe of their many accomplishments, while I remain a little gray church mouse. My contribution is both oddball and somewhat “square.” Most of us are nice while our lives are nice; but when under threat we can readily turn mean.
May—5/8: [Revelations in the Iran/Contra affair are] a reminder that the apparently folksy & non-aggressive are fascinated by the dark & unscrupulous. It is there they find a buried shadow side & become vulnerable to it. Hence the political teaching: we must deal with our own evil before riding forth to do battle with other “evil empires.”
5/22: [I read an] account of the Fitzgerald & Kennedy families, & noted with interest that [John F. Kennedy’s] mother went toWellesley
5/24: Our Quarterly Meeting got a pep talk that implied that Christ-cen- tered evangelism is a more powerful outreach than liberal do-gooding. When our meeting joined the Sanctuary movement, we followed the Jews & Unitarians.
3/24: I would agree [with Henry Cadbury] that Jesus spoke to the needs of the non-mystic; we can’t confine the religious life to contemplatives only. Cadbury & I would be outside the pale, “buses” rather than “trolleys” [i.e.] self- powered & self-steering, [rather than the mystical], always in contact with gui- ding rail & empowering wire.
3/27: Yearly Meeting time again. Faces have changed, some have vanished forever, [but the places, the events, & the process are much the same]. Minutes are proposed, nearly approved, then fall before nitpicking of those who wish to assert themselves; some have a valid stop in mind.
April—4/12: Our meeting fell into one of its periodic & frustrating de- bates about a troublesome visitor to our worship. It became apparent that we are trying to use rational argument or moral reproach to influence someone who is disturbed at a deeper level than reason or moral finger-pointing can reach. We are neither saints nor psychiatrists; hence our helplessness is manifest.
4/21: I now have undertaken the task of sending cards from the meeting to members 75 years old or older. Some of these are still very active in meeting affairs. A meeting has to reach those who share a common interest in spiritual search & expression, beyond ordinary sociability.
4/27: Is the country a mere abstraction or is it all of us protecting our social cohesion? What is the relationship between reticence and truthfulness? You destroy a person when you destroy her deepest relationship.
4/28: In college my extracurricular life took place at home, where we maintained our family activities of quiet study and reading aloud in the evening. [50 years later], as I peruse the student’s biographies, I’m in awe of their many accomplishments, while I remain a little gray church mouse. My contribution is both oddball and somewhat “square.” Most of us are nice while our lives are nice; but when under threat we can readily turn mean.
May—5/8: [Revelations in the Iran/Contra affair are] a reminder that the apparently folksy & non-aggressive are fascinated by the dark & unscrupulous. It is there they find a buried shadow side & become vulnerable to it. Hence the political teaching: we must deal with our own evil before riding forth to do battle with other “evil empires.”
5/22: [I read an] account of the Fitzgerald & Kennedy families, & noted with interest that [John F. Kennedy’s] mother went to
5/24: Our Quarterly Meeting got a pep talk that implied that Christ-cen- tered evangelism is a more powerful outreach than liberal do-gooding. When our meeting joined the Sanctuary movement, we followed the Jews & Unitarians.
3
5/27: In pastoral counseling, the non-directive counselor’s act of accep- tance & empowering attention is the Christ of the situation. [Carl Rogers began in] a hard-working, rural, religious background, went through youthful missio- nary idealism, lost his childhood faith during graduate studies & replaced it with scientific humanism. Experience in counseling swung him back toward faith in relationships & an openness to “New Age” thought. I expect this sort of evolu- tionary spiral wasn’t uncommon in his generation. Younger persons have dif- ferent backgrounds, with more urban, broken homes, & religion either defen- sive or absent.
5/29: I have been preparing to straighten out the tangled
subdivisions of the Quakerism books in the meeting library. I need to make
logical sense out of the varieties of books by and about Quakers. [In the
process] I get bogged down in the odd lacunae of our haphazard card catalog. I have
the affection for this odd library that one might have for an eccentric old aunt.
June—6/5-7: [At Swarthmore College’s 50th reunion, I] hung around in the
background while everybody else greeted old friends & exchanged shared experiences.
I looked, as Elizabeth Vining has done, for a “congenial mouse,” [which I
found in] A. J. Muste’s daughter. [Another reminded me of Michael Po- lanyi, a
philosopher & physicist who combined religious & scientific wisdom in
his book Personal Knowledge. As someone sought the help of
our library’s resources on Quaker devotional writings, a figure of speech occurred
to me that we should all respect each others’ religious roots & appreciate our
flowers. We all departed amid raindrops, reminiscent of one classmate’s
message like- ning us to raindrops merging & disappearing in the ground of daily
living.
6/20-6/23:Reading
Barry Schwartz, in The Battle for Human Nature, believes that “economic man” of a free market has combined with B. F. Skinner’s “operant conditioning,” to push society to conceive of everything, including people & relationships, as commodities. It’s easier to describe the symptoms of this degenerative disease than to prescribe a remedy. [However you arrive at it], you need a deep gut feeling that some values are worth sacrificing for.
6/30: I revisited places atHaverford College Delaware Valley
July—7/8: There is drama in baseball, & more to it than wins or losses; there is a strange ebb & flow of fortune that is the central mystery of human affairs. How much of the final score is due to faith & how much to the quality of the team? Like the practitioner of meditation, the player must find the perfect mean between trying too hard & not trying enough; baseball can symbolize life.
6/20-6/23:
Barry Schwartz, in The Battle for Human Nature, believes that “economic man” of a free market has combined with B. F. Skinner’s “operant conditioning,” to push society to conceive of everything, including people & relationships, as commodities. It’s easier to describe the symptoms of this degenerative disease than to prescribe a remedy. [However you arrive at it], you need a deep gut feeling that some values are worth sacrificing for.
6/30: I revisited places at
July—7/8: There is drama in baseball, & more to it than wins or losses; there is a strange ebb & flow of fortune that is the central mystery of human affairs. How much of the final score is due to faith & how much to the quality of the team? Like the practitioner of meditation, the player must find the perfect mean between trying too hard & not trying enough; baseball can symbolize life.
7/9: I was
reading about the fragility of natural ecological systems & how National
Parks are destabilizing them in a well-intentioned effort to preserve them. I
was also noting tough, enduring weeds that manage to persist in the web of railroad
tracks near 30th
St.
4
7/11: A long line of shredded bark on the trunk of the old cucumber tree by the front entrance showed that it had been struck by lightning in a storm 2 nights ago. I then saw half hidden in a bush a nest with the quivering, upthrust necks of 3 nestlings within. [Other wildlife has moved on], but I still see a rabbit nibbling the grass in the mornings.
7/15: The journal of a quiet life runs trivia. My trivia combines a beau- tifully cool and inviting day with the fact that I waited for a repair man who never came.
7/16: Now I am connected to the world again. I felt helpless without a phone [as I do without a car]. Once introduced, technology shapes society so as to make itself indispensable. Ecologists now teach that to change one factor is to transform the whole. The mystics knew that we are of a seamless web, what Eastern philosophers call Indra’s net.
7/18: I was shown a new baby. I have never had the longing to have a baby, nor would I wish to have the care of one. I am glad that I have known and played with a few babies in my lifetime.
7/24: I read the delicate comedy of a Barbara Pym novel while my body melted in the 90° heat of a service station. Perhaps it was only in observing the trivia of parish doings that she could glimpse the unrealized promise of com- munity offered by the reticent English parishioners. I returned home and read Scott Peck’s The Different Drum, about generating true community, [at the cost of commitment and possible martyrdom]. I wondered about us Quakers, balanced between tepidity and transformation. Perhaps our quiet insistence on Light-gathered consensus and meditation will keep a gentle revolution going.
August
7 & 31—8/7: I’m
reading Barbara Pym’s Quartet in Autumn, about 4 lonely single people
about to retire from their boring jobs, quietly withering away from loneliness.
These people, 2 men & 2 women, find it hard to break out of their British
reserve to need or be needed by others. This gray, depressing unconnectedness
is from a society which has forgotten the art of community. Even my sending
birthday cards may serve as connection in this world of encapsulated
loners.
8/31:
2 TV programs in-a-row told of 2 different vanishing species— California
September—9/1: This Constitutional year is a good time to think about the myths which people create to engender a sense of nationhood. How true are these myths, these pictures, & are they necessary? We can’t
embody these aspirations until we accept the shadow side & go on from
there.
9/12: I’ve attended a peace rally outside the National Guard Armory in nearby Media against the covert war againstNicaragua
9/18: Is it farfetched to liken how we think about major purchases to certain prayers? The approach to a purchase requires definition of what one wants & this is shaped by what is available & affordable. For typing, I needed something more than an electric typewriter, but less than full processing. With a portable machine with enough memory & correction ability, I shall do these tasks more cheerfully.
October—10/3: As I was preparing a program of the poetry of Vachel Lindsay, I thought of the unexpected discovery that an elderly member of our meeting knew Lindsay’s sister. He had followed Lindsay’s walking trip along the Santa Fe trail in the 1940’s, taken pictures of an Old West little changed from Lindsay’s day, and had met people who knew Lindsay and were bitter about the causes of his suicide.
9/12: I’ve attended a peace rally outside the National Guard Armory in nearby Media against the covert war against
9/18: Is it farfetched to liken how we think about major purchases to certain prayers? The approach to a purchase requires definition of what one wants & this is shaped by what is available & affordable. For typing, I needed something more than an electric typewriter, but less than full processing. With a portable machine with enough memory & correction ability, I shall do these tasks more cheerfully.
October—10/3: As I was preparing a program of the poetry of Vachel Lindsay, I thought of the unexpected discovery that an elderly member of our meeting knew Lindsay’s sister. He had followed Lindsay’s walking trip along the Santa Fe trail in the 1940’s, taken pictures of an Old West little changed from Lindsay’s day, and had met people who knew Lindsay and were bitter about the causes of his suicide.
5
10/12: I have survived the annual convulsion of our meeting known as the Jumble Sale [and its boxes of dull, worthless, & heavy books].
10/18: The new typewriter’s memory rattled off the card set of a mem- ber’s book. The book’s author is opposed to the “supernatural” element in reli- gion & would put religion on a naturalistic basis. Yet a purely naturalistic religi- on is one-sided. Religion speaks to what is more fundamental than nature. The proper expression of its truths is in stories & parables.
10/25: Someone in worship today gave a brief summary of the natura- listic interpretation of religion. [I saw loving-kindness demonstrated by mem- bers who followed a troubled youth who left in the middle of worship]. Before I could gather these thoughts, the meeting finished. Sometimes the balance of the meeting tips toward rational-academic tendencies, sometimes towards religious. “Secular” meetings need a religious few as “leavening,” & “religi- ous” meetings need a few good agnostics as burrs under the saddle. As a religiously-minded intellectual, I hope to remain as a bridge between the 2 tendencies in the meeting’s life.
10/31: I have been asked to lead an adult forum in January; already ideas are
coming together around the topic. It
occurs to me that this is the op- posite of that kind of meditation which clears
the mind of thoughts, becoming a still mirror for the Light to shine on. I love
the idea of meditation, but can’t empty my mind. I seem to have found my native
element in the mental sea of rich coral growths and growing associations. So be
it.
November 4 & 26—11/4: In Visiting Committee I found the context of those birthday cards I sent out. Visits are paid to the old and infirm & a [dis- crete] eye is kept on the membership. The older women do it, & it is the ba- lance to the more academic side of our meeting. [We “do not wish to intrude,”] but have we not lost that sense the earlier Friends had of being spoken through that gave them the authority to speak to someone’s condition in a “religious opportunity?”
November 4 & 26—11/4: In Visiting Committee I found the context of those birthday cards I sent out. Visits are paid to the old and infirm & a [dis- crete] eye is kept on the membership. The older women do it, & it is the ba- lance to the more academic side of our meeting. [We “do not wish to intrude,”] but have we not lost that sense the earlier Friends had of being spoken through that gave them the authority to speak to someone’s condition in a “religious opportunity?”
11/26: A feast day like
Thanksgiving is an embarrassment to a family- less person like myself. I was
invited to dinner with a neighboring couple whose children live far away and
had no one else available except myself.
The 3 of us shared the meal and a peaceful meal by the fireplace.
December 1-6—12/1: My display of library books sparked lively con- versation at our coffee hour. One more scholarly member wondered: where is the next generation of dynamic Quakers coming from? Last evening, Douglas Gwyn spoke in measured, worshipful tones of Fox’s illumined life, ending with James Nayler’s dying words. [During the following silent worship, there was inspired vocal ministry & song]. We need the warm enthusiasm & the cool disillusion embodied in these scholars to find our way between the skeptical & the religious.
12/6: This morning an architect showed slides during his talk on archi- tecture’s spiritual values. A succession of slides showed buildings in their set- tings, from plainVermont
December 1-6—12/1: My display of library books sparked lively con- versation at our coffee hour. One more scholarly member wondered: where is the next generation of dynamic Quakers coming from? Last evening, Douglas Gwyn spoke in measured, worshipful tones of Fox’s illumined life, ending with James Nayler’s dying words. [During the following silent worship, there was inspired vocal ministry & song]. We need the warm enthusiasm & the cool disillusion embodied in these scholars to find our way between the skeptical & the religious.
12/6: This morning an architect showed slides during his talk on archi- tecture’s spiritual values. A succession of slides showed buildings in their set- tings, from plain
6
288. Improvisation & Spiritual Disciplines: Continuing the Divine-
Human Duet (by Carol Conti-Etin; 1989)
About the Author—Carol Conti-Entin found and joined Friends in Ann Arbor , Michigan Univ. of MI Univ. of Madison Lawrence America Maryland
Introduction—When I attended my 1st meeting for worship, just before my college studies got under way, I was relieved to find a form of worship which seemed more natural to me than the Protestant church services of my child- hood. What unfolds seems to this former musician to be an improvisation on a God-given theme. One’s spiritual journey could be described as an improvisa- tory duet with the Inner Guide.
The Inner Guide will gladly propose the variation appropriate to the life’s theme. [One description of an improvised duet is that one hears and one an- swers throughout the piece]. [It can be like listening to music one is not pre- pared to understand]. [Perhaps] something similar happened to the disciples as they watched Jesus perform. Faith the size of a mustard seed is enough to hear & answer the Inner Guide’s next gesture and allow the duet to continue.
Sabbath Observance—What is there in the concept of sabbath which might be worth preserving? The word 1st occurs in connection Yahweh’s provision of food to the Israelites during the Exodus. From the very 1st, observing a sabbath has required trusting in Yahweh to provide what one most needs, in the right quantity & when one needs it. [That includes one day a week for] abstinence from work. Yahweh also insisted on sabbath-benefit coverage not only for people & animals, but also for the environment, especially the fields, which were to lie fallow. Each 50th year, the fields lay fallow, liberty was proclaimed & property restored to its original owner.
How did sabbath observance come to be mired in petty regulations? [It may be that others control time [and do not allow for sabbath rest]. For most of us the lack of time is our own doing. George Fox warned against: “Drawing your minds into your business, and clogging them with it; so that ye can hardly do anything to the service of God but there will be crying ‘my business, my business.” [I have come up with creative solutions to work] just half time. There still remains the temptation to take on more than my duet partner asks of me. Sabbath keeping came to be overregulated because it is so easy to assign an extremely low priority to its observance and so difficult to trust that turning over one’s anxieties to God is not only safe but more productive.
The author of the last section of Isaiah promised that those who brought glory to the sabbath by not doing as they pleased would delight themselves in Yahweh & ride on the heights of the earth. To delight ourselves in Yahweh must be the essence of sabbath keeping, whenever & for however long it's observed. Jesus, in rejecting the inflexibility of certain regulations, did not abandon the underlying concept.
Sabbath & holy days typically found him in a synagogue of the temple, and he withdrew from everyone after intensive periods of teaching and healing. [To really] enter into sabbath observance, we must believe that it is possible to enjoy God’s company and must long to do exactly that. Why not offer your duet partner [the Spirit] a daily time together and a much long, minimally distracted “jam session” once a week? Then, listen to the new music that comes of it.
Bible Reading Nottingham priest who declared Scriptural authority. It was not that, George said, “but the Holy Spirit, by which the holy men of God gave forth the Scriptures. I had no slight esteem of the Holy Scriptures, but they were very precious to me, for I was in that spirit by which they were given forth, and what the Lord opened in me I afterward found was agreeable to them.”
How can one read the Scriptures, if one finds them irrelevant or hurtful? [The hurt I suffered was] solely of having lived my days on this earth as a female. From the slight wounding I have received has sprung an aware- ness of others’ more severe pain. Should anyone who finds the Bible unin- viting begin or resume a program of Bible reading? Not unless the Inner Guide proposes such study.
After a decade of dormancy, I once again longed for an immediacy of relationship with the immanent God. The contents of the Bible have become very precious to me because I have been in the company of that spirit by which they were given forth. There will come a moment when what someone else has experienced and recorded resonates with what you have experienced. Even- tually it helps to read the entire Bible so that the passages which have come alive will have a context. [By the third reading of the Bible] I had seen similari- ties between my own rocky spiritual journey & those of so many forthright peo- ple in the Bible; far fewer passages seemed foreign.
I also found that all the English translations whetted my appetite for studying the original languages, [the many] meanings for key words, & how grammar, syntax, & vocabulary affected the perception of an event. [When I read a passage, & before I apply it to today & myself, I need to as best I can wear the sandals of the person or persons in the story, feel what they feel. This will avoid reading in things that are not there, & overlooking crucial things that are. Paint the scene; study it in a group; when a passage invites you to linger, meditate on it.
Journal Keeping—William Penn wrote: “Thou didst omit to take up Christ’s holy yoke, to bear thy daily cross; thou wast careless of thy affections & kept no journal or check upon thy actions; but declinedst to audit accounts in thy conscience with Christ thy light.” My early attempts at journal keeping had been immensely frustrating ones. [I could not tolerate inconsistencies of feeling from one week to the next, nor could I record anything unpolished].
Months passed between entries. To learn how the individual bits of gui- dance I had received fit together, I would have to ponder them in writing. My Inner Guide let me know that I had to write down [just] a short phrase of thanks; this led to longer written ponderings]. [In comparing reflection to music, the writing process is similar to composing music, & oral reflection is similar to improvising it. My suspicion is that the more one both improvises & composes, the thinner becomes the wall which separates them. Also, recor- ding a perception is like performing a piece, rather than merely reflecting on a perception or “listening to a piece].”
When I was avoiding journal keeping, I wrote on slips of paper any passage I wanted to spend time with; I also jotted certain insights in note form. Among the things daily notes of thanks taught me were how reluctant I was to give God credit for human invention and how often I belittled or overlooked the talents I had been given and the small pleasures I had experienced. [I also briefly listed traits that were blocking my spiritual journey]. These 2 miniature journal entries together occupying just one line of narrow-ruled notebook paper per day, have helped me so much, that they continue to occupy a key section of my journal. If journal contents have as their deepest hope the development of a compassionate nature, they will in time leave narcissism behind.
Another portion of the journal may record dreams, those in which God offers immediate guidance & those which are requests for attention from one’s subconscious. Dream aspects you are reluctant to record may portray your duet partner’s latest efforts to lead you to a fuller integration of your total personality. Unanswered questions may well become regular features in your journal, as well as heartfelt emotions. The form is less important than the spirit which gives it life; as long as a journal reflects a desire for transformation, it will serve well.
Tithing—[There is a difference between tithing & the tithes George Fox railed against]: “The Independents, Baptists, and Presbyterians [once] cried tithes were anti-christian … Then they all got into steeple-houses & tithes, [saying they were the law of God]. They imprisoned & persecuted Friends because we would not give them tithes, [seizing many goods, & making many widows & orphans of the ones who died in prison].
The earliest responses of tithing from Abraham and Jacob were done out of gratitude for the blessings they received; tithing was intended to be a joyful activity. 14 years ago I was startled to hear my duet partner asking me to do precisely that. Did I in fact own any or all of my income? Tithing seemed to occupy a natural place within the Quaker testimony of simplicity. I discovered that learning what to give away, what to keep, what to acquire and what to do without was a vital part of the process of hearing and answering.
Physical objects turned out to be the least of my possessions. What the Inner Guide said next was, “Tithe your time.” The next possession was my self-will. But what would surrendering my self-will entail? I was told to put my instrument on the shelf and leave it there for an entire year. I disco- vered that I was no less a musician just because I had ceased practicing and performing. Perhaps tithing is analogous to the warm-up exercise a musician performs in order to place the body more fully at the service of the music. [Tithing places me] more fully at God’s disposal; [God’s love then flows] through me unselfishly to others.
Praying—There is quite a difference between reciting a prayer written by someone else and praying spontaneously. What expressed thoughts hinder our spiritual growth, and how may we cultivate only those forms of prayer which help us mature? Prayer is an attempt to get ourselves into that active cooperation with God where we may discern what is authentic and be ready to carry it out. Whenever we have earnestly desired to feel connec- ted to the creator and creation we have been praying.
It is important to pray to God in the 2nd person. When praying in the 3rd person, there is no longer an intimate connection. And when duty has become burdensome, when Boss’s yoke is no longer easy, then I know that I am the one producing the source of friction. [When the Spirit asks]: “Do you love me more than these?” only when I can again answer “Yes” can I again lovingly feed God’s lamb.
Any attempt on our parts, no matter how feeble to reverse a spiritual downtrend is more than matched by God’s joyous welcome back. Non-verbal forms of prayer span an entire spectrum from subtle feelings of gratitude to concrete actions. If we count all the [subtle] prayers that are converted into action, praying without ceasing comes to seem less exotic & far more attain- able. Persistence in prayer is an automatic by-product of deep desire, not the result of strenuous, self-propelled efforts. May our prayer become as natural and indispensable as breathing. And may we experience the all-sufficiency of the one with whom we are communing as we pray.
1989)
God
is beyond—and beyond—and beyond—beyond creed, beyond the limitations of our reason
and textbooks, beyond in the dimension within. We Friends might ask ourselves:
Is our God too small? It is all the more important for the religions of
the world to illuminate each other so that our combined Light can lead us and help
us find ways to deal with the oppression [of people and the earth]. [World religions are] “fellow wayfarers engaged
in common search.”
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About
the Author—Martha Dart is a
member of Claremont MM (CA) and Pacific YM, and has been active in both for
many years. She and her hus- band have served as resident directors, Brinton
Visitors and Friends in the Orient in India
We all know the fruits of the Spirit,
and recognize the beauty of holiness in our own ancestral tree … The flowers of
unselfish living may be found gro- wing in other men’s gardens and … rich fruits
of the Spirit may be tasted from other men’s trees. Marjorie Sykes
[Introduction]—[I have felt a deep sense of the Presence of God in:
an old California Mission; a large Hindu temple; the ruins of an ancient Sri Lanka
Buddhist Monastery; & an old Quaker meetinghouse in England India
I
will introduce some of the people most deeply involved in the Hindu- Christian
dialogue. Dom Bede Griffith is a
Benedictine monk who came to India Rishikesh Spain
I
expect that in reality all of these approaches are beyond dialogue. From ancient times men and women have searched
for God and for Truth. Studying the Upanishads
along with the inspirations of the Bible and early Quakers, one finds that the Spirit
has sent similar insights down through the ages. The Eternal Principle was incarnated in Jesus;
early Quakers called it the light of Christ.
The Upanishads called it Brahman.
Early
Quakers believed that the Light was universal and that it was “the true Light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Fox says: “Take heed of judging the measure
of others … there are diversities of gifts, but one Spirit and Unity therein to
all … Several ways … hath God to bring his people our, yet all are but one in
the end.” In the Meenakshi Temple Madurai
[When we see the variety of worship & aspects
of God], we might won- der how Hinduism could have any similarity to Quaker thought
and practice. Gerald Kenway Hibbert said: “Every religious system has its ‘Quakers’—those
who turn from the outward, legal, and institutional and focus their attention on
the Divine that is within; [there is fellowship between Friends & other
mystics].” In my reading I found similarities
between Hindu and Quaker thought, although similarity is not equivalent to
identity. The Pure Principle, the Light, Unity, Si- lence, Simplicity and Guidance
can be mutually appreciated.
THE PURE PRINCIPLE—The sense of
[divine] Presence was demon- strated to us in India
Dr. Ghosh said: “What we worship, we
become.” The Upanishads say: “Let one … keep the mind pure, for what a man
thinks that he becomes: this is the mystery of Eternity” (Maitri), and “There is
a Spirit which is pure and which is beyond old age and death [and suffering]. This
is Atman, the Spirit in Man” (Chandogya). [Although Dr. Ghosh and his wife worshiped
God differently than Quakers], the essence of their worship transcended all
outward manifestations. John Woolman
wrote: “There is a principle which is pure, placed in the human mind, which in
different places and in different ages hath had different names . . . It is deep and inward, confined to no form of
religion nor excluded from any, where the heart stands in perfect sincerity.”
THE LIGHT—The Pure Principle has
led both Quakers and Hindus to the experience of the Light, expressed by Fox’s Epistles
and the Upanishads. “There is a Light that
shines beyond all things on earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens … This is the
Light that shines in our hearts” (Chandogya Upani- shad). “Each man, woman, and child who sets himself
to obey the promptings of truth and love is making use of the Inner Light, by
whatever name” (Fox). The Inner Light as a symbol evolved in Vedic times (1500
B.C. – 500 B.C.). By the time of the
Upanishads, the Divine Spirit was given the name of Light and interiorized.
Light
as a feature of heightened awareness is common to mystical ex- periences of all religions.
[Friends throughout Quaker history report “visions of light,” experienced when awake. Howard Brinton includes them in “Dreams of Quaker
Journalists.” Thomas Kelly writes: “It is
an overwhelming experience to fall into the hands of the living God, to be
invaded to the depths of one’s being by God’s presence … Then is the soul swept
into a Loving Center
UNITY—Swami Chidananda, an orthodox Hindu says: “Jesus dwelt in the awareness
of saying ‘I & my Father are one’—the fundamental truth of the oneness of the
life of the Vedas … [&] the Upanishads.” Whenever individuals respond to
the Light, they have unity with each other [in] “the fellowship of the Light.”
John’s gospel says: “In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with
God, & the Word was God. The Vedas say: “In the beginning was [Brah- man];
With whom was the Word; And the word was the Supreme Brahman.”
Gradually
Cosmic Power was no longer identified with ritual but with At- man. In the last book of Rig Veda, Atman means
“breath” or “life.” In the Upa- nishads, Atman means “self” or “soul.”
Abhishiktananda says that both John and the Upanishads consist of “a succession
of intuitions, each leading to the next by some mysterious and secret inner connection
beyond the reach of con- ceptual logic, a sequence of piercing insights each drawing
us more deeply into the abyss of the Godhead.”
There
are 2 main streams of thought in Hinduism: Advaita
[“not 2”] and Bhakti [relationship of
2]. Bhakti literature shows deep devotion.
Thomas Kelly’s writing is especially close to the Bhakti tradition. He says: “Deep within us all there is an
inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center
SILENCE—“Out of the silence will come the vision and the voice.”
We Friends are used to cherishing the background of silence in our meeting for
worship and are accustomed to a particular procedure involving silence. Most meetings
for worship we attended in South
India were deep ones [in
spite of the noise]. One had to go below
the distractions to find inner silence.
A back- ground of silence and peace can be felt in India
SIMPLICITY—We had an experience of “reentry” once when we
re- turned to the United States India
We
were entertained by a college physics professor dressed in a cloth wound around
the waist and women in simple, colorful cotton saris. We ate a vegetarian meal off of banana leaves
that were recycled afterwards. We dis- cussed Indian classical music and Sanskrit
epics. Simplicity is the way of life in India US
[Thomas
Kelly has this to say about simplicity]: “Walk and talk and work & laugh with
your friends. Behind the scenes, keep up the life of simple prayer and inward
worship … There is a way of ordering our mental life on more than one level at
once. [We may deal with everyday] external affairs on one level [while] at a
profounder level, we may also be in prayer and adoration … and a gentle
receptiveness to divine breathings.” Tukaram, 16th century poet,
says: “When thou art plunged in hurrying activity,/ Then, then preeminently,/ Thou
must remember God/ Then, in the midst
of busy work, Keep thou thy secret heart fixed firm on him.”
GUIDANCE—Doesn’t this all lead to guidance, the experience of
being led? Kuni & Laurie Baker had been following the Spirit’s leading ever
since their honeymoon in the Himalayas , where they saved the life of a baby, & stayed there
for 16 years, starting with a tiny tea house & expanding into a hospital
that Laurie built. Another Friend was led to share with Dr. Sanjeeva Raj, a
person they were only slightly acquainted with, about demonstrating
cyclone-proof housing. Sanjeeva Raj guided us to the place where the project
was finally started.
Gurdial
Mallik spent his life—long before he became a Hindu Quaker as well as after—following
the leading of the Spirit. [He went to a
strange home without knowing why, saved a young woman from hanging herself, and
helped her get the necessary nurse’s training in spite of her high-caste
family’s opposition].
William
Edmundson (1627-1712) [had conflicting concerns, one for going back to his shop
to prevent it being robbed, the other to go on to Clough for some unknown
service]. “I cried to Lord … and his word answered me that that which drew me
back should preserve my shop … When I came into the house I found Anne Gould in
despair … [she] revived for joy and glad- ness, and got up … the tender woman was
helped over her trouble.” He found out later
that robbers tried to rob his shop but the shop window had fallen down and awakened
people and the robbers had run away.
Sister
Vandana was about to spend her sabbatical year in the US Rishikesh
IS OUR GOD TOO SMALL?—This living
Presence that one feels in places of worship the world over is the same Spirit that
guides us in the living of our lives, the same Pure Principle. It is in the silence that we most deeply feel
the Presence of God and open ourselves to God’s leading. We learn from India
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290. Quaker Money (by S. Francis Nicholson; 1990)
About the Author—S. Francis Nicholson was a born to an Indiana family in 1900; he graduated from Westtown School, Earlham College, and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He worked 41 years at Provident Trust Co. (Provident National Bank). His personal concern has been the care and management of Quaker funds. For 60 years, he has held financial management responsibilities for individuals and organizations [e.g]. Fiduciary Corporation of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (FCPYM).
INTRODUCTION—My hope is that Friends will contemplate Francis Nicholson’s common-sense approach sufficiently to see the Quaker sense be- neath it. Serious researchers will discover that this common sense is very un- common. I hope readers will find a stimulating mix of Quaker sense of life and an experienced, competent, professional voice. I studied economics & religion and became curious about Quakers. I got caught up in the mysteries of an economic system that had failed, and in doing something about the ethics of our society.
Then came Francis Nicholson, who offered me a job in the Provident Bank and thus gave me a chance to see Quakers at work in the real world. I worked in minor ways with prominent Quakers on their financial matters. I was impressed with how they honored the minor details of work with care and respect for others. Francis showed me that conscience can be applied to the routine tasks of making a living. We had long discussions about the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the role of pacifists in times of war. I later realized I was enrolled in a random course in Friends’ testimonies. We would go spend leisure time at his home.
There was an appealing integrity in this Quaker’s life at work, home, & play. Nicholson’s reflections come from a long, involved life that has held toge- ther the sacred & secular. Avoiding the trap of false dichotomies between God & Mammon is a challenge to all people of conscience. The breadth of his con- cern reveals a Quaker sense of the whole of life. I hope we will all take a look at how we look at money. I trust that we will appreciate his witness of compe- tence not in conflict with conscience, but joined to it in service of Truth. Andrew R. Towl
Where does Quaker Money come from and Where does it Go?—My personal reflections are in response to certain questions including the one above. [I will present the others in turn as headings]. We like to think that most Quaker money comes from constructive, useful work or from honest trade practices. In earlier times many operated their own farms, businesses, or financial activities [on both sides of the Atlantic]. In this 20th century there is more dependence on salaries, which may result in comfortable living but not in large capital buildup.
In the last ½ of the 20th century, appreciation in land & security value, & inheritances have been the basis for many large gifts & bequests to Friends meetings & activities. Quaker activities have often received support from non- Quakers with the belief that funds would be handled & disbursed with care & sensitivity. Gifts, grants, & bequests have been made for purposes revolving around meetinghouses, education, social & missionary concerns.
Many meetings have received moderate bequests of funds to care for their properties. I question the desirability of capital funds being established to meet ordinary meeting expenses; individual members should be involved in fulfilling this responsibility. I believe that capital funds for foreign missions have been modest in amount. Educational purposes account for a large por- tion of Quaker gifts & bequests. Friends want attention in schools not only to academic standards but to attitudes of teachers & students that reflect the worthwhile values inherent in Friends testimonies. Comparison [with the spending in other schools] isn’t wrong, but I fear their having too much overt or subtle influence on decisions that [tend toward enrollment by high-income families].
1
The extent of Quaker education seems large in relation to the few Qua- kers there are in this country & the world. A few students become Friends as a result of their school experience. Pendle Hill is an unusual special-purpose school that has received gifts for endowment recently. Will adequate funds be available in an inflationary age or a recession? How should trust funds for “poor” children be applied? Should a program be dependent on subsidies & scholarships? Can an environment of Quaker values be maintained? The large amounts of money required for publication come from sales, individual gifts, Friends meetings, and endowments.
For social concerns, efforts have been made to improve conditions for prisoners, mentally ill persons, black people, coal workers, native Americans, Japanese-Americans, and others. Since 1917, AFSC has channeled the efforts and money of Friends and non-Friends toward many areas of need and the problems of injustice. Many older social action committees are no longer able to function; some have been consolidated with the Fiduciary Corporation of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Beginning around 1970, continuing care retirement communities were established near Philadelphia; subsequent creation of such communities has occurred in other areas and there are current plans for still more. The concern for ill persons has led many Friends to be physicians and has resulted in the establishment of hospitals and well-equipped old-age facilities. Quaker em- ployees have pension funds, considered by them as a contractual right. There can be a relationship between all the activities mentioned above and the spiri- tual values of life. Whatever the total value controlled by Quakers, what matters is that we try to understand the meaning of money and property with respect to human welfare & try for the best insight as to how to meet our responsibilities.
What is the Meaning of Money?—Money is among the best and most necessary tools ever invented. It is a medium of exchange, measuring/storing value, borrowing & lending, debt /tax payment, investment, inheritance transfer, and charity. The value of money is completely dependent on people’s lives and activities being interrelated. On the bad side of money, it provides a temptation to activate many of the worst human instincts. Economic, political, and social pressures cause money to be created in excessive amounts, creates inflation and injustices. [Quakers struggle with] evaluating the need for money while realizing that final solutions require changes in the hearts of people. [Money is neither a cure-all nor] the root of all evil.
In a time of high money rates no one likes idle money, & the use of credit cards proliferates. The money system has become [increasingly &] fantastically more complex & hopefully more efficient [with more use of electronic trans- actions]. Increased “security” has become another human need for which peo- ple pay much money to various government agencies or private insurance companies. I see problems ahead in rising insurance costs, in their effect on various costs, & inflation. There’s also the Social Security trust fund’s depen- dence on bonds issued to finance federal deficits. Security may properly be sought to the extent that money can buy it sensibly and prudently; security shouldn’t become an obsession. Using money to buy security can be cost ineffective.
The money cost of security goes far beyond insurance premiums. There is police and fire protection, federal law-enforcement, the CIA and the military establishment. Many Quakers would agree that the CIA and the military provide neither an effective nor a moral basis for feeling secure. It is worthwhile & less costly to try to prevent mistakes and misdeeds through things like edu- cation rather than to deal with them after they occur.
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It is interesting and regrettable that money, instead of being looked on as a useful tool, is widely regarded as a separate commodity and its owner- ship as an end in itself. There are too many institutions, government and pri- vate programs whose principal commodity is money. Security markets have expanded beyond their useful & normal actions to an excess in accommoda- ting speculation. My endeavor is to concentrate on the sound value charac- teristics of securities more than on their speculative possibilities.
The free-market money system works well most of the time, but there are too many exceptions in which executives & directors are paid excessively or merger manipulators receive outrageous fees. Fees should be above average when problems are difficult & well below average for minor problems. I believe that there should be questions about any extremes that develop in an economy [e.g.] athletes, musicians, politicians, surgeons, lawyers. The goal of social and economic stability can sidetracked by too much distortion of business practices, especially those involving money. People are compensated by a sense of: congenial association with co-workers; uplifting creative experiences; gratifica- tion of productive usefulness; pride in performance.
In the supermarket, I see many relatively fixed prices—some of them fair & others obviously above the cost of production. Except for monopoly con- trol, compulsory price fixing rarely succeeds. Perhaps the early Quaker con- cern for fair pricing [could be applied to current prices or compensation received]. [The desire for ever-increasing amounts of money in families] seems characteristic of real life. Few people set a cap on the amount they want, even though their needs are amply provided for. Social problems arise from extreme mal-distribution of wealth beyond the limits of social morality; there are widely different opinions as to what is “too much.”
It should be realized that even generous givers may be alienated by solicitations that appear to be too frequent, costly, or impersonal. It would be ideal if meeting members took the initiative with their contributions without any need for solicitation. There should be a contrarian on each board or committee to raise spending questions. Those who work for it may understand the value of money better than others who receive it without personal effort.
When someone wins a $50 million lottery, I wonder how many had the thought that the lifework of 50 people had been transferred to one and how wrong that was. Sound money should have stable value that changes within very narrow limits. Part of the blame for inflation rests on ordinary people who speculate, borrow excessively, spend beyond our means, and “learn to live with” inflation that destroys 4% to 5% of the value of money and wages each year, greatly affecting the less privileged in our society. The value of Quaker funds has been maintained by holding common stocks or real estate properties.
What is the Motivation for Quaker Gifts and Bequests?—The amount of any single contribution depends on the depth of the concern and the degree of conviction that the gift will be efficiently applied to accomplish its purpose. Gifts should seldom be influenced by expectations of thanks or gra- titude from Friends meetings or other organizations. Donors should thank or- ganizations for carrying out the purpose of their concern.
Some Quakers are concerned to foster a feeling of stewardship, so that resources are administered responsibly. They think of resources as belonging to a kind of trust. I believe it is wrong to encourage the “dues” concept in meeting by announcing precisely what each member costs the meeting; ave- rages can lead to distorted reasoning. Giving from a sense of duty is not an ideal attitude, but it is not wrong. It is impractical to expect all gifts to be based on strong, carefully thought-out concerns.
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I have mixed feelings about fundraising. I sometimes question the costs of solicitation, pressure methods, and playing games with the giving process; employers matching the gifts of their employees is acceptable. Many donors seem to act in the belief that Quaker procedures provide careful handling of money and good judgment in applying funds in ways consistent with Friends’ ideals. Each donor can learn from personal experience whether he or she be- lieves “it is better to give than to receive.”
It is interesting that the IRS’s rules are needed to bring out our best in- stincts for charitable giving; tax-savings can be substantial. There may be an advantage to making lifetime gifts in place of bequests. Friends are increa- singly motivated to arrange for deferred giving plans. If there is no pooled fund or if gifts of real estate are contemplated, a unitrust can be the best way to proceed for amounts greater than $25,000 for donors 65 years old or older. There can be a further major tax advantage if pooled life-income funds or unitrusts are given low-cost securities or low-cost real estate.
Donors should not give money and property that are likely to be needed later for support of themselves or their families. Quakers are motivated by a wide variety of ideas about taxes; some conscientiously refuse “war taxes”; some minimize income; some conscientiously pay. Is paying taxes a volun- tary act, or a transfer of money that does not really belong to the tax- payer? Since taxes have to be paid, is there any reason for not being gra- cious in the way the obligation is recognized? There may be more money available for the real concerns of giving if tax matters are prudently planned.
What are the Fiduciary or Trust Aspects of Quaker Gift & Be- quests?—Meetings & other Quaker organizations generally delegate respon- sibilities for endowments to committees & trustees. My own experience has been with FCPYM, an independent group created by PYM to handle its own capital funds & the funds of other Quaker organizations in the Philadelphia area; several funds have been accepted from distant areas. FCPYM manages a very large amount of investments for over 100 different Quaker groups; it is trustee for an increasing number of trusts. Different funds are allocated units in a single large “consolidated” investment fund.
Any trustee for Quaker funds is obligated to maintain accurate accounts, separating principal & income & disclosing how much is available for each fund purpose. Trustees should avoid conflict of interest & to avoid using trust assets or income for ulterior purposes inconsistent with the trust’s purposes. Quaker trustees & project managers should accept a high standard of trust responsibi- lity & carry out the donor’s directions. Trustees shouldn’t condone wasteful practices just because ample moneys are available. A fiduciary should apply funds in ways close to the [now-outdated] purpose of a fund, & verify that funds are being properly used by the designated organization. Income should seldom be converted to principal; funds are expected to be used for charity.
It is unwise to burden managers with many separate capital funds to manage. Records of each fund’s value should be kept after they are combined. Perpetual trusts should be avoided in favor of some time limitation, even though it be a long time. Donors should allow for restrictions on fund use to be waived or modified in times of crisis. The option of spending of 3 to 5% of the principal after the donor’s death, at the trustee’s discretion could be authorized. The donor should trust their fiduciary & not use a lot of narrow restrictions.
Using “desire” or “wish,” rather than directives will avoid future problems with bequests that no longer serve their designated function. Trusts shouldn’t be set up to accumulate substantial income. No one can leave more to society than one owns at ones death. Trusts should be supported by a document of wishes and directions. Additions to existing funds are simple; new, separate funds require more elaboration. The Society of Friends [concern] is to chan- nel money to right purpose but not let it become the dominant goal. Spiritual life is not always nurtured by riches.
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What Understanding Should a Quaker Investor or Trustee have about Business Principles and the General Economy?—Expertise in fund management requires: understanding money, investment, and economic pro- cess relationship; understanding investment analysis; knowledge of security markets; combining preceding understandings with clear thinking.
I define economics simply as: A social science that deals with the own- ership of money and property; with the production, financing, transportation, and ultimate use of goods and services intended to meet the real or imagined needs of people. An economic system’s parts are interrelated; it must operate with some degree of efficiency to meet needs and improve quality of life. A Quaker investor’s concern is about efficient production of useful goods and services. There is a temptation in seeking capital gains, to lapse into an attitude of gambling, questionable ethics, and business dangers.
Some buyers emphasize growth stocks, which can result in substantial loss, if predicted growth doesn’t continue. Some investors buy stock in long established, “blue chip” stock; returns are good as long as the stock isn’t bought at high prices. Some investors are easily influenced by what others seem to be doing, when the best business judgments are often contrary to what others are thinking. An investor should think primarily of real value in relation to price. Emphasis on low price-earnings ratios is generally rewarding from a business standpoint.
Present-day business [practices and market “gimmicks”] threaten the legitimate purpose of security markets. I believe that investment decisions should always be subject to [a close] relationship between real value and mar- ket value. There should be caution not to carry on excessive trading, which can be costly & take away the recognition of securities as real investments, rather than just pieces of paper. A manager should try to cope with the dilem- ma of deciding between conservative, fixed-rate bonds & profitable, variable, risky stock investments.
Enormous amounts are involved daily in buying & selling foreign cur- rencies, partly for constructive purposes, & partly to speculate on short-term changes in value. The instability from political, military, & social pressures cause deficits, cheapens money & encourages global speculation. Quaker funds have investments in other countries. Investing is dominated by profes- sional managers of pension trusts, mutual funds & other institutions. An indivi- dual investor is at no disadvantage if decisions are made based on sound value & on a long-term basis.
What Ethical Principles are Important with Regard to Money Investments, and Business?—In considering the moral aspects of money, investments & business, I will mention several areas Quakers have focused on: Integrity (e.g. honesty, truthfulness, justice); Creative Achievement (actual accomplishments, efficient production of useful goods and services); Simplicity of Life Style (less consumption of materials, time, energy, and money, and less strain on the environment, less waste); Stewardship (looking upon their money as a kind of trust to be administered responsibly for the good of others and themselves).
Investments—They are like people in that they are seldom 100% good or bad. I focus on production of useful goods & services, carried on with inte- grity, efficiency, and right relations between employers, employees, customers, and community. I give credit for the creation of needed jobs and a genuine interest in the community’s and the world’s welfare. I have made many deci- sions to sell or avoid investments in companies substantially involved with intoxicants, tobacco, gambling, excess speculation, and military contracts.
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Involvement of 20% or more in questionable products or practices is usually deemed substantial. 10 to 20% involvement in seriously wrong things or ways may be enough to not invest. Questionable involvement of less than 10% is approached as being overshadowed by the good. I caution against de- cisions dependent on precise mathematical figuring. Scrutiny of the [more subjective] plus and minus factors is necessary.
South Africa (1% involvement there is not enough for an adverse judgment; using coercion is not an appropriate trustee action, or in keeping with the Quaker message); The General Economy (excessive competition, greed, and injustice make it a questionable system; Quakers can work to change things ); Excesses and Ethics (normal and proper activities like ex- pansion, borrowing, competition, salaries can be carried past healthy limits; obsession with growth leads to an excess of merger, conglomerates and dangerous speculation. Is the business growth I seek an ethical goal? Do I value and seek economic stability enough?
Lending and Borrowing—I believe there are limits to the total amount of debt that can be supported by a regional, national, or world economy. The 1980’s have produced an unbelievable burden of debt in government and business. There is something ethically wrong [with business expansion and ownership based on] the excessive use of loan money. Tax deductions for loan interest may partly cause excessive amounts of loans.
Money Coercion—I’m one of those Quakers who regard widespread boycotts & embargoes against countries as warfare or violence inconsistent with the Quaker contribution toward mediation, persuasion, & conflict reconcil- iation. I believe those who behave ethically in business may achieve success in both business & ethics. If both can’t be attained, more peace of mind arises from success in ethics. I believe that waste, excessive borrowing, speculation, inflation, & economic coercion are more serious evils than is generally recognized. If events in the investment world are viewed in a com- monsense relation to soundness & high quality of life & environment, useful business & ethical distinctions can be made between the good & the ques- tionable in handling money.
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1990)
About the Author—Professor emeritus of philosophy at Haverford Col- lege Europe , Africa , the Middle East , India Japan
[Prayer: Qualities, Functions, Method]
O God, we thank thee for the honest doubts and criticism of those who blister our clumsy efforts at prayer with their fiercely honest attacks. May that which is phony and specious and egocentric in our prayers be seared away by these helpful blasts. Cleanse, cauterize, and cut away that which separates us from Thee and from our fellows, and give us Thyself and the open way into the hearts of those with whom we live.
What is being attacked in the charges against prayer [as being superstitious, autosuggestion, & pietistic]? Are they being leveled against high prayer or on low forms of prayer that masquerade [as prayer]? [Prayers warding off danger or compelling success are superstitious. Autosug- gestion & self-centering is a logical place to start in prayer; true prayer does not end there & seldom does]. The case against prayer [will] cleanse true prayer of its shadows & compel it to show its truest face.
O God, rouse my dispersed spirit from its stupefied torpor. Wake the sleeper in me and kindle such a fire in my heart that I shall never be content with anything short of Thee. Re-light in me the flame of a steady life of prayer. O God, keep open, keep open, my mind, my heart, my soul.
Simeone Weil became an apostle of France's spiritual life after World War II. At the heart of her insights is her definition of prayer as attention. Prayer is awakeness, attention, intense inward openness. Sin is anything that destroys this attention. Prayer is naturally attention to the highest thing I know. God can only disclose the Divine whispers to those who are attending.
O God from whom I came, how prone I am to think that I am self-initiated and self-propelled and self-sufficient. As I gather myself in prayer, may I ever begin by recalling what is going on, what it is costing, and why I have forgotten. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.
When I pray, the most important thing of all is that I shall come into a deep inward realization of what is really taking place in the cosmos. God is the lover besieging the soul of every man and woman that comes into this world. This redemptive love can reconcile any separation, any dissonance, any mal- formation. “I came from God. I belong to God. I return to God.”
O God, I come to you not alone but in the midst of this tattered company [of distractions]. This is the kind of being I am, Lord, and the kind of compa- nions I flock with, and the kind of world I inhabit. Give us your blessing, O friend of my soul, and draw us into the tendering warmth of your presence.
When I settle down to pray, I am always aware of distractions, [outer noises and inner, spiritual distractions]. If one resents these distractions, fights them, resists them, and tries to drive them out of one’s mind, one is lost. I acknowledge them as part of my world and my life, and then gently move on in to greet and be greeted by the Giver of Love. It is the hallowing of the husk of my life that the Lord desires.
O God who hast carried us when we knew it not, and who faithfully seeks us when we are yet afar off, lay on us a ministry of intercession for others, [and thus bring] us down into the very matrix of Thy yearning for souls and make us members of the great chain of redemptive love that girdles our world for its healing.
When I touch the heart of prayer, I touch the lives of others, for in some mysterious way, we are all interconnected in the life of God. When I pray for another, my intention of bringing the soul of my friend, or of some situation in the world, or of warding off some threatening disaster is [purified], lifted out of its frame and used. Brothering, [sistering] the souls of [all] is the most social act there is. There is no richer area for exploration.
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O God, help me to want what I really want to do and strip from me the reservations and hesitations which [block my service to you]. Kindle in me such a flame that I shall be swept into thy service. Snip the leash that I am always retying and draw me into the self-spending life of thy human servants.
The tragedy of postponed obedience is a tragedy in the life of each of us. Prayer is a great quickener of the heart; nothing can draw me more readily toward swiftness, fervor, and agility than a season of prayer. There is such a strange disequilibrium in the human heart between what it really wants to do and what its surface wants may twist it into performing; in prayer the deep want is restored, [and we become available].
O God my inward teacher, my kindler and sustainer, my hidden com- panion and the love of my life, forbid me from settling for a life of uncollected dispersion. Quicken my inward ears that I may hear the pulses of the divine whisper and live as one who walks through the dream of life as one awake.
Planned, [self-conscious] prayer is only a means to an end, which is a more continual state of prayerfullness or openness that goes on through the day and through the night. This is what is meant by those like Frank Laubach and Thomas Kelly who talk of praying continually. [When “God’s whisper”] is in eclipse, the knowledge that it has been buoys me up and gives me faith that it will be again. Isaac Penington said: “There is that near you which will guide you. O wait for it and mind that you keep to it.”
[God Speaks …]
O My [Creator, I do not ask for wounds for I have many already. But I have not listened to find what, on such occasions, you have had to tell. Open my inward ears and bring me up out of the basement of over-activity and preoccupation into the chamber where I may hear thy word and respond to it.
The basement [where we cannot hear “Jesus knocking”] is so expres- sive of the human condition as we know it today, that it seems for many to take shattering experiences to rouse them to what is going on. W.H. Auden writes: “It is where we are wounded that God speaks to us.” For some of us it is only in the depths of suffering that we seem open enough to listen to what God has to say to us.
O God, whose hand is upon me in times of strength & prosperity & in times of weakness & brokenness, may my senses’ threshold be lowered until I may bid thee cross & enter & give me guidance. Lay upon me the burden of the world’s need & the world’s suffering that I may be ready to see & minister to it with all [my strength].
In Bernard of Clairvaux’s (12th century) On Consideration, he guides a fellow Cistercian brother on how to bear the prosperity & power that became his as Pope Eugenius III. Bernard points out that his friend would be tempted to let the busyness of duties blot out his time for consideration (listening for deep wisdom). Those who have power & authority are not removed from God’s communication if they do not cut themselves off.
Oh God, if I resist Thee or draw beyond the sweep of today’s wave of thy compassion, O keep sweeping ever higher, O Lord, until I am no longer reluctant to accept thy invitation to move into the deeps of thy ocean and into the new to which thou has bidden me.
There are times when we come to the plateaus and when we do not seem to be able to get beyond. Certain things need to die before others can be born. [Sometimes we have to step back from our chosen path, “rest on a bench,” and wait for a new wave of release to come and restore our creativity]. Plateaus need not be permanent or final if we are open for a disclosure of God’s further landscape.
O God who has spoken to us through the Bible and other great books, help us to have the appetite and the capacity for discernment that will lead us to expose ourselves to books and find in them the word that is meant for us at that moment. Speak thy word to us as we read, and give us grace as a listen- er who listens and hears.
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Meeting with a book which has a message in for us may be decisive in speaking to our condition. [A book may inspire someone to lead a life that may in turn inspire others]. Often the decisive book has been the Bible as was the case with Augustine and Francis of Assisi. Books & the written word are often God’s vehicles for speaking to us if we are prepared inwardly and are ready to listen to and ask for their message to us.
O God whose burning life flows in our veins, may we in the blaze of thy grace be open for all that thou givest us by night as well as by day and be attentive to find in them the message of thy surging life for our instruction. May we be made more open for their instruction.
There are times when God speaks to us in a dream; the Bible has many such stories; [they speak to us of where to go and where not to go]. [Carl speaks along with the Gospels and the Pauline teaching, saying] that unless the unconscious has embraced the new way of life, it can never be more than a veneer. A dream ignored is like an unopened letter that has been neglected.
O God, we thank thee for the gift of friendship and for the mutual kind- lithat such a gift may bring. Lift the level of our friendships and make us wil- ling to be the kind of a friend in which this tie may be a thin point in the mem- brane through which thy word may touch us both.
God often speaks to us through a friend. Friends can shield us against God’s true invitations because they have made the same compromises, or they can be emissaries of God in that they confirm in us the deepest longings we have already had and give us courage to respond to them. Rufus Jones was inspired by and along with John Wilhelm Rowntree to rekindle the Society of Friends life for the service of the world.
O God, how little we realize that the poor in my generation may be able to open my own poverty and encourage me to rejoin the human race. O living God, pour through the newly opened arteries of our common life and wipe out all distinctions as we speak to one another’s need.
Is it conceivable that Jesus saw that the way to touch any society was at its Achilles heel, by serving the group whom it wanted to hide from its sight? It reaches to the quick of that society, touches it, and opens it to its own condition. Can we discover a mutual ministry to one another when this bloodstream of our common humanity is restored? Yes God does speak to us in the poor.
[Unlimited Liability …]
O God, I accept myself, the unacceptable, because thou hast accepted the acceptable, and without further fuss or feathers I mean to get on with this unattractive roommate and with thy help spend him in thy service.
The responsibility to accept all has a difficult catch in; [it includes self- acceptance]. It is a perfect act of love to God to accept ourselves & to put this scarred & wearisome fellow into God’s hands & get on with the work to be done. Unlimited liability may have to begin by laying aside self-hate or the wish to be someone else as a disobedient act & a taking back of myself, which I acknowledge, accept & seek to put at the Lord’s disposal.
O God, we thank thee for using the family to reveal the way in which Thy love is poured out upon us even when we do not respond. Lay on each of us the needs of the others in our families, & grant the constancy of affection so that when we fail, the other family member will know that we cared & that we cherish them [always].
In the family the unlimited liability is never relinquished. How swiftly the family discloses the gaps between what we mean & what we say & what we say & what we do; how often is forgiveness & a fresh start necessary? The notion of each being liable without limits to help the others come through to what they are meant to be is an assignment beyond any we may have reckoned with [in considering the duties called for in a Christian family].
O God who gives and gives and never counts the cost, sweep away our webs of calculation and give us that abandon which thy son Jesus Christ has disclosed to us. Frame what we do with a sense of meaning that in all our work we may know that we are a living part of thy continuing creation.
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All work must have some frame of meaning or it destroys its human instruments. When in addition there is a sense of real calling, there is scarce- ly a limit to what can be carried and to the effort which men and women will put forth. John Ruysbroek writes: “The love of Jesus is both avid and gener- ous. All that he is and all that he has he gives; and all that I am and all that I have, he takes.”
O God who wakens the sleepers and who opens the eyes of the heart in frail and highly conventional people like myself, give courage and wisdom that I, too may become one of those who when I am needed am “There.”
When it comes to the gospel ethic's application to my own commu- nity, it is so much easier to wring our hands & demand a boycott & a blockade over social injustice in South Africa
O God whose Holy Scriptures teach us that “for him that is joined to all living things there is hope,” so join us to all the living that we may be children of hope and ever rekindle this hope in the hearts of our own nation.
It is not easy to see how to reconcile the state’s claims upon my loyalty, & the unlimited liability I as a Christian bear for all. Christian duty does not stop at this nation’s frontier; boundaries are always moving outward. The moral capital of every state is continually running down. It can only be re- stored by the tender consciences of its vigilant citizens. Carl Schurz declared: "My country: when right to be kept right; when wrong to be set right.”
O God, give me a hearing heart that I may dare to hear the needs of my world and be shown ways in which even I, in all my weakness and frailty, may minister to them.
The world is suffering today from too few people who “hear with their hearts”; it is suffering from a drying up of compassion. The human spirit tends to withdraw and to feel hopeless about the sufferings and needs of human beings in distant places. Individual faithfulness to my world has not been dis- carded in God’s plan.
O God of all creation, enlarge my heart & the hearts of my fellows with such tenderness for all creation that we shall dare to speak up for all our fellow creatures & for the precious natural world that sustains them.
John Woolman writes: My heart was often tender and contrite, and uni- versal love for my fellow creatures increased in me.” The loving Creator of all of us lays on you and on me unlimited liability for all creation and for our fellow creatures everywhere.
[Ecumenism …]
O God in whose eyes our separations from each other and our compe- titive depreciations of each other are clouds of darkness that help to hide from us thy true face, help us to know what these blockages are, and to see them for the clouds that shut us out not only from our brother but from thee.
[The invisible, limiting lines which ecumenism is supposed to overcome and] dissolve can be of very different sorts and dissolving them can be along very different lines. Each of us has our list of reservation to coming closer to other denominational groups from whom we feel separated. The ability to pin- point these barriers and to face them in God’s presence is an important 1st step in ecumenism.
O God use thy sharpest sickle on the weeds of denominational pride, and possessiveness that are forever springing up anew in my heart and in the heart of our society. Give us a vision of thy passionate love for us all and of the task still [before us]. [Help us] set out together to answer thy beckoning invitation.
[When the Asian and African subjects of missions] meet the witness to Christ in 50 different versions, [complete with exclusive truth & jealous regard for the progress of others], it is not only confusing; it also belittles the whole witness. Denominational imperialism continues to flourish in less obvious but equally powerful ways. The uncommitted world will not be touched until there appears a whole new level of charity towards each other on the part of the Christian Church’s branches.
O God, we thank thee to be alive in a day when the walls are crumbling and the gates are being opened and the charity and affection of men who serve thee are increasing. Kindle a flame in me, O Lord, that I may not obstruct but may help to inflame the heart of the world with this new ecumenical spirit.
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Roman Catholic & Protestant approaches to each other are new phe- nomena in the US Europe the walls became paper thin as the screws of totalitarian government tightened. The Catholics found strength in the Bible & the Protestants found strength in the Catholic liturgy]. The ecumenical miracle of Vatican Council II was prepared for by common suffering, common charity, and common admiration and affection.
O God, thrust out my boundaries of human compassion & caring. Take away my hesitations & reservations. Quicken me until I may “walk gladly over the world, answering to that of God in every one.”
What was the church really meant for? The Church is not a shelter for the saved; it is not a Noah’s ark to bring specially selected pairs through the wreck of the world to salvation. It is more the sprig of olive, symbolizing that there is a future for humankind. The love of God knows no bounds. It reaches out to Roman Catholics, non-Roman Catholic Christians, the world re- ligions and the latent church.
O God, my love is provincial and thy love so limitless; sweep away my frontiers. Let me move with great openness to understand my brother and sister, and to be open to the witness that thy Holy Spirit may have for me through their witness, as I share with them what is most holy to me.
[Some limit ecumenism to] those who acknowledge Christ as the true window to the redemptive love of God. Great Roman Catholic scholars suggest that God has never left himself without a witness [in the world religions]. Some even suggest that the Holy Spirit may be speaking to present day Christianity through the Hindu, Buddhist, Judaic, and Islamic religions. The passionate love of God is truly all-embracing.
O God, we who think we are thy appointed emissaries & spokesperson for thy ways with men, forgive us our brashness and [lead us] to humility and to a great openness to thy secret working everywhere.
A generation ago, secularism was regarded as the sworn enemy-rival of the Christian religion. [But secularism often embodied] ethical principles that implemented our concern for the worth and dignity of all on a scale beyond anything people of religion had ever dreamed possible. [The exportable traits of western legal, political, & labor practices] are deeply impregnated with spiri- tual principles of the infinite worth of all, and of the liability we each bear for the well-being of the other.
O God, who knowest the true heart of each of us, help us to withhold judgment & to listen with the inward ear to our atheist brother’s [& sister’s] words & what they are really trying to say. [Grant us] the conviction that no one is beyond thy reach or caring, that is it only when we bring them with us that we can see thy face.
In Robert Ingersoll’s “44 Lectures on Atheism,” he is attacking not so much God as the social infidelities that Christians have practiced in God’s name. [There is an atheism] which simply ignores God rooted deeply in us all. What is the hidden God saying to me through the witness of those who deny him?
[Worshiper …]
O God, for the freedom to worship and the appointed occasions to join with my fellows to celebrate thy infinite goodness and care, with all my heart, I give thee thanks.
When I join others in the worship of God, I come in my best, to bring my gift to God in thanks, for God, Jesus Christ, the company of saints, the church, & for all that God has done for me. Celebration with others springs from deep roots in us, for those things that are most precious to us we want to share with others. The common discovery that there is a God who cares, that Christ is alive in the hearts of all today, draws us to corporate worship.
O God, how can I ever thank you for the rhythm of the spiritual life in which private & corporate prayer truly support each other. Nurture both in me & help me always to be faithful to the one without neglecting the other.
There is a time to be alone and a time to be with others. There is a dimension in corporate worship, in praying together, which is not present in the solitariness of private prayer. In corporate prayer, Christ seems to gather the worshipping community and to draw each person from one’s separate solitari- ness into the household of faith. The corporate worshiper belongs not to self alone but to the whole company of the servants of God.
292. On Hallowing One’s Diminishments (by John R. Yungblut;
5
1990)
About the Author—After serving the Episcopal Church for 20 years, he became a member of the Religious Society of Friends in 1960. He was director of Quaker House, a civil rights and peace program in Atlanta, from 1960-1968. From 1968-1972 he was the International Student House's director in Wa- shington, D.C. He & his wife taught at Pendle Hill. This is his 5th PH pamphlet.
About the Author—After serving the Episcopal Church for 20 years, he became a member of the Religious Society of Friends in 1960. He was director of Quaker House, a civil rights and peace program in Atlanta, from 1960-1968. From 1968-1972 he was the International Student House's director in Wa- shington, D.C. He & his wife taught at Pendle Hill. This is his 5th PH pamphlet.
Introduction—After an attack of diverticulosis, & a 50 mile drive for emergency surgery, [I was left with only 15% of my large intestine]. It hasn’t been a severe handicap. It is extraordinary how the body adjusts to trauma & [makes do] with what remains. 2 years later [I experienced the slow onset of] Parkinson’s disease, a nerve disorder. There is no known cure for this dege- nerative disease. I was put on the drug Sinemet to retard the onset of symp- toms; the dosage necessary has increased over the past half a dozen years. [I also developed arthritis, which made exercise difficult; the exercise to slow the advance of the Parkinson’s aggravated the arthritis].
The tremor is now in both arms and hands and speech has begun to be affected. There is more unsteadiness in walking; stiffness is increasing. I have requested a “Clearness Committee” to advise me regarding the wisdom of reti- ring from public appearance before I place too great a burden on my audiences to hear and follow. I went through an inwardly-staged protest: denial; disbelief; anger; rebellion, challenge, despair; depression.
On Diminishments as Companions—A phrase from Teilhard de Chardin’s Divine Milieu came to my rescue; one I hadn’t intended to store away, but that stayed with me. This is a form of synchronicity in which the un- conscious plays a role. The Divine Milieu speaks of [making one’s activities divine], in the 1st half of life, & of “hallowing diminishments in the 2nd half. [Making one’s gifts divine would be to connect them to] the giver of all good things, God.
The tremor is now in both arms and hands and speech has begun to be affected. There is more unsteadiness in walking; stiffness is increasing. I have requested a “Clearness Committee” to advise me regarding the wisdom of reti- ring from public appearance before I place too great a burden on my audiences to hear and follow. I went through an inwardly-staged protest: denial; disbelief; anger; rebellion, challenge, despair; depression.
On Diminishments as Companions—A phrase from Teilhard de Chardin’s Divine Milieu came to my rescue; one I hadn’t intended to store away, but that stayed with me. This is a form of synchronicity in which the un- conscious plays a role. The Divine Milieu speaks of [making one’s activities divine], in the 1st half of life, & of “hallowing diminishments in the 2nd half. [Making one’s gifts divine would be to connect them to] the giver of all good things, God.
Teilhard writes: “God, in all that is most living & incarnate in Him, isn’t far away. He awaits us every instant in our action, in the moment’s work. He is at the tip of my pen, my spade, my brush, my needle—of my heart & my thought.” I looked up “hallowing” in the dictionary. It was a new & most encou- raging idea to me— that one’s diminishments could be “made holy,” “conse- crated,” “respected greatly,” even “venerated.”
I saw that the 1st step for me in learning to “hallow” diminishments was a deep-going, positive acceptance. I must learn to do something creative with it. I practiced imaging diminishments as if they were the gift of companionship for me on my way to the great diminishment, death. Parkinson’s stiffening could be undergone as if it were a kind of “rigor amortis”—a stiffening by love, as part of the process by which I shall ultimately die into God. As companions they can be treated with playfulness and humor.
[I encouraged a stranger by affirming the wisdom of a decision he made; he encouraged me with a confident prediction of long life. I chuckle every time I think of that moment]. There seems to be something unique in which laughter enables the psyche to let go of the tensions that aggravate pain. [I joke about my constant trembling and discernment of vocal ministry, which the Holy Spirit often indicates by quaking and outer trembling]. When one is trembling all the time, how does one discern the prompting of the Spirit?
The Diminishments that are like Little Deaths—Teilhard writes: “Ex- ternal ... diminishments are all our bits of ill fortune ... barriers that block our way, the wall that hems us in, the stone which throws us from our path ... invi- sible microbes that [infect] the body, little words that infects the mind ... Hu- manly speaking, internal ... diminishments form the blackest residue & the most despairingly useless years of our life ... Natural failings, physical de- fects, intellectual or moral limitations [ruthlessly limit] the field of our activities, enjoyment, & vision.” These aren’t so much diminishments as deprivations from the start.
The Diminishments that are like Little Deaths—Teilhard writes: “Ex- ternal ... diminishments are all our bits of ill fortune ... barriers that block our way, the wall that hems us in, the stone which throws us from our path ... invi- sible microbes that [infect] the body, little words that infects the mind ... Hu- manly speaking, internal ... diminishments form the blackest residue & the most despairingly useless years of our life ... Natural failings, physical de- fects, intellectual or moral limitations [ruthlessly limit] the field of our activities, enjoyment, & vision.” These aren’t so much diminishments as deprivations from the start.
I can think of nothing as beautiful to witness as the selfless devotion of a family member who has borne the burden of caring for a retarded or severely handicapped family member. Then, there is the marvelous way in which some individuals turns a handicap into an ingenious charm that enhances rather than detracts from the personality. The handicapped individual’s selfless ministry to the afflicted is a boon to all. Teilhard again writes: “[Or we may] impotently standby & watch inner collapse, rebellion, & tyranny [of some dis-ease of our body], & no friendly influence can come to our help.”
The Diminishment of Bereavement—In the case of natural disasters, the afflicted may be helpless to hallow their diminishments, so consumed are they with survival and emergencies. Hallowing may have to be done by re- sponders bringing relief. Bereavement so caused by sudden accident often seems a greater tragedy than a protracted death through illness of the loved one. Sudden death is [mainly] a diminishment borne by the survivors. There is the “unreality” of the loss; there is grieving and “letting go” to be done.
If the death was a suicide there is the additional weight of guilt & 2nd- guessing. How might I have prevented this tragedy? What was I blind to? Why did I fail to see the warnings? It is like a sudden, unprepared-for psychic amputation. The relative psyche’s wholeness, enjoyed before, is shattered. Can such a diminishment [as suicide be hallowed]? Yes. 1st, commit the loved one into God's keeping, knowing that with God all things are well. 2nd, embrace forgiveness & live into the forgiven life. 3rd, transfer energy of lost relationship to some [service] of some other need. 4th, from the 1st 3, one becomes sensi- tive to & available for the suffering of others."
Bereavement can take the form the death of a dear one, unwilled separation from a partner through divorce or abandonment. In the end it is a matter of “letting go”: of some measure of dependency; & of taking care of the other by entrusting them into God’s keeping. How can one hallow the diminishment from the loss of a loved one? [Forgiveness of the other & of self], asking for strength beyond oneself to forgive one’s self for sins of omis- sion. Another possibility is a “new affection,” possibly a new person, an art form or cause or conversion experience. Hallowing such a diminishment demands both “letting go,” & embracing with enthusiasm something that has been found, or given by grace. Our inner nature abhors a vacuum just as surely Nature herself.
When the work of mourning has been gone through, the diminishment accepted, one is ready for renewal of the creative urge. Paul Tournier writes: the greater the grief, the greater the creative energy to which it gives rise ... I can truly say that I have a great grief and that I am a happy man.” For Tournier, writing the book Creative Suffering was a part of his work of mourning; Alan Paton wrote For you Departed & C. S. Lewis wrote A Grief Remembered for the same purpose.
The Diminishment of Bereavement—In the case of natural disasters, the afflicted may be helpless to hallow their diminishments, so consumed are they with survival and emergencies. Hallowing may have to be done by re- sponders bringing relief. Bereavement so caused by sudden accident often seems a greater tragedy than a protracted death through illness of the loved one. Sudden death is [mainly] a diminishment borne by the survivors. There is the “unreality” of the loss; there is grieving and “letting go” to be done.
If the death was a suicide there is the additional weight of guilt & 2nd- guessing. How might I have prevented this tragedy? What was I blind to? Why did I fail to see the warnings? It is like a sudden, unprepared-for psychic amputation. The relative psyche’s wholeness, enjoyed before, is shattered. Can such a diminishment [as suicide be hallowed]? Yes. 1st, commit the loved one into God's keeping, knowing that with God all things are well. 2nd, embrace forgiveness & live into the forgiven life. 3rd, transfer energy of lost relationship to some [service] of some other need. 4th, from the 1st 3, one becomes sensi- tive to & available for the suffering of others."
Bereavement can take the form the death of a dear one, unwilled separation from a partner through divorce or abandonment. In the end it is a matter of “letting go”: of some measure of dependency; & of taking care of the other by entrusting them into God’s keeping. How can one hallow the diminishment from the loss of a loved one? [Forgiveness of the other & of self], asking for strength beyond oneself to forgive one’s self for sins of omis- sion. Another possibility is a “new affection,” possibly a new person, an art form or cause or conversion experience. Hallowing such a diminishment demands both “letting go,” & embracing with enthusiasm something that has been found, or given by grace. Our inner nature abhors a vacuum just as surely Nature herself.
When the work of mourning has been gone through, the diminishment accepted, one is ready for renewal of the creative urge. Paul Tournier writes: the greater the grief, the greater the creative energy to which it gives rise ... I can truly say that I have a great grief and that I am a happy man.” For Tournier, writing the book Creative Suffering was a part of his work of mourning; Alan Paton wrote For you Departed & C. S. Lewis wrote A Grief Remembered for the same purpose.
For those who have not this gift, the work and the memorial will have to take other forms, like a journal in which the process of imagination can be very therapeutic. Someone could be trusted to listen as you pour out your grief. Nothing can altogether relieve the pain that must be borne in solitude. Tournier used to mediate with his wife; they would share afterward the thoughts that came during meditation. He describes how this practice of 50 years served him in his grief work after her death: “In the past I often skipped my daily meditation, but since my wife’s death, I have not missed a single day—as if my rendezvous with God were also a rendezvous with her.”
Misfortune is versatile and performs its devastating vivisection on the psyche in the other ways: loss of job; loss of status in one’s vocation; moving from a beloved place. One may be rudely wrenched from the comfort & secu- rity of the familiar and plunged into a strange and threatening environment. These occasions too, demand “letting go” and an output of creative energy in creating a new job or a new home in an alien environment. Against such [misfortunes] one would do well to cultivate a certain detachment early in life.
Some Blessings that Accompany Aging—[In retirement] there is always diminishment one experiences in loss of persona, [along with loss of work]. There is the gift of extra time. Tournier suggests that one should begin early to prepare for old age’s onset, to explore undeveloped gifts. Tournier perceives that the old have the real job of “the restoration to our impersonal society of the human warmth, the soul it has lost.” He realized & interpreted for others that there was the dimension of love, poetry & of the spiritual life.” If one is to hallow the diminishment of loss of persona, it is necessary to build a 2nd career or to fill one’s life with interesting, new self-appointed work. Each of us must continue to exercise his or her gifts when the career of our middle years must end.
Tournier suggests there is a liberation from immediate interests, an opportunity to pursue the deeper interests of the heart and mind. He writes: “One can be successful on into old age through warmheartedness, readiness to welcome all comers, kindness and disinterestedness. One must put fallow skills to use and put as much energy and imagination in this new work as in the pur- suit of the previous profession. One finds that one is able, as never before, to find pleasure in the achievements of others, to take vicarious delight in the achievements of others because they feel like one’s own in this spirit which is an experience of kinship with all things.
[One can pass one’s prime in other things, but for the penitent it is pos- sible to continue to grow as long as one lives. As one grows older, one per- ceives the love of God for one’s self and the poignance of the fact that is has been largely unrequited. Penitence with the promise of forgiveness can bring change, love, and obedience. This makes possible a 2nd innocence that carries with it the blessing of higher consciousness. It is well to see that, in struggling against all the diminishments in our life, one is struggling against an angel [like Jacob], and not to let it go until one has received the distinctive blessing of that particular angel. Even if one goes away limping badly, the diminishment will have been hallowed by this blessing.
Hallowing the Great Diminishment, Death—Teilhard writes: “Death is the sum and consummation of all our diminishments; it is evil itself—purely physical evil and moral evil too. We must overcome death by finding God in it. At the 1st approach of the diminishments, we cannot hope to find God except by loathing what is coming ... and doing our best to avoid it ... At some moment or other we feel the grip of the forces of diminishment, against which we were fighting, gradually gaining victory over the forces of life, [vanquishing] us. God, without sparing us partial or final death, transfigures it by integrating it into a better plan ... God must hollow us out & empty us, if he is to penetrate into us and assimilate us in Him ... Death’s fatal power to decompose & dissolve will be harnessed to the most divine operations of life ... [to] become pleni- tude and unity with God ...
Misfortune is versatile and performs its devastating vivisection on the psyche in the other ways: loss of job; loss of status in one’s vocation; moving from a beloved place. One may be rudely wrenched from the comfort & secu- rity of the familiar and plunged into a strange and threatening environment. These occasions too, demand “letting go” and an output of creative energy in creating a new job or a new home in an alien environment. Against such [misfortunes] one would do well to cultivate a certain detachment early in life.
Some Blessings that Accompany Aging—[In retirement] there is always diminishment one experiences in loss of persona, [along with loss of work]. There is the gift of extra time. Tournier suggests that one should begin early to prepare for old age’s onset, to explore undeveloped gifts. Tournier perceives that the old have the real job of “the restoration to our impersonal society of the human warmth, the soul it has lost.” He realized & interpreted for others that there was the dimension of love, poetry & of the spiritual life.” If one is to hallow the diminishment of loss of persona, it is necessary to build a 2nd career or to fill one’s life with interesting, new self-appointed work. Each of us must continue to exercise his or her gifts when the career of our middle years must end.
Tournier suggests there is a liberation from immediate interests, an opportunity to pursue the deeper interests of the heart and mind. He writes: “One can be successful on into old age through warmheartedness, readiness to welcome all comers, kindness and disinterestedness. One must put fallow skills to use and put as much energy and imagination in this new work as in the pur- suit of the previous profession. One finds that one is able, as never before, to find pleasure in the achievements of others, to take vicarious delight in the achievements of others because they feel like one’s own in this spirit which is an experience of kinship with all things.
[One can pass one’s prime in other things, but for the penitent it is pos- sible to continue to grow as long as one lives. As one grows older, one per- ceives the love of God for one’s self and the poignance of the fact that is has been largely unrequited. Penitence with the promise of forgiveness can bring change, love, and obedience. This makes possible a 2nd innocence that carries with it the blessing of higher consciousness. It is well to see that, in struggling against all the diminishments in our life, one is struggling against an angel [like Jacob], and not to let it go until one has received the distinctive blessing of that particular angel. Even if one goes away limping badly, the diminishment will have been hallowed by this blessing.
Hallowing the Great Diminishment, Death—Teilhard writes: “Death is the sum and consummation of all our diminishments; it is evil itself—purely physical evil and moral evil too. We must overcome death by finding God in it. At the 1st approach of the diminishments, we cannot hope to find God except by loathing what is coming ... and doing our best to avoid it ... At some moment or other we feel the grip of the forces of diminishment, against which we were fighting, gradually gaining victory over the forces of life, [vanquishing] us. God, without sparing us partial or final death, transfigures it by integrating it into a better plan ... God must hollow us out & empty us, if he is to penetrate into us and assimilate us in Him ... Death’s fatal power to decompose & dissolve will be harnessed to the most divine operations of life ... [to] become pleni- tude and unity with God ...
Grant that I may willingly consent to this last phase of communion … [when I shall possess You by diminishing in You ... When I suddenly awaken to the fact that I am ill or growing old, ... and when I feel I am losing hold of myself and am absolutely passive ... grant that I know it is you penetrating me and bearing me away ... At one moment the dominant note is constructive human effort, and at another mystical annihilation.” On Easter Day 1955, Teilhard died after attending Mass, a string concert with friends, and in the midst of serving them tea, just as he wished. He was conscious to the last moment unafraid, in communion with God.
Hallowing Diminishments through the Practice of Contemplative Prayer—[Part of] learning to hallow diminishments is faithful practice of con- templative prayer. Bereavement plunges one into the depths of loneliness; it can be transmuted into solitude. Solitude is a gift of time without distraction, a time to keep company with one’s soul. Here the Holy Spirit can help one har- ness one’s own cross and carry it without too much strain.
Hallowing Diminishments through the Practice of Contemplative Prayer—[Part of] learning to hallow diminishments is faithful practice of con- templative prayer. Bereavement plunges one into the depths of loneliness; it can be transmuted into solitude. Solitude is a gift of time without distraction, a time to keep company with one’s soul. Here the Holy Spirit can help one har- ness one’s own cross and carry it without too much strain.
Contemplation ultimately defies definition, a gentle art unique with the artist. Meditative prayer is different; it engages discursive reason, and takes the form of praise, thanksgiving, confession, intercession and petition. Contempla- tion is a state of consciousness in which the body has been quieted so that it can be in the service of Spirit. There are a great variety of techniques to attain this 1st step on “the way in” to the altered state of consciousness. Quieting the mind is next. One can repeat a mantra; one can let go of one restless image after another. It is doubtful any act of will can accomplish the final transition into contemplation; cooperation with the Spirit taking us there is necessary. We know that contemplation is the field where lies the pearl of great price; we per- sist in digging for it, [for even a glimpse of it].
We must bear in mind that those of the Eastern religions use the word meditation for what we have long designated in the West as contemplation. Eastern meditation & Western contemplation are both described as: darkness, void, nothingness, emptiness. Each attempt to go into the silence, the dark- ness, involves “letting go.” One lets go of all on-going life-efforts, of one’s waning gifts and talents, a committing of them into the care of the giver of all good things, and a re-dedication of what creativity remains. Contemplation is a practice in dying; it is a way of knowing one’s self under the aspect of the eternal. “Whoever knows one’s self as part of the All knows one’s self and the All.” When one finally lets go of the diminishment, one is aware that nothing has been lost and all is well. The diminishment has been hallowed.
We must bear in mind that those of the Eastern religions use the word meditation for what we have long designated in the West as contemplation. Eastern meditation & Western contemplation are both described as: darkness, void, nothingness, emptiness. Each attempt to go into the silence, the dark- ness, involves “letting go.” One lets go of all on-going life-efforts, of one’s waning gifts and talents, a committing of them into the care of the giver of all good things, and a re-dedication of what creativity remains. Contemplation is a practice in dying; it is a way of knowing one’s self under the aspect of the eternal. “Whoever knows one’s self as part of the All knows one’s self and the All.” When one finally lets go of the diminishment, one is aware that nothing has been lost and all is well. The diminishment has been hallowed.
293. The Ministry of Presence: Without Agenda in South Africa
Avis Crowe; Dyckman Vermilye; 1990)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS—Avis Crowe is Methodist by birth and Quaker by convincement. [After beginning a career in theater, television, and the arts], Avis shifted gears in her late 30s and began her spiritual journey in earnest at Koinonia Partners in Georgia
Dyckman Vermilye is a Quaker by convincement and joined the Society when his interest group moved to Monthly Meeting status in the early 1950s. His Quaker life remained dormant for 30 years until he went to Pendle Hill as a student. He spent a year learning New Testament Greek as Friend-in-Resi- dence at Woodbrooke.
I am done with great things, & big things, great institutions and big suc- cess, and I am for those tiny invisible molecular forces … creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water which, if you give them time, will rend the hardest monument to man’s pride. William James.
I. DECISION—Live in South Africa
Dyck—As a student at Pendle Hill I was grappling with the “what next” question. Africa became a theme from which I could not escape as a student. A Zimbabwe Harare , Zimbabwe
Avis—During Dyck’s student year, I was winding up nearly 2 years as a volunteer at Koinonia Partners in Americus , Georgia
In my “class” was a young family from Soweto , South Africa Zimbabwe
[We went] from Zimbabwe Durban Johannesburg
Hilary told me about her work in a family service agency, the pain and frustration of trying to live authentic lives as white South Africans, beneficiaries of a system they were trying to change. [We returned to Pendle Hill for 2 more years, then retired]. Rather than join those who turned their backs on South Africans. I wanted to go & stand beside them, to say “Yes” with my presence.
We had to allow for the possibility that we might not be useful or wanted, that we could create problems for people who might feel responsible for us, that we might even put people in jeopardy. We did not engage in a formal clearness process; to do so never occurred to us; we just trusted that clearness would come naturally. One by one, the anticipated obstacles were removed, and the pieces fell into place.
Dyck—Richard made a rough budget of basic expenses [which made it clear] that my retirement income would probably be adequate to cover all costs. The risks to personal safety & health were matters to which I had given con- siderable attention before going to Zimbabwe
Avis—I realized that our probable safety & the quality of lifestyle & me- dical care we could expect were the privilege of being white. I found that truth uncomfortable, but was willing to live with the reality. The decision had made itself. We were going to South Africa
II. THE WRONG QUESTION—Henri Nouwen asks: What greater mini- stry can be practiced than one which reflects that presence? [And an- swers: “A ‘pastoral presence’ is more important than any plan or project. More than anything, people want you to share their lives.” This ministry was an affir- mation of what we wanted to be about in South Africa
We had no particular timetable, and were content to slip into the meeting and community as unobtrusively as possible, and simply let happen what would. We wrote: “We will be eager to learn from you and to contribute in any ways that seem appropriate or possible out of the resources that we bring with us.” We didn’t carry any answers with us. We want to save people from igno- rance and poverty, [when] too often, it is we who are drowning in a poverty of spirit. We have much to learn from people all over the world.
Avis—I visited several sites where the Early Learning Resources Unit was helping mothers learn to play creatively with their children, using whatever limited resources & discards they could find & their imaginations.
Now and then we did find ourselves tripping over the impulse to show people how to do things, and to suggest a “better way.” Henri Nouwen wrote: “The 1st thing is to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and show them by words, gestures and ac- tions that you love them.” The irony is that we found plenty to do. What we did arose out of who we were, of knowing & becoming known, of sharing sto- ries and journeys with one another. The doing was never primary for us; the relationships were.
III. TRAVELING IN THE SPIRIT—Once the word was out that we would soon be on our way to South Africa
Avis--When a Pendle Hill Board member expressed gratitude that we could make such a journey & that we would carry the love & concern of many Friends, I realized the possible communal dimension of our decision. We de- parted knowing we were being held in the Light by many Friends and were carrying their love and concern to the people of South Africa
[For lettering writing] we made arrangements with Avis’ mother to copy & distribute a periodic newsletter for us. We tried to capture some of the fla- vor & texture of life in South Africa
IV. CAPETOWN MEETING: Spiritual Home and Opportunity for Ministry—Cape Western MM was our gateway to the country and its people. [We were supported, nurtured, and nurturers for the 1½ years we were there]. Their reception of us was reserved. By becoming sojourning members, we hoped to declare our commitment to the meeting. We attended the Peace Work Committee, & Ministry and Oversight meetings. We started our Pendle Hill practice of inviting people from the meeting to simply drop in during the afternoon of the 1st Sunday of every month; there was no business to conduct, no issue to resolve.
Avis—During one of these afternoons, Scotty Morton shared her terror at [having a rifle pointed at her] at a squatters’ camp outside Cape Town
Dyck—There was interest in bible study in the meeting, and I was de- lighted to start up a weekly group. I also began to write a newsletter for local and distant members and attenders.
Avis—I got the Woodbrooke’s study program Gifts & Discoveries started at the meeting; almost the entire meeting participated; the bonds be- tween the people of the meeting deepened. I also led retreats & weekly prayer meetings. [During one of the latter, Rommel invited the leaders of 2 sometimes violent factions to meet on the neutral ground of the meeting to work out their difference]. One of the groups never showed and the hour passed without incident; the Wednesday group is still meeting.
Dyck—None of what we did was arduous. Relating to people in various ways outside the meeting & facilitating activities that people wanted but hadn’t time to organize, we could contribute to the meeting’s spiritual life.
Neither of us had thought ourselves “ministers” before. Time is not per- haps, a direct contribution to the struggle for justice and peace in South Africa
V. ENGAGEMENT—Early in our sojourn we also moved around in the larger community. We made contact with the Black Sash & the South African Institute for Race Relations. We wanted to move slowly to wait for the things that seemed right to emerge naturally without [succumbing to] the “ought/ should’ syndrome—either our own or somebody else’s. We became involved with Siseko, a small brick-making cooperative; we felt the grief when its pro- ject manager was shot to death as a suspected African National Congress guerilla.
Dyck—I tried to become an “enabler,” working several mornings a week; I helped them open a bank account. I tried not to do things for them, but to stand side by side with them as they learned. I tried to slip into their rhythm, to respect their needs and capabilities, and to step back & allow them to be to be who they were, even if it meant less efficiency and slower progress.
Avis—[I became involved with the Philani Nutrition Clinics; the Govern- ment provided minimal infrastructure]. From the beginning Philani was special to me. My own wish was simply to come and be there, “[babysitting].” I was asked to help with the typing backlog of staff-meeting minutes and project reports. I didn’t go to the clinics very often, [because of] my reticence as an “outsider,” but each time I went was deeply satisfying. The clinic embraced life, demonstrated life, and taught by example that life in all its noise and dis- tress can be a celebration, even in the face of want, cruelty, disinterest.
The South African Institute for Race Relations (SAIRR) is respected internationally for its biannual report of Apartheid statistics [and its craft shops]. It was a natural place for me to share my interests in crafts and put in some of my time. I also processed applications to their scholarship fund. There was a branch of Koinonia in Cape Town
Dyck—I had been invited to be guest speaker and to lead the group in a discussion of conflict resolution. I assumed too much willingness on the part of blacks and coloreds to explore institutional violence in their lives. The people were clearly glad we were with them, and far more forgiving of our discomfort than we were. [Dyck was able to meet with a high Dutch Reformed Church of- ficial, and to set up a series of what turned out to be very challenging mee- tings]. My own roots are in Holland
I eagerly accepted an invitation to meet the Director. His responses made me feel that I was being kept at arms’ length and that an open exchange was not possible. I could see what pain must be his if he felt his belief system was being challenged. I wrote a 10-page critique of a Synod report, and he responded angrily. In our last meeting, he said he found it difficult to remain angry with me sitting across the desk from him. He expressed surprise at how few Quakers there were in Southern Africa . We parted cordially, in spite of not reaching any satisfactory conclusions.
I may have played the role of prophetic witness in my relationship with this churchman as defined by Abraham Heschel: “A prophet is one who holds God & the human person together at one time & at all times through profound love, powerful dissent, painful rebuke, and unwavering love. I do not know if my words or my behavior have remained with him. I am comfortable not kno- wing. Herbert Louckes: “An act of love that fails is as much a part of divine life as an act that succeeds, for love is measured by its own fullness, not by its reception.” Our own belief in the value of presence was affirmed over and over again in the very basic and simple tasks we preformed and in our encounters.
VI. THE BIG ISSUE—[The weighty, difficult questions about South Africa
VII. INVITATION—We were granted a 6-month extension, [and could have gotten more 6-month extensions], but we chose not to live with that chro- nic uncertainty. We sense that our time in South Africa South Africa
But traffic must be 2-way. It is important that we not engage in shun- ning—either as nations or as individuals. [What is needed is to] simply go with open heart and mind and the knowledge that the Spirit is working in you and in those you will meet. We need to set aside our American compul- sion for speed, for instant diagnoses and quick fixes, for whirlwind entran- ces and exits. Those opting for early retirement, or younger people on sab- batical or before graduate school might consider South Africa
There is no guarantee that just because the desire is there, permission will follow; the government is careful about those to whom they grant visas. [Ours were granted because we had friends in the country], and because Qua- kers have a long history in the country. Friends also enjoy an unusual freedom from government harassment as a direct result of their compassionate work with Afrikaner women and children during the Anglo-Boer War. The important thing is to go without preconceived expectations of what you might do there, or how helpful you might be. Go as a loving concerned person, “walking cheerfully over the earth.” A Friendly presence can be a blessing in places like South Africa
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294. Women of Power and Presence: The Spiritual Formation of 4
Quaker Women Ministers (by Maureen Graham; 1990)
ELIZABETH Elizabeth Elizabeth Elizabeth
England
About the Author—Maureen Graham is currently completing her training as
a pastoral counselor in Claremont , CA St. Andrews , Scotland
[Introduction]—In 1784 Rebecca Jones, Quaker minister from Phila- delphia England Midwest exhorting Friends to live obedient to the divine light within.
What is it about the religious
experience of these women that al- lowed them to overcome social attitudes &
practices which encouraged passivity & subordination? What can their lives
say to those of us who stand in their tradition & seek to be faithful
ministers in our time? The religious experience
took place within an inner space created by the prac- tice of Quaker spirituality
with its strong emphasis on waiting in silence.
In the
space created by such silence she was led to inner examination. She learned to experience
the Presence & Voice of God within her.
She found she was given the power to make changes in her life & her self.
She found that she could speak & act with integrity by the inner authority
her practice esta- blished. A community of peers then provided the outer space for
women to move into an active life of religious leadership.
The role of minister
gave women Quakers the possibility of claiming an autonomous identity & following
a challenging career relatively free from social & family constraints, but
within an often hostile environment. [Differences in each woman’s life] shaped
their experience & actions in different ways. The tensions in these women’s
lives reflect the tensions of interpretation & direc- tion within the Society
of Friends as it responded to social and cultural change.
REBECCA JONES 1739-1817—Rebecca Jones was
brought up in Phi- ladelphia
A
choice is required between world’s way & religion’s way. A choice is made
involving a yield to God. The yielding is followed by despair & suffering
which focused for Rebecca on her sense of unworthiness & uncleanness. The movement
is from unworthiness, inadequacy & uncleanness to purification & acceptance.
She described herself as a branch from the wild olive, grafted onto a good olive
tree. She gained an identity & a morally upright, religiously devout family
among whom were some of the most prominent & well-respected of the
city.
Inner conflict's resolution was accompanied by new certainty & inner security
which released energy & power, but also led to outer conflict. [Her mother’s
desire that] Rebecca teach dance, music, & embroidery [conflicted] with Quaker’s
avoiding frivolities like dancing & singing. “The more [I turned] my back on
those things which … I greatly delighted in, the more strength in- creased”; she was
thus able to stand up to family & friends.
In meeting
she often felt that she was being required to rise and speak, yet she was afraid
of “marring the Lord’s work.” [It took much
suffering, but finally] “I stood up in much fear and trembling and expressed a
few sentences very brokenly. I returned home with the promised reward of
peace.” To stand up & speak was known to be the 1st step toward becoming a
“public” friend. Her frequent warnings to herself against self-exaltation suggests that she felt [how attractive] the prospect was. Such a challenging, demanding life was also
frightening.
She
resolved her dilemma by experiencing it as a submission to God; she wasn’t claiming
any power for herself. As she grew more confident in the minister role, Rebecca
became an active leader in her meetings, monthly & yearly. She journeyed in
ministry to Great
Britain Ireland
She
was able to move forward because God is there. She “took up the cross” through submission
to the Spirit’s work & absolute trust in the inner Voice. [She gained] access
to an inner power which overcomes fears, doubts & external opposition,
which distinguishes right from wrong, which comforts & sustains. She learned
to act as moral agent in control of her own life. She saw herself as weak &
dependent; strength belonged to God.
Divinity authority & power are located
within the woman minister. There is amazing
potential for the woman to claim dynamic power, agency & authority; Rebecca
doesn’t make this step. Her self & God is firmly divided & often in
opposition to one another. When the men of London YM suggested setting up a
Women’s Meeting would give the body 2 heads, Rebecca replied that [Christ was
the one head], & in Christ male & female are one.
Rebecca
Jones was part of a Friends’ network who traveled together, advised, & supported
each other in their ministry. [They led] the Quietist reformation of the 18th
century. They attempted to renew the life of the Spirit, & rid Friends of
worldliness. Rebecca’s story is similar to those of the 20 women ministers of
the 18th century whose journals were published in 1875. Her story was held up as a model to Quaker
women of the 19th century.
RACHEL HICKS 1789-1878—Rachel was a Quietist
minister, a religious leader within the Hicksite branch of Friends. She witnessed
the bitter infighting among Friends, the suffering of the Civil War, and the decline
of Friends’ Mee- tings She saw her role as that of a faithful standard-bearer “inciting
the people to the Divine Light within” and to the path of simple obedience. Raised strictly as a Friend, Rachel was guarded
from the youthful misbehavior that plagued Rachel. [She writes of an 8 year-old memory: “I lay for
several hours bemoa- ning my condition, until He who sees the heart was pleased to
forgive, and speak comfortably to my soul … I have a great fear of offending Him
from whom I could not hide my most secret
thoughts.”
Her
parents [taught] her a fear of dying unprepared. She feared wrong- doing &
punishment, [rather than Rebecca’s fear of unworthiness]. [She took the side
opposite her father in the Hicksite-Orthodox split], & said, “Never has [God]
given me to see that … to obey His will inwardly revealed as the only way to the
Kingdom of Heaven is to be given up.” At 19, she heard a voice: “If faithful …
thou wilt … speak in my name to assemblies of people, & travel extensively.”
She wrote: “This was an unexpected, unwelcome, [and impossi- ble] message.”
She
then lost her sense of God’s presence. For 20 years Rachel strug- gled with the call
to minister, until the certainty of eternal damnation would be hers compelled her
to rise and speak. “After I made a surrender
… I oft felt His peace to flow in my heart as a river.” In Rachel Hicks’ journal
“Thy will be done” is written on nearly every page; she was given many crosses to
bear, [many deaths in the family, and journeys in the ministry].
If Rebecca
Jones worried about worthiness, Rachel Hicks worried about obedience and wrath
of God. Her problem was a wayward will, and the solution was submission to the
will of God. Rachel’s ability to survive suffering and the subsequent return of
life and power confirmed her faith in God and increased her strength and
courage. 60 years after Rebecca Jones,
Rachel Hicks was one of a dying breed of traditional traveling ministers, a
lone prophet and part of the faithful remnant calling people back to faithful
obedience.
Rachel
discovered the same guiding & sustaining presence that Rebec- ca discovered. For Rachel, [the “preparation” for] speaking
was always parti- cularly difficult.
“[None] can realize the humiliation of the creature [in] becoming an
empty vessel, nor the wonder and admiration that fills the heart, when in this
emptiness a Scripture passage, or a sentence arises in the mind with a
com- mand, “Rise and utter it, and I will be with thee … words & matter have
flowed as fast as I could give utterance.”
For Rachel, [in her relationship with the Word of God], it is a question
of ability and competence. The voice is not hers but God’s. Power and presence depend upon total
surrender of self-will. Yet, de- spite her disclaimers, the Voice of God she
speaks comes from deep within her and
allows her to act with the power and
presence of mature agency.
She was recognized as a minister in 1811
at the age of 31; this work didn’t satisfy her need for purpose & fulfillment.
When she found her work in Newgate prison, she found “a peace & prosperity …
that I seldom remem- ber to have done before. Each crisis was a new test of faith
& trust. Her [favorite] text was “Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief.” She
learned to reach that place where God’s loving presence would carry her
through. This ability enabled her to face the violence of prisoners & the
obstructive autho- rity of prison governors & politicians.
[Compared
to the 1st 2 women mentioned], Elizabeth Elizabeth
LUCRETIA
MOTT 1793-1880—Lucretia Mott fully lived into the radical power &
agency that Quaker practice offers women. [As part of] the indepen- dent, close-knit
community of Quaker whalers on Nantucket , she had a sense of self-worth & identity, & models
of strong independent women. [When faced with injustice], she proclaimed, “The
injustice … was apparent; I resolved to claim for myself all that a fair
Creator had bestowed.”
Her husband’s (James Mott) support was
crucial to her work & ministry. The spiritual crisis which sharpened & deepened
Lucretia’s religious experi- ence & identity was after her little son's death. She [didn’t] believe that her God could ever command acts of injustice &
suffering. Suffering was from ignor- ance of God’s natural laws, not divine test
or punishment. As she struggled with these issues & with grief, she
experienced a deepened sense of God’s presence & loving power. She felt Spirit moving within her,
propelling her to speak. The foundation for Lucretia’s activism was religious experience. [When she spoke, it was] only as the Spirit gave her words.
Lucretia
feels able to concentrate herself to ministry, without need for external authority;
she aligns her work with God. Self & God have a mutual, non-hierarchical relationship.
The disappearance of the split between self & God is mirrored in harmony between
divine & natural, & in
equality between men & women. There isn’t just a knowledge of ethical principles,
but a felt ethical presence & power
guiding & pushing toward action. How was Lucretia, [how can we] overcome inner
separation of self & God? 1st, strong belief in self. 2nd,
[the Hicksite-Orthodox split] forced the Society to divide along theological grounds.
Lucretia was free to develop understanding of Inner Light outside traditional Christian
theology; she was able to reject the doctrine of human depravity.
Elizabeth
Fry was unable to claim divine power for herself and was only able to assert
human equality on grounds of all people being sinners before God. [While Elizabeth
Lucretia’s
struggle centered around an outer conflict between self-God and structures of injustice. “Too many of our sex are insensible of their wrongs,
and incapable of fully appreciating the blessings of freedom.” Opposition and accusations
from the authorities within the yearly meeting hurt her deeply. She stayed with
the Quaker fold even though few could follow her radical under- standing and experience
of the Quaker faith. The power of her ministry and leadership was widely
respected.
Lucretia’s
path was discovery of a moral
agency. Her path led to suf- fering and often went against her wishes for
security and comfort. The life of moral agency did not require
self-mortification and denial.
Willingness has re- placed submission.
The will of God is an inner divine force for truth and righ- teousness
with which we can choose to align our lives and our actions, to em- body power and
presence in our work for love and justice.
This examination of the psychological and spiritual
development of 4 Quaker women ministers has shown a process of psychological growth
through inner and outer conflict to resolution in a life of active engagement. Important parts of the process for these women
included: defining identity in relation to family; discovering a public voice to
speak the truth; claiming a vocation which gave meaning to their own experience.
The
extent to which these women claimed their own dynamic power de- pended on their understanding
of the relationship between self and God. Their understanding and experience of
this relationship depended upon their child- hood experience, social & historical
location, & theological discourse. The amount of power & authority they
located in God or self shaped their relation- ship to external authority.
The
personal journeys of these 4 women & the conflicts they encoun- tered
mirrored those of corporate religious bodies of which they were part. Rebecca’s
witness grew out of discipline & withdrawal from the world, like other 18th
century Friends. The lives of Rachel Hicks, Elizabeth Fry & Lucre- tia Mott
reflect different answers to the tensions & conflicts present within Quaker
theology & practice which divided Quaker communities in the 19th century. They represent, respectively, Conservative, Evangelical, and Liberal
emphases which emerged in the 19th century.
As
a Quaker woman, I am proud to stand in such a tradition. I am chal- lenged to
look within, to find Truth in my own experience, to live life [from my
depths]. I am challenged to act with
power and presence in my world —doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly
with my God.
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295. Inward Light and the New Creation: A Theological meditation
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295. Inward Light and the New Creation: A Theological meditation
upon the Center and Circumference of Quakerism (by R. Melvin
Keiser; 1991)
About the Author—R. Melvin Keiser is Professor of Religious Studies at Guilford College, Greensboro, NC. Born in Philadelphia, educated at Westtown School, Earlham College, Yale Divinity, Harvard, Duke University. He works in adult education in the NCYM. He has written essays on religion & schooling in various periodicals and several religious books. He is a member of Friendship Friends Meeting in Greensboro.
About the Author—R. Melvin Keiser is Professor of Religious Studies at Guilford College, Greensboro, NC. Born in Philadelphia, educated at Westtown School, Earlham College, Yale Divinity, Harvard, Duke University. He works in adult education in the NCYM. He has written essays on religion & schooling in various periodicals and several religious books. He is a member of Friendship Friends Meeting in Greensboro.
Introduction/ The New Creation's Nature—Quakerism's center is the Inward Light, its circumference the New Creation. From this underlying cen- ter & circumference flows early Friends’ way of being in the world, the peculiar nature of their spirituality, theology, ethics. I want to share not only what I see, but also the perspective from which I am looking. The Inward Light and New Creation spirituality I see in early Friends can help with contemporary issues. That spirituality affirms that God and world are inseparable because we relate both to divine presence and to interrelations with the world with: radical indivi- duality & radical relatedness; presence of God and urge to transform society; theological thought and ethical action.
To discover and open to the Light at our center is to dwell within the total world as originally created. “World” here is the created context of our being. James Nayler writes: “As man beholds the seed growing, so he comes to see the new creation, and what he lost in the [F]all, is restored by the power of the [W]ord, the son of God ... so comes man to be reconciled to his maker in the eternal unity ...” Beneath our surface life the world, the New Creation exists in our depths as originally created; it was obscured in the Fall, not obliterated. The Light opens us to our depths; we come in touch with the original matrix of our being.
Even though the New Creation was not a watchword of early Quakers, its meaning permeates their experience and thought. [For George Fox, the significance of “There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condi- tion” is revealed in his vision of returning to Eden through the angel’s flaming sword: “All things were new, and all the creation gave another smell unto me than before, beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but pureness, and innocency, and righteousness, being renewed into the image of God by Christ Jesus ..."
Even though the New Creation was not a watchword of early Quakers, its meaning permeates their experience and thought. [For George Fox, the significance of “There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condi- tion” is revealed in his vision of returning to Eden through the angel’s flaming sword: “All things were new, and all the creation gave another smell unto me than before, beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but pureness, and innocency, and righteousness, being renewed into the image of God by Christ Jesus ..."
And the Lord showed me that such as were faithful to God in the power and light of Christ, should come up into that state in which Adam was before he fell, in which the admirable works of the creation, and virtues thereof, may be known ... Great things did the Lord lead me into, & wonderful depths were opened unto me ... People in subjection to the spirit of God ... may receive the Word of wisdom, that opens all things, and come to know the hidden unity in the Eternal Being.”
Fox is given a knowledge into the heart of the world, understanding the nature and virtues, the power and excellence of all creatures. Fundamental to Fox’s spirituality then is this intimate indwelling of the New Creation. The New Creation is our present ordinary world but as experienced in depth, illumined by the divine Light. [We tend to fragment the world into self, world, spirit, na- ture, mind, body]. In the depths, the Light draws us down to dwell beyond these fragmenting dichotomies.
Spirituality of the New Creation—Our spirituality doesn’t come from our initiating but rather [from silence], from letting go of control. This silent de- scent into ripeness is an opening to the Light-centered New Creation. The manner of our spirituality of Light & New Creation is therefore neither procla- mation of the Word nor celebration of Action, but is waiting. Quaker spiritua- lity descends in silent waiting into the depths of the world.
Fox is given a knowledge into the heart of the world, understanding the nature and virtues, the power and excellence of all creatures. Fundamental to Fox’s spirituality then is this intimate indwelling of the New Creation. The New Creation is our present ordinary world but as experienced in depth, illumined by the divine Light. [We tend to fragment the world into self, world, spirit, na- ture, mind, body]. In the depths, the Light draws us down to dwell beyond these fragmenting dichotomies.
Spirituality of the New Creation—Our spirituality doesn’t come from our initiating but rather [from silence], from letting go of control. This silent de- scent into ripeness is an opening to the Light-centered New Creation. The manner of our spirituality of Light & New Creation is therefore neither procla- mation of the Word nor celebration of Action, but is waiting. Quaker spiritua- lity descends in silent waiting into the depths of the world.
From there, from the divine mystery, arises the Spirit’s leading & our own spirit with a felt sense of divine presence. Spirit is not an abstraction from space and time, but is always experienced in the here and now, in this cir- cumstance by this embodied self that I am. While returning ever-again to the [formless] source [of all forms], we are always being drawn forth by the Spirit to create the forms of our personal, communal, and cultural lives.
Young Fox moves from dichotomizing spirit and world, to reducing spirit to world, to affirming the spirituality of the world as divine creation. While out- wardly the world is objects in space and time, inwardly it is evil, the corrupting and destructive forces in the self. In waiting he finds an affirmation emerging that the world is in truth the creation of God, the place in which our spirit may grow in relation to the divine Spirit within.
Theology of the New Creation—The spirituality of Light and the New Creation provides the foundation for early Friends’ theological expressions of creation, sin and redemption. Creation is the context of conversion; conversion is opening to the Light; reconciliation with God by opening to the Light in the depths brings us into unity with the depths of the totality of being, with the New Creation. Early Friends speak of convincement because they are brought to stillness where they can be awakened to what is already present.
The New Creation is neither past or future; it is the present context of our being. The stress falls on divine and human presence in the present. The Quaker doctrine of creation is based on a lived sensitivity to and unity with the world [deep inside us, a world filled with divine presence]. Sin is the barrier that veils our eyes from the depths of Light and New Creation. To “give up self to die by the Cross” is to open to the uncontrollable divine depths within self and world. The knowing of life in Eden is not head knowledge but a tasting, feeling, indwelling knowing of the divine presence in the original creation.
Young Fox moves from dichotomizing spirit and world, to reducing spirit to world, to affirming the spirituality of the world as divine creation. While out- wardly the world is objects in space and time, inwardly it is evil, the corrupting and destructive forces in the self. In waiting he finds an affirmation emerging that the world is in truth the creation of God, the place in which our spirit may grow in relation to the divine Spirit within.
Theology of the New Creation—The spirituality of Light and the New Creation provides the foundation for early Friends’ theological expressions of creation, sin and redemption. Creation is the context of conversion; conversion is opening to the Light; reconciliation with God by opening to the Light in the depths brings us into unity with the depths of the totality of being, with the New Creation. Early Friends speak of convincement because they are brought to stillness where they can be awakened to what is already present.
The New Creation is neither past or future; it is the present context of our being. The stress falls on divine and human presence in the present. The Quaker doctrine of creation is based on a lived sensitivity to and unity with the world [deep inside us, a world filled with divine presence]. Sin is the barrier that veils our eyes from the depths of Light and New Creation. To “give up self to die by the Cross” is to open to the uncontrollable divine depths within self and world. The knowing of life in Eden is not head knowledge but a tasting, feeling, indwelling knowing of the divine presence in the original creation.
Early Friends are reviving the doctrine that there is still “original righ- teousness”; Fox believes it is only obscured. The redeemed, [righteous] life is to dwell in unity with God and world knowing the true nature of creatures through a felt unity with them in God, and to act in accord with that unity. There is a minor Christian tradition that speaks of the world being made unfi- nished; our responsibility is to complete it. Perfection is affirmed by Fox as he is brought up into the image of God in which Adam was originally created. This is a dynamic perfection involving growth. The measure of light we have may vary from time to time; perfection lies not in completeness but in the fittingness of our response to it.
Social Testimonies in the Matrix of the New Creation—Dwelling in the New Creation explains our radical communalism. The Light is the Creator Spirit connecting us one to another in deeply knit worship or group decision & bringing us into “unity with the creation.” Friends’ ethics are shaped by re- lation to God & by our relations to the matrix of being, the New Creation. “That life & power which takes away occasion for war” comes from living in the power of “the covenant of peace [of the original creation], before wars & strife [in the fall].”
Simplicity as a Quaker testimony also springs from these depths. Speech, dress, and comportment should manifest inwardness of the life of the Spirit rather than pride. So also with equality, which is established in the original creation. To deal justly and live simply is to dwell in and to exhibit the fitting relations of New Creation. Within his creation-based educational concern, Fox makes education available for all regardless of class or sex.
Women Speaking in the New Creation/ Quaker Spirituality: A Life Deepening—In 1666, Margaret Fell published Women’s Speaking Justified, Proved and Allowed by the Scriptures, All such as Speak by the Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus. For her, thinking while connected to the Light and the matrix of being is rigorous, specific, complex, and comprehensive. Her argu- ment is that sexual equality existed in the original creation and that when we open to the Light within, we are restored to living in the New Creation.
Women Speaking in the New Creation/ Quaker Spirituality: A Life Deepening—In 1666, Margaret Fell published Women’s Speaking Justified, Proved and Allowed by the Scriptures, All such as Speak by the Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus. For her, thinking while connected to the Light and the matrix of being is rigorous, specific, complex, and comprehensive. Her argu- ment is that sexual equality existed in the original creation and that when we open to the Light within, we are restored to living in the New Creation.
She argues from Genesis 1:27-29. She says, “Here God joyns [Man & Woman] together in God’s own image, & makes no such distinctions & differ- ences as men do.” Not only did God not subordinate woman to man in the creation, but has never done so. The Spirit has poured out upon women as well as men. Jesus confirms sexual equality in the original creation by quoting the above Genesis passage. Fell said: “The Church of Christ is a Woman ... Those that speak against the power of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord speaking in a Woman, simply by reason of her Sex ...such speak against Christ & his Church.”
She takes on St. Paul’s injunction for women not to speak in the church. She says we have misunderstood his intentions. Paul subordinates women to men where they live in a fallen condition as in the unruly Corinth church. Where people have opened to the Light they no longer live under the law in the fall but live in the Spirit, in Christ’s oneness—“Christ in the Male & in the Female is one.” In her thinking God is present in each historical period performing a dis- tinct divine action. The periods are connected with each other through God’s presence.
Every moment offers the possibility of opening to the Light & being situ- ated in the divine matrix of the world. [Every moment that has been or will be is present in every other moment]. The universal is present in every particular. Intellect and passion are inseparable. Theology and ethics are inseparable. The Protestantism that Fell and other early Friends attacked used exclusive thinking, excluding people before Jesus from salvation, excluding Christians from present righteousness. In her metaphoric inclusiveness, she embraces the adventure of the uncertain moment of encounter with the Light interwoven with creation.
Quaker spirituality, manifest in Margaret Fell’s theological-ethical argu- ment for sexual equality in church leadership, is shaped by her and early Friends’ discovery of living from the Light and living in the New Creation. Spi- ritual maturing in the New Creation is learning a new language, a new form of life. It is learning to be at home in the silence of being and to speak its lan- guage of Light—of the depth and the love and the fullness of being in the world. http://www.pendlehill.org/product-category/pamphlets
She takes on St. Paul’s injunction for women not to speak in the church. She says we have misunderstood his intentions. Paul subordinates women to men where they live in a fallen condition as in the unruly Corinth church. Where people have opened to the Light they no longer live under the law in the fall but live in the Spirit, in Christ’s oneness—“Christ in the Male & in the Female is one.” In her thinking God is present in each historical period performing a dis- tinct divine action. The periods are connected with each other through God’s presence.
Every moment offers the possibility of opening to the Light & being situ- ated in the divine matrix of the world. [Every moment that has been or will be is present in every other moment]. The universal is present in every particular. Intellect and passion are inseparable. Theology and ethics are inseparable. The Protestantism that Fell and other early Friends attacked used exclusive thinking, excluding people before Jesus from salvation, excluding Christians from present righteousness. In her metaphoric inclusiveness, she embraces the adventure of the uncertain moment of encounter with the Light interwoven with creation.
Quaker spirituality, manifest in Margaret Fell’s theological-ethical argu- ment for sexual equality in church leadership, is shaped by her and early Friends’ discovery of living from the Light and living in the New Creation. Spi- ritual maturing in the New Creation is learning a new language, a new form of life. It is learning to be at home in the silence of being and to speak its lan- guage of Light—of the depth and the love and the fullness of being in the world. http://www.pendlehill.org/product-category/pamphlets
296. The Testimony of Integrity in the Religious
Society of Friends
(by Wilmer A. Cooper; 1991)
About the Author—Wilmer Cooper grew up among Conservative Friends in
eastern Ohio Olney Friends School Wil- mington College
[Introduction]—Elfrida Vipont Foulds told my Quakerism class of how the
subject of George Fox’s message “went cold on her.” She thought of doing research,
visiting Pendle Hill or the Westmoreland countryside. Then it oc- curred to her to
go to George Fox’s birthplace at Fenny Drayton in the English Midlands. She walked
in the village & sat in the village church of Fox
[Suddenly
Elfrida Foulds realized] the Fox felt the need for integrity in daily life. He had
to say “yes” or “no” & mean it, without quibbling. Elfrida Foulds pointed out
that Fox continually tested what integrity meant. Churches weren’t buildings, but
the fellowship of believers in worship. At Woodbrooke, a Quaker study center in
Birmingham , England
The Meaning of the Quaker Testimonies—A unique Religious Society of Friends’ characteristic
are Quaker testimonies. Testimonies grow out of inward religious experience &
are intended to give outward expression to the Spirit of God’s or the Light of
Christ’s leading within. Friends believed in this leading, but they soon experienced
common leadings of the Spirit which be- came formalized into testimonies. They believed
they must be convinced of the testimony’s “truth” each time they were called on
to enact it in their lives. John Punshon said that inwardly they are our guide to
our Creator’s nature, our inspiration’s source. They are our guide to life, a
sign of divine love for creation, the means of prophetic witness, taking their
meaning from our highest reality.
There
is no definitive list of Quaker Testimonies, which have differed throughout Friends’
history. Many of the early ones had to do with social beha- vior. Friends
observed certain principles of worship and ministry as a testimony to the truth;
worship is essentially spiritual not ceremonial (John 4:24 ). From this arose testimonies against the outward observance
of the sacraments, against “hireling ministry,” and against creeds in churches.
The most proble- matic and controversial of the early Quaker testimonies was against
music and the arts. If one was truly moved
by Spirit of God to sing in meeting for worship, that was accepted but that did
not include instrumental music. Art represented reality rather than being a firsthand
experience of it.
Under-girding
all of today’s Quaker testimonies is the concern that our outward lives bear witness
to truth discerned inwardly. It is in this framework of thought that the
Testimony of Integrity needs to become the common deno- minator of all the other
Quaker testimonies. George Fox said: “Let your lives speak.” Doing this is an
outward sacrament of an inward leading of the Spirit. Another descriptive saying
of Friends is that “Quakerism is a way of life,” which suggests that
testimonies are moral & ethical fruit of the Spirit’s inward leading.
Values
& testimonies differ. Values are projected ideals or goals which are rationally
determine; testimonies are derived from religious faith & experi- ence fashioned
out of a life of prayer, devotion & worship, joined with spiritual discernment
& commitment. Testimonies seem a more appropriate emphasis for Quakers [than
rational values]. Cecil Hinshaw wrote: “The essence of early Quakerism is precisely in a demand for complete integrity of the indi- vidual in his relation to God, other people, and himself … George Fox
cannot be understood apart from a recognition that the driving force in this life at this time was for complete integrity.”
Quakers as “Publishers of Truth”—The Testimony of Integrity is grounded in the early Quaker
understanding of “Truth.” Their later greetings to one another would be “How is Truth prospering in thy parts? George Fox wrote: “I was to direct
people to the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, by which they might be led
into all Truth, & so up to Christ & God … to know the Spirit of Truth
in the inward parts, & to be led thereby.” Fox’s Truth must be the kind of
truth that lays hold of us in a very personal way, & that [insists on] a re- sponse
of action.
It was truth to be obeyed according to God’s will as revealed in the
life, teachings & ministry of Jesus. The Hebrew word for truth, emeth, is sometimes translated “faithfulness.”
This was a characteristic of truth which was under- stood & proclaimed by
early Friends. The ground of religious certainty for Friends was rooted in the
gospel tradition & their belief in the faithfulness, de- pendability &
trustworthiness of God, experienced
firsthand.
Plainness and Self-Denial—The early commitment of Friends to a life- style of “plainness
& self-denial,” & avoidance of the “vain & empty customs” of the world
was nurtured by the Puritan culture & ethic of their time. They were also convinced
inwardly that their outward life must be liberated from the fa- shions of the day
to follow the simple, unencumbered life of their Lord. Both William Penn & George
Fox gave advice along these lines. Early Friends were committed to “acting truth”
in their daily lives. They were quite specific about what would keep them
divinely focused & what would deflect their attention from it. [They avoided
frivolity & were careful with their time, honest in their dealings, truthful
in speech, unadorned in dress & furnishings. A double stan- dard was to be avoided
at all cost & nothing was “to divert the mind from the witness of God in the
heart.”
The Quaker Practice of Integrity—The Testimony of Integrity can be articulated and practiced
4 ways: truth-telling; authenticity and
veracity; obe- dience or faithfulness
to conscience; wholeness. Truth-telling is the most ob- vious place to begin
to live out Integrity. Friends’ concern
was that followers of Christ should be known for telling the truth all the
time. They believed in a single standard of truth & honesty. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, though not a Quaker, held that “the very existence of oaths is proof
that there are such things as lies.”
Authenticity
& veracity calls us to be truly who we are & not be 2-faced and try to be
something we aren't. The opposite of integrity of course is hypo- crisy. We are
all tempted to become pretenders of virtue and piety. The ten- dency to
misrepresent ourselves is a common shortcoming we all have. [We aren't always aware] we are violating
our integrity when we respond this way.
Obedience
and faithfulness [connected with the Light Within] is the seat of religious
authority, & the touchstone of our faith.
This kind of truth is groun- ded in living faith and experience of the
present moment, not in dogma, creeds, abstract philosophical ideas or theological
affirmations. The testimonies are a living
witness to the inward leading of the Spirit of God in our lives.
“Integrity”
comes from integritas, which refers
to a state or quality of being complete, that is, a condition of wholeness or
unity. Integrity creates a sense of
togetherness and belonging when applied to persons in community. Individualism dominates much of our behavior
in western society, and it af- fects the Religious Society of Friends as well. We
need to recover the Testi- mony of Integrity to balance this other attitude and to
have a sense of respon- sibility and accountability toward one another. The fact
that Friends came to share similar leadings finally resulted in the common
expressions and prac- tices which we call testimonies. Among the best-known corporate leadings of Friends are their concern for Native American Indians [in Pennsylvania
From
the end of the 17th century Friends worked for the civil and religi- ous
liberties of people; this commitment to good government for the purpose of advancing
human liberty has continued down to this day. Quaker involve- ment in the world
of business, commerce and industry has in the past often reflected the
corporate philanthropic concerns of Friends. [Another corporate concern and
witness] has been their remarkable involvement in relief and rehabilitation
work on behalf of victims of war, disasters, and economic depri- vation.
Although
the religious and social customs of Friends have changed, their corporate witness
in such matters has made it possible for the individual lea- dings to be tested
by the members of the Meeting community. There is a re- surgence of Friends
affirmation of women’s gifts and a growing concern to avoid sexist
language. Likewise there is a developing
awareness of the lives of gays and lesbians so that they can be liberated from
prejudice.
[New]
concerns constantly surface to claim Friends’ attention in response to the inward
spiritual leadings of truth. Only by responding with a corporate sense of integrity
to these emerging concerns can we expect to remain rele- vant. Integrity in its
root meaning and search for wholeness leads to an even deeper sense of community
than we have described so far. We need to asso- ciate integrity with salvation. The word “salvation” comes from a Latin word meaning “health” or “wholeness.” Olive Wyon writes,
“integration is not an end to itself; it is a means to an end, and the end is God.”
The Lack of Integrity in Daily Life/
The Clarion Call to Integrity & Veracity—As we look around us, we are overwhelmed
by a culture which has few compunctions about lying, cheating & stealing. Drugs
& drug dealing in the world today represents widespread disregard for integrity
in personal conduct & human relationships. Another example is the insider
trading & fraud in the money centers of the world. How can colleges &
universities become bulwarks for freedom and truth in our society when they,
more often than they want to admit, become involved in unfair competition and
misrepresentation of the truth in athletics and in seeking grants.
Widespread
use of lies, dirty tricks, and cover-ups in order to bypass legal and democratic
procedures in the interest of acquisition of power and influence undercuts integrity. [As individuals] in the marketplace, we are not
only victims of cheating and deception, but we inadvertently or unknowingly become
allied with the untruthfulness that goes on. We also need to ask our- selves
about our sense of integrity and fidelity in family relationships. Where is our moral conscience when violent behavior touches us where it hurts
the most, in our personal and family relationships? Is it not true that we are
in about as much danger of being destroyed by our own moral sickness and
culpability, as a society, as we are in danger of annihila- tion by a nuclear
explosion?
Friends in the past set very high standards for themselves,
since they were committed to what Friends called “Christian perfection.” William describes Quakerism as “a religion of
veracity, rooted in spiritual inwardness … a return to something more like the original
gospel truth … than had ever been known in 
297. Gospel Order: A Quaker Understanding of Faithful Church Com-
munity (by Sandra Lee Cronk; 1991)
About the Author—Sandra Cronk is a spiritual nurturer, teacher, and historian of religions. For 10 years, she taught Quaker faith and thought, spi- ritual life studies, and religious community at Pendle Hill. This paper was writ- ten to address an issue relating to the religious life and thought of the Society of Friends, and to explore what it means to belong to a community of commitment.
Therefore keep your meetings, and dwell in the power of truth, and know it in one another, and be one in the light, that you may be kept in peace & love in the power of God, that you may know the mystery of the gospel. All that ever you do, do in love; do nothing in strife, but in love…” George Fox
[Queries to Consider before and during Admonition:]
Is the thing, or things which thou hast against him, fully so, as thou apprehendest?
Hast thou seen evil in him, or to break forth from him?
Hast thou pitied him, mourned over him, cried to the Lord for him, and in tender love and meekness of spirit, laid the thing before him?
Hast thou any hardness of spirit or hard reasonings against him? Isaac Penington
Introduction—Participation in the faith community may be a witness to God’s new order of love, peace, & justice coming to birth in the world; it pro- vides avenues through which God’s presence may touch our lives. “Gospel order” is the term which has been used [collectively for] the Friends’ under- standing of church-community, [beginning with George Fox]; Shakers also used the term. [Great national revivals asked]: How can we manifest faithfully our new commitment to God? Coming out of [a 17th-century] revival, Friends sought an on-going life of faithfulness. In our own era, the renewal which has touched many people personally has led them to ask what it means to be part of a faith community which lives as witness to God’s new order.
Definition—Early Friends expected & experienced the in-breaking of God’s new order in their lives. The Light revealed the ways they had previously turned from God. It led them to Christ, their Inward Teacher & Guide. They felt that ultimately this order would affect all of creation. Early Friends used “gos- pel order,” most often used to describe the communal/church & societal di- mensions of this new order. “Gospel” does not refer primarily to the intel- lectual content of faith or a religious message. [Put together with “order,” the phrase means] the characteristics of daily living which flow from the actual life, power, & reality of a relationship with God.
George Fox wrote of this relationship as a covenantal relationship. In Scripture covenant means an agreement between 2 parties, and signifies a relationship of abiding trust and fidelity with God. God’s covenant with Noah, and with all life on earth forms a significant element in the development of some contemporary theologies concerning the environment. The recognition that Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions acknowledge a mutual covenantal relationship with God has inspired interfaith dialog. The covenant from Mt. Si- nai
It is in this covenantal tradition that Christians have understood their relationship with Christ as a new covenant. For early Friends the new covenant was Christ Jesus and their living relationship with Christ, not merely a code of behavior. At the heart of Quaker faith is the understanding that one cannot live God’s new order alone. A community is necessary to embody a new pattern of living. Early Friends stressed that God’s new gospel order was present when people lived out of the fullness of the living relationship with Christ. To live in the gospel is the way to experience the empowerment that allows one to em- body peace, holiness, and righteousness. Gospel order entailed an ordered way of life that had concrete expressions in virtually all areas of living.
The Patterns and Structure of Gospel Order—The content of gospel order is in: the inward life of worship and discernment; the interior functioning of the church-community; the social testimony of Friends. 1st, without basic pat- terns of listening and responding to God, the rest of gospel order would not be possible. 2nd, George Fox said of the meeting-community: “Therefore keep your meetings, and dwell in the power of truth, and know it in one another, and be one in the light, that you may be kept in peace and love in the power of God, that you may know the mystery of the gospel. All that ever you do, do in love; do nothing in strife, but in love…”
George Fox urged the community to care for all those with special needs. Gospel order affected marriage, family, and home as well as the mee- ting. The wedding itself consisted in the exchange of promises between the man and woman. The community witnessed the promises, a sign of its sup- port and an indication that the wedding was a corporate act as well as a per- sonal one. Friends experienced Christ’s ordering work in the patterns of home life.
3rd was prophetic witness to the larger society. The witness was through testimonies like: plain speech; simple or plain dress; refusal to go to war, take an oath, or pay tithes. For the 1st generation of Friends the testimonies were a prophetic challenge to what they perceived as a vain, unrighteous order around them. Friends refused to participate in the existing social structure when it was unfaithful [or seemed to usurp the power of] God.
The larger spiritual, socio-economic and political witness to that new order coming into the world faded over the centuries. It will be impossible to reclaim the depth of faithful community life without special attention to the holi- stic challenge to all areas of life, including the social, political and economic dimensions of society. The call to be gathered into gospel order is a witness to importance of the church-community, the people of God.
Reclaiming the Importance of the Church—Friends might rightly be called a high church group in terms of the importance it places on church- community. Church, in this sense, has become very weak in today’s American society. “Americhristianity” refers to religious communities so acculturated to the society that they end up blessing American society’s general goals and norms. Church as gospel order has disappeared from our theological under- standings. Our individualistic framework means that we tend to see religious life in a bipolar way. The bipolar model of religious life sees both the inward life & the work of social concerns in individualistic ways.
In the Early Friends’ model of being gathered into gospel order, the in- ward life, the work of social concerns, and the life of the meeting-community are fused together into an integrated whole. Both the meeting for worship and the witness to peace and social justice for Early Friends grew out of living gospel order. That new [gospel] order was already present, at least in the form of a seed ready to grow to maturity.
The frustration and sense of incompleteness which many feel in trying to deepen their prayer and worship lives or to make a more serious commit- ment to the work of social justice may find a solution through answering God’s call to be gathered into gospel order as a church-community. The process of mutual accountability was not a way of checking to see whether Friends lived up to certain petty points of lifestyle, but a way to give each other the strength to be a people who listened to God and lived God’s new order.
The Prophetic & Priestly Dimensions of Gospel Order—The charac- teristic ways Christ enters into relationship with people are called the “offices” of Christ; George Fox speaks mostly about prophet & priest-king. Christ as pro- phet reveals our unfaithfulness & sin; leads us to righteousness, reconciliation, & unity; & empowers us to act faithfully when led by God. Mediated modes of worship were rejected as unfaithful to trust in God’s direct work in our midst. Ministers were not pastoral overseers, but rather prophetic voices of God’s Word.
Testimonies of plain speech, non-payments of tithes, & rejection of oaths were all prophetic challenges to the fallen social order. Contemporary Friends have overemphasized reclaiming the prophetic element to the exclusion of a faithful response to Christ as priest-king as well. The priestly function of Christ is manifested among Friends in the everyday life of the community living in gospel order. Early Friends’ apocalyptic struggle with the forces of evil & un- righteousness, [suffering imprisonment and/or death], was named the Lamb’s War. The church, as the body of Christ in the world, lived Christ’s prophetic and suffering servant work as a single witness.
The Process of Mutual Accountability—Historically, mutual accounta- bility provided an internal dynamic to keep gospel order strong within the Qua- ker community. Abuses in handling church discipline in the past & our indivi- dualistic society's influence have caused a negative reaction to this phrase. The core of the accountability procedure used by Friends came from Jesus’ [admo- nition] instructions in Matthew 18. The procedure is 1st, talking to the person in private, then with witnesses present, before the church, & finally if no repen- tance is forthcoming, disownment. Accountability isn't just concerned with members meeting the group’s outward behavior expectations, but about nurtu- ring the deeper relationship of trust, caring & responsiveness.
In the gospel order, those gathered into the church-community have a covenant with God. Matthew 18 embodies accountability [without resorting to] an impersonal, legalistic framework. On the prophetic side, accountability is a method of mutual admonition. While contemporary Friends have trouble with this quality, early Friends recognized that admonition is an essential ingredient in the way God works with us. Those who have followed Matthew 18 know that to speak to another who has committed a wrong is to make oneself open and vulnerable to one’s own part in the situation, perhaps even revealing a misin- terpretation of the situation.
[Isaac Penington’s Queries to Consider before and during Admonition:]
Is the thing, or things which thou hast against him, fully so, as thou apprehendest?
Hast thou seen evil in him, or to break forth from him?
Hast thou pitied him, mourned over him, cried to the Lord for him, and in tender love and meekness of spirit, laid the thing before him?
Hast thou any hardness of spirit or hard reasonings against him?
Friends saw mutual admonition as part of a larger process of spiritual guidance and nurture that went beyond the specific advice in Matthew 18, [beyond telling others when they were wrong. It is admonishing a person to be courageous in adversity or to undertake a much needed ministry or service. A prophetic word at the right moment may be just what is needed to introduce us to God’s call, or to help us close the “life-gap” between our awareness of God’s call and our day-to-day behavior. The prophetic aspect of the process of mutual accountability is the commitment to help each other listen and respond to God’s call both as individuals and as a community of committed Friends so that we may live faithfully in God’s new order.
[The whole of Matthew chapter 18] is about more than prophetic admo- nition. It assumes people will fall. The heart of faithful living is to learn how to love on the other side of hurt and betrayal. This the way of God’s forgiving love which restores relationships after there is a break or fall. The Footwashing at Marlborough is about forgiveness and reconciliation, servanthood and spiritual cleansing. It is about Richard Barnard and Isaac Baily. Barnard was a consci- entious elder of the Meeting who refused to pay war taxes. Baily was a con- tentious member of the meeting who was a strong supporter of the Revolutio- nary War.
They had a dispute over a waterway, which Baily dammed. Barnard carefully followed Matthew 18 in seeking a solution with his neighbor. [Richard Barnard felt burdened by the lack of water to his property], & by the broken relationship with Isaac. Richard asked God for direction & guidance; the answer came. Richard felt that God was calling him to wash the Isaac’s feet. After re- sisting the call for a time, he was willing to surrender his notions & be obedi- ent. He carried out the call to wash Isaac’s feet after some resistance on Isaac’s part. Isaac dug away the dam & went to visit Richard. The friendship between the 2 men remained deep & vibrant for the remainder of their lives. These neighboring Friends experienced Christ’s power of forgiveness & reconcili- ation as a living reality in their lives. Richard’s gift of sacrificial love made reconciliation possible with his neighbor.
Disownment, once widely practiced by Friends, is now used infre- quently. Some contemporary people find this aspect of the accountability pro- cess discomforting. Forgiveness cannot be forced; a forced change of be- havior is no change at all. If after working through all the avenues of caring outlined in Matthew 18, the meeting felt it had no choice but to recognize that the relationship of love and trust with the recalcitrant person was non-existent [i.e. disownment]. Disownment wasn't understood as the intention to cut one off from relationship with the community. It was the recognition that a fun- damental covenantal commitment was already severed.
The possibility of disownment among Friends prevented the accounta- bility process from being a matter of cheap grace. When there is repentance & change of behavior, the meeting welcomes the person back into the com- munity. For the process of mutual accountability to work with integrity, it is ne- cessary for all community members to live in a relationship of love, trust, & caring. We cannot admonish each other unless we listen together for the way God is truly leading each of us as individuals & together as a community. Both the prophetic & priestly dimensions of mutual accountability require a covenantal relationship with God and each other.
Elders: Overseers of Gospel Order—Living faithfully in gospel order was such a significant part of Quaker faith that a separate ministry of elders developed to oversee this aspect of Friends life. Vocal ministers stressed di- rect, unmediated communication with Christ who was the inward teacher and guide. The elders, while participating in the unmediated work of Christ, also understood Christ to work in priestly and mediated ways.
Elders had oversight over worship and the spiritual life of the meeting, daily life of the meeting-community, and the practice of accountability. One of the elders’ primary responsibilities was care of the listening process. The el- ders rarely spoke in meeting for worship. They helped create an inward space for Christ to enter. Their attitude of deep listening helped the meeting as a whole to center down in worship.
In joint meetings of vocal ministers and elders, inexperienced ministers could grow in the ability to discern the movement of the Spirit under the tute- lage of experienced ministers and elders. The elders functioned as spiritual nurturers. In Quakerism, the spiritual guidance process is more communal than other Christian traditions. As the Friends movement matured, a whole culture of listening developed. Elders were responsible for keeping these avenues of listening spiritually alive and thus exercised a prophetic function. As overseers of community relationships, elders exercised a priestly function of ministry.
While God was this healing work's author, the meeting was the locus receiving God’s love and practicing the art of loving others. The incarnated love helped them understand God’s love. The elders were expected to see that the inward life of Friends was translated in faithful daily living. As Friends communities developed in the mid- and late 18th century, the task of caring for those with special needs began to be separated from the work of the elders and given to that of the overseers. Together the elders and overseers were responsible for seeing that love and caring took practical form in the daily life of the meeting.
The final part of the elders’ work was overseeing the area of accounta- bility. Elders could arbitrate or mediate in disputes, at the request of the par- ties involved. Elders watched to see if individual Friends & the whole meeting walked faithfully in gospel order. For 1st generation Friends, faithfulness to tes- timonies was one way to call society-at-large to accountability before God for its unjust social, political, economic, & religious structures. [Over the centu ries] the wider prophetic aspect of gospel order tended to fade & hasn't been reclaimed. The prophetic oversight of the meeting’s accountability work had & has far-reaching potential. The eldering ministry was the church’s way of nurturing the meeting-community as an expression of God’s presence in the world.
Knowing God’s Will—Through the eldering ministry, we are challenged to understand Quaker modes of knowing God’s guiding presence in the midst of daily life. [For vocal ministry], decisions about where to travel, what meetings to attend, which house to visit, what message to give, were all determined by in- ward listening to God. They spoke to meetings & individuals as God led them, not as they humanly analyzed the situation. Elders used this mode of knowing too, with mediated modes of knowing used to find out about Friends in their care.
[The use of mediated & unmediated modes of knowing in worship is the source of the debate between programmed & unprogrammed meetings about] whether to it is right to use the human mind to analyze the congregation's needs & plan a response or more appropriate to wait upon the Lord in silence & speak spontaneously. [The programmed meeting’s pastor has duties of both vocal ministry and eldering]. Unprogrammed meetings often struggle with these issues independently of any discussion of the pastoral tradition. Understanding the way in which elders held as important both mediated & unmediated ways of knowing can help us do the same.
Tradition—While recognizing the danger of too much reliance on tra- dition, friends still saw it as a reflection of the living history of the church- community. The [minutes or] or record of the meeting’s discernment over the years became part of the church’s living tradition. To insist that the commu- nity re-evaluate every principle it had come to know through its relationship with God, on every occasion that demanded a decision seemed to make no sense. [On the other hand], in-breaking of the Spirit was necessary to prevent tradition from becoming an idol.
[The later] traditional patterns of gospel order were stultifying to some people. There was little room for the development of new patterns. Many meetings discontinued the use of elders and many aspects of church discipline the elders had come to represent. Today most meetings must wrestle with the problems that come from lack of corporate discipline. If we forget that God’s new order must take some shape and form in daily life, we risk upholding an airy faith unrelated to flesh-and-blood lives.
CONCLUSION—The elder was the caretaker of the living tradition which gave shape to gospel order. Gospel order is a rich, multi-valent concept and experience in Quaker faith. It unites the inward life of prayer and worship, the daily life of caring and accountability in the meeting, and prophetic witness in the world. Reclaiming the fullness of early Friends’ understanding of gospel order enables us to hear God’s call to deeper faithfulness today. [Deeper faith- fulness calls for deeper listening]. Without this deep listening to the Inward Teacher, any “order” runs the risk of becoming form without power.
The historical expressions of gospel order help us to come to grips with the areas of our lives where we slide easily and unthinkingly into the uncaring, unjust, exploitative structures around us. Looking at the historical expressions of gospel order raises provocative questions for the faith community regard to the nature of corporate commitment and the role of structure in faithful living. Communities of commitment need to see what forms the patterns of faithful- ness and the ministry of caring oversight will take today.
Queries—What does it mean today to be a committed people in co- venantal relationship with Christ? What does it mean to practice mu- tual accountability that keeps this relationship alive? Do our lives with each other in our meetings and homes reflect fidelity, love, & trust? Can we participate corporately in God’s new order so that our love speaks to a world dying from environmental destruction, violence, ha- tred, & systems of economic exploitation & injustice?
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About the Author—This pamphlet grew out of a Pendle Hill course taught in 1989. George & his wife, Annie have been members of Stamford- Greenwich (CT), & were founding members of Brunswick Meeting (ME). They spent a term at Pendle Hill and George has written several pamphlets. He is active on the Board.
[Introduction]—Psalms have spoken to many people in the 2,400 years or so since they passed from oral to written tradition. Can we still hear them? Prayer and meditation can help a true seeker find a way back to the psalms, to history, and perhaps a spiritual home. To read the psalms, one may try a more meditative reading. The psalms for me sing of the wisdom of lived experience, being known by God, surviving suffering and grief, risking honest hate, anger, and making penance, seeking refuge, befriending crea- tion, singing praises.
Intimacy with God (See Psalm 139)—In approaching God (vv.1-2), the psalmist sees God 1st in the distance; then God comes closer (vv.3-5). How does the psalmist of #139, & how do we respond to such closeness? [The psalmist responds with: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can’t attain to it” (v.6). Later, the psalmist considers the temptation to escape God’s presence, & all the possible hiding places, even in darkness (vv.7-12). How is it that we & the psalmist, find again & again & everywhere, God presence? Once having experienced that presence & peace, it isn’t hard to set aside time each day for a moment of collection.
Intimacy with God (See Psalm 139)—In approaching God (vv.1-2), the psalmist sees God 1st in the distance; then God comes closer (vv.3-5). How does the psalmist of #139, & how do we respond to such closeness? [The psalmist responds with: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can’t attain to it” (v.6). Later, the psalmist considers the temptation to escape God’s presence, & all the possible hiding places, even in darkness (vv.7-12). How is it that we & the psalmist, find again & again & everywhere, God presence? Once having experienced that presence & peace, it isn’t hard to set aside time each day for a moment of collection.
God has “grabbed us by the gut,” to use a modern translation. God knows our bodies by virtue of having created them from nothing (vv.13-16). Do we accept the universal life force behind all creation? God knows us down to the bottom of our secret selves. Our existence is known in the mind of God, before conception & after death. When in our thoughts we come close to God, we approach infinity. [Awake or asleep, we are still with God] (vv. 17-18). The psalmist ends in a simple prayer (vv. 23-24), asking to be searched, known, and led.
Hebrew poets use parallelism: the same idea is repeated in different words, or one idea & its opposite are repeated. In Psalm 1, follow the godly worshiper as he or she walks, stands, sits, & finally comes to rejoice in cre- ation’s ordered harmony. The psalm has almost no adjectives or adverbs; herein lies its power. Power comes through descriptive use of similes & meta- phors. This psalm is in 2 parts: the godly, whose simile is a tree planted by a river; the ungodly, whose simile is wind-blown chaff. The angry judgmental God of Psalm 2 seems incompatible with the biblical message of love, & so a stumbling block emerges for understanding the psalms.
Hebrew poets use parallelism: the same idea is repeated in different words, or one idea & its opposite are repeated. In Psalm 1, follow the godly worshiper as he or she walks, stands, sits, & finally comes to rejoice in cre- ation’s ordered harmony. The psalm has almost no adjectives or adverbs; herein lies its power. Power comes through descriptive use of similes & meta- phors. This psalm is in 2 parts: the godly, whose simile is a tree planted by a river; the ungodly, whose simile is wind-blown chaff. The angry judgmental God of Psalm 2 seems incompatible with the biblical message of love, & so a stumbling block emerges for understanding the psalms.
Hatred (Psalm 137, 139:21-22)—It would surprising if poetry composed nearly 3,000 years ago didn’t contain elements that I don’t want to take in at all —much less mediate on. [If we are meant to embrace all of Holy Writ], how can we understand the psalm passages of hate? (139:21-22). The psalmists are at war, passionately involved in the war between good & evil. I have shared the dismay of the singers at the Babylonian exile, their grief, longing, & loyalty to God. Then to be asked to sing (137:1-5).
Described by a Jewish scholar as “a dreadful call to vengeance, 137:8-9 tell half the story of the West Bank, the other half being explained by the holy war preached by Mohammed. According to the bulk of Christian teaching, evil isn’t a power set over against God, but an aberration. Grief can lead to hate, but honest recognition of hate can lead back to grief & the capacity for forgiveness & reconciliation; [God & us forgiving God’s children, which are all people]. Hu- manity at its fullest potential recognizes the aberration of evil, finds the song of redemption and sings it, even in captivity.
Suffering (Psalms 13 & 22)—Suffering is the alternative to hate once there is grief from injustice. Laments or complaints form an important dimension in the psalms and scholars have classified ⅓ or more of the Psalms as laments. They can rarely be tied to a specific sickness or historical event. Laments por- tray the universal sufferings of humanity then & now & everywhere. Of course, many of us refuse to admit suffering in any form.
Suffering (Psalms 13 & 22)—Suffering is the alternative to hate once there is grief from injustice. Laments or complaints form an important dimension in the psalms and scholars have classified ⅓ or more of the Psalms as laments. They can rarely be tied to a specific sickness or historical event. Laments por- tray the universal sufferings of humanity then & now & everywhere. Of course, many of us refuse to admit suffering in any form.
In this century a new way of looking at suffering has grown up; it is seen as a normal part of the human condition. We are learning to bring our weak- nesses into the Light, discharge our negative feelings about them, allowing them to be embraced and strengthened in the Light. [Expressing aggressions and tensions toward inanimate objects is one way of] dumping our garbage of our personal conflicts. Carl Jung’s treatment led people to raise the stresses [of inner polarity] to the conscious level and then, when they had lost their sting, to cast them out, [in order] “to help patients find their structural base again.”
The typical lament of the psalmist follows a progression from complaint (naming tension), through petition (therapy), to praise (release) [e.g. Psalm 13] The 4 different but similar complaints in vv. 1-2 form a fine example of repeti- tive parallelism by asking how long 4 specific negative conditions will last 4 times. Then there is the petition in vv. 3-4, a request for Light and for aware- ness. The psalmist ends with a declaration of trust and joy in vv. 5-6, “be- cause he hath dealt bountifully with me.”
Psalm 22 deals with complaints of psychic & physical illness. The “bulls of Bashan” in vv. 11-13 used to strike me as funny, because their slavering seemed as exotic as a lion’s roaring. Sickness can be physical too, as in vv. 14, 15, 17. Both the black humor & the wild complaint can lead us to not take pain personally. As the pain ceases to dominate us, we can turn to God in thanks, as in vv. 24-25: “For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted ... My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.”
Grief (Psalm 130)—When the separation of death occurs, few escape grief. In vv. 1-2, the psalmist speaks from out of the depths. Grief seems to me like suffocation; time stands still; deadness presses down on life. It is like being drowned. Our culture doesn’t encourage accepting grief & the full-throated roar of pain. [I have witnessed such expression in an Italian mountain town. It lasted the entire day, & the next day] the cathedral bell tolled once a minute all day reminding all how grief drags down time. The next day the widow was herself again. Her grief was purged.
Verses 3-4 make it also a penitential psalm. The psalmist makes no claim of self-justification and casts himself or herself on the love of a forgiving God. Trust has taken the place of argument in verses 5-6. The psalmist is impatient, longing to escape from the weight of grief and the gloom of night. Grief is never an isolated experience. In each individual grief, the community, relives and releases its grief, as in verses 7-8.
Refuge (Psalm 91)—How wonderful it is to be able to seek & find re- fuge, safety & comfort in God. [I am reminded that Martin Luther, who never backed down, wrote “A Mighty Fortress is Our God].” He may have drawn inspiration from Psalm 91, especially verses 1-4. [I think of verses 5-7 when] I remember in 1945 when I expected to be sent at dawn to the firing squad as a spy. I trusted in God to be delivered—by death or otherwise as God willed. What promises of protection [there are in verses 9-13]!
Psalm 22 deals with complaints of psychic & physical illness. The “bulls of Bashan” in vv. 11-13 used to strike me as funny, because their slavering seemed as exotic as a lion’s roaring. Sickness can be physical too, as in vv. 14, 15, 17. Both the black humor & the wild complaint can lead us to not take pain personally. As the pain ceases to dominate us, we can turn to God in thanks, as in vv. 24-25: “For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted ... My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.”
Grief (Psalm 130)—When the separation of death occurs, few escape grief. In vv. 1-2, the psalmist speaks from out of the depths. Grief seems to me like suffocation; time stands still; deadness presses down on life. It is like being drowned. Our culture doesn’t encourage accepting grief & the full-throated roar of pain. [I have witnessed such expression in an Italian mountain town. It lasted the entire day, & the next day] the cathedral bell tolled once a minute all day reminding all how grief drags down time. The next day the widow was herself again. Her grief was purged.
Verses 3-4 make it also a penitential psalm. The psalmist makes no claim of self-justification and casts himself or herself on the love of a forgiving God. Trust has taken the place of argument in verses 5-6. The psalmist is impatient, longing to escape from the weight of grief and the gloom of night. Grief is never an isolated experience. In each individual grief, the community, relives and releases its grief, as in verses 7-8.
Refuge (Psalm 91)—How wonderful it is to be able to seek & find re- fuge, safety & comfort in God. [I am reminded that Martin Luther, who never backed down, wrote “A Mighty Fortress is Our God].” He may have drawn inspiration from Psalm 91, especially verses 1-4. [I think of verses 5-7 when] I remember in 1945 when I expected to be sent at dawn to the firing squad as a spy. I trusted in God to be delivered—by death or otherwise as God willed. What promises of protection [there are in verses 9-13]!
Do I really believe in God’s promises of protection? [There are re- markable instances of being spared throughout history], yet few if any would lay claim to a faith that would protect us from all diminishments. God’s pro- mise is found in verses 14-16, made to you & I. Most scholars believe that the psalmist hoped to live to a ripe old age. [I believe personally that] the im- portant promise is that life isn’t confined to any particular time & space. So to me “long life” means eternal life.
[Refuge (Psalms 121; 24; 46)]—The center of refuge and of greatest holiness was a special place in ancient Israel, Mt. Zion in northeastern Jeru- salem. The scribes indicated that Psalms 120-134 were pilgrimage songs. To many of them, Mt. Zion is a symbol: the “city of our God.” “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,” starts Psalm 121: 1-4. I still find peace and inspiration in the hills. God shows untiring care for each individual and by a natural transi- tion, for the whole community of “Israel” in verses 5-9.
[Refuge (Psalms 121; 24; 46)]—The center of refuge and of greatest holiness was a special place in ancient Israel, Mt. Zion in northeastern Jeru- salem. The scribes indicated that Psalms 120-134 were pilgrimage songs. To many of them, Mt. Zion is a symbol: the “city of our God.” “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,” starts Psalm 121: 1-4. I still find peace and inspiration in the hills. God shows untiring care for each individual and by a natural transi- tion, for the whole community of “Israel” in verses 5-9.
I cherish especially that watchfulness that blesses my “going out and coming in.” A moment of holiness is dramatically captured in Psalm 24, which opens with “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof ... (vv.1-6). What follows (vv.7-10) can be a dialogue between the priests and pilgrims. The community as a whole rejoices in God as a refuge. And then there is Psalm 46:10-11, with its verse “Be still and know I am God ... the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Befriending Creation (Psalms 19; 104)—For everyone who carries concern for heaven & earth, the psalms are a meditational inspiration, a fresh liturgy, a spiritual base for social concerns (Ps. 19:1-6): “The heavens declare God’s glory ... In them hath God set a tabernacle for the sun ... there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” The psalmist celebrates the rationality and inter- relatedness of all phenomena, “the seamless web of creation.”
Often the stars would speak to me and so I came to know their lan- guage. As a schoolboy, I lay down on the football field. I looked up at the stars and the milky way, shining with incredible clarity. To me they declared the glory of God and so did the black spaces in between, for I could barely grasp their immensity. This cosmos was home to me & in it I felt the presence of God. Some environmentalists have accused the “hierarchical nature of Judeo-Christian theology [of removing] human beings from the natural world and placing them in control of it ... We need to see ourselves humbly, as part of the earth, going beyond “stewardship.”
Befriending Creation (Psalms 19; 104)—For everyone who carries concern for heaven & earth, the psalms are a meditational inspiration, a fresh liturgy, a spiritual base for social concerns (Ps. 19:1-6): “The heavens declare God’s glory ... In them hath God set a tabernacle for the sun ... there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” The psalmist celebrates the rationality and inter- relatedness of all phenomena, “the seamless web of creation.”
Often the stars would speak to me and so I came to know their lan- guage. As a schoolboy, I lay down on the football field. I looked up at the stars and the milky way, shining with incredible clarity. To me they declared the glory of God and so did the black spaces in between, for I could barely grasp their immensity. This cosmos was home to me & in it I felt the presence of God. Some environmentalists have accused the “hierarchical nature of Judeo-Christian theology [of removing] human beings from the natural world and placing them in control of it ... We need to see ourselves humbly, as part of the earth, going beyond “stewardship.”
Christianity is the religion of Europe, whose people, animals, plants, in- sects, & germs altered if not obliterated non-European ecologies [& cultures]. I don’t think scripture teaches that a true steward could be an exploiter. In 19:7- 10, the psalmist is talking about natural law, both in the ecological & social dimension. Newton was describing expectable regularities in the physical world while Hobbs & Grotius were doing the same for human relations.
We often depart from the enjoyment of serenity and peace, [prompting the questions & concerns of verses 12-13. European settlement of continents show them to be] very bad stewards, having no concern or awareness for the consequences of their actions. Will future generations look back on us and our treatment of the environment with repugnance? “Let the words of my mouth,/ the meditations of my heart/ [my actions with nature]/ be acceptable in thy sight,/ O Lord, my strength and my redeemer (verse 14, with [addition].
Of similar significance to environmentalists is Psalm 104, which contains extended reflections on Genesis 1 & 2. Does or should Adam rule all nature? Is Eve an afterthought? In vv. 1-3, the 1st creation is light. God as creator was & is still a central religious experience, but God’s clothes have changed. To one who worships in the One Creator’s presence, human creativity is only a pale deeply treasured reflection of the divine.
The psalmist centers on God in verses 5-23: “Who laid the foundations of the earth,/ that it shouldn’t be removed forever ... Thou hast set a bound that waters may not pass over;/ that they turn not again to cover the earth He sen- deth the springs into the valleys/ which run among the hills ... He watereth the hills from his chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works ... The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. He ap- pointed the moon for seasons;/ the sun knoweth his going down ... The sun ariseth ... & [the animals lay down in their dens./ Man goeth forth unto his work & to his labor until the evening.”
Of similar significance to environmentalists is Psalm 104, which contains extended reflections on Genesis 1 & 2. Does or should Adam rule all nature? Is Eve an afterthought? In vv. 1-3, the 1st creation is light. God as creator was & is still a central religious experience, but God’s clothes have changed. To one who worships in the One Creator’s presence, human creativity is only a pale deeply treasured reflection of the divine.
The psalmist centers on God in verses 5-23: “Who laid the foundations of the earth,/ that it shouldn’t be removed forever ... Thou hast set a bound that waters may not pass over;/ that they turn not again to cover the earth He sen- deth the springs into the valleys/ which run among the hills ... He watereth the hills from his chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works ... The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. He ap- pointed the moon for seasons;/ the sun knoweth his going down ... The sun ariseth ... & [the animals lay down in their dens./ Man goeth forth unto his work & to his labor until the evening.”
Should we Christian be less respectful & less humble in creative evolution’s presence [than these early worshipers of God]? Earlier com- mentators attributed the prominent position of water in the psalmist’s world to Palestine’s dryness, but present-day residents of wet climates have learned to prize water just as highly. Like the psalmist, we are inclined to be most grateful for the gifts which the Creator gives us from our fields.
[On the other hand, our unparalleled manipulation of nature, thus tea- ring] the seamless web of creation, presents the main threat to the balance of nature. In verses 24; 27-29; 31-34, we recognize God’s works, that God pro- vides for all of us, & we end our meditation with praise & thanks: “O Lord, how manifold are thy works!/ in wisdom hast thou made them all;/ the earth is full of thy riches ... [Whatever] thou givest them they gather ... The glory of the Lord shall endure forever;/ the Lord shall rejoice in his works ... My medita- tion of him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.”
Praise (Psalms 42; 100; 23)—Praise is the most frequent and strongest theme in the psalms. The soul [seeks intimacy], survives suffering and grief, risks hate, makes penance, seeks refuge [from God, then with God], befriends nature, loves and is loved by God, sings praises. One does not have to slog through [all the above] in order to earn the blessing of God’s love. God’s grace just comes—unexpected, unplanned, and unsought. Then it is sought again often in the silence of worship. The problem is that we forget, and succumb to the temptation to believe in a reality other than God, [an external “reality”] of sickness, poverty, or death.
Most often psalmists express God’s love in God’s “name,” “law,” “house,” “mercies,” “goodness,” & “lovingkindness.” The burning affectus of Augustine, the daily companionship of humble Francis with God’s love, the [tendering] & tenderness of early Quakers in God’s love. Jewish and Christian devotion is full of desire, as in Psalm 42:1-3. It is not possible to give out love or joy and have less, for these are gifts that feed upon themselves and grow ever stronger. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands./ Serve the Lord with gladness ... For the Lord is good;/ his mercy is everlasting;/ and his truth endureth to all generations.” [From Psalm 100].
In Psalm 23 there is no striving, no petition, but only the simple & direct statement of fact. The psalmist rests in the assurance of a loving presence right now. In reading these familiar verses, we may be tempted to slide over them as though they were merely a well-worn formula. “The Lord is my shepherd” con- veys caring simply and beautifully. [God’s love] isn't the reason most of us think we shall not want (vv. 1-3)
Praise (Psalms 42; 100; 23)—Praise is the most frequent and strongest theme in the psalms. The soul [seeks intimacy], survives suffering and grief, risks hate, makes penance, seeks refuge [from God, then with God], befriends nature, loves and is loved by God, sings praises. One does not have to slog through [all the above] in order to earn the blessing of God’s love. God’s grace just comes—unexpected, unplanned, and unsought. Then it is sought again often in the silence of worship. The problem is that we forget, and succumb to the temptation to believe in a reality other than God, [an external “reality”] of sickness, poverty, or death.
Most often psalmists express God’s love in God’s “name,” “law,” “house,” “mercies,” “goodness,” & “lovingkindness.” The burning affectus of Augustine, the daily companionship of humble Francis with God’s love, the [tendering] & tenderness of early Quakers in God’s love. Jewish and Christian devotion is full of desire, as in Psalm 42:1-3. It is not possible to give out love or joy and have less, for these are gifts that feed upon themselves and grow ever stronger. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands./ Serve the Lord with gladness ... For the Lord is good;/ his mercy is everlasting;/ and his truth endureth to all generations.” [From Psalm 100].
In Psalm 23 there is no striving, no petition, but only the simple & direct statement of fact. The psalmist rests in the assurance of a loving presence right now. In reading these familiar verses, we may be tempted to slide over them as though they were merely a well-worn formula. “The Lord is my shepherd” con- veys caring simply and beautifully. [God’s love] isn't the reason most of us think we shall not want (vv. 1-3)
[We work and] spend a [lot] of time trying to keep it that way. May I, and others, sometimes reach the faith that the psalmist states as a fact and so find my soul restored. “Yea, though I walk through/ the valley of the shadow of death,/ I will fear no evil;/ for thou art with me” (v. 4), as an affirmation has brought solace to the survivors at a funeral service.
God is our host and hostess and lays the table for friendship in verse 5. While we may start out as enemies or strangers, we become friends, children of God in common by the end of the main course. The psalm ends as we are gathered in our cosmic home in verse 6: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me/ all the days of my life:/ and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.
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299. Vistas from Inner Stillness (by Richard L. Walker; 1991)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR—Dick Walker is a convinced Friend & presently a member of Wider Quaker Fellowship. He lives in Northern AZ & is a research astronomer & article publisher about binary stars & satellites. This pamphlet is an attempt of self-expression, to describe & share common denominators in human experiences.
[Introduction]—[I have come to believe that the restlessness that causes us to feel there is more to the universe than we sense with our own senses or with instruments is caused by a collective consciousness in the uni- verse; we are part and one with all elements in creation. At a point in inner stillness, from an awareness until then obscure, a power flows through me that frees my eyes & mind for what may truly be a glimpse into reality. “Be still & know I am God. (Psalm 46: 10). Chuang Tzu wrote: “To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders.” I am moved to write this monograph in an effort to relate a few personal experiences in my life that have created an awareness in me, which I sense is “A Knowing of God.”
THE SOUNDS OF LIVING—When I was a boy we lived on the edge of [an Iowa] town; our home was bordered on 2 sides by lush green fields of corn. Stifling heat made sleep impossible; we would sleep outside, hoping for a breeze of salvation. The stillness of the night held the marvel of the stars for me. Late one night as I lay very still, I heard the corn [& the grass] grow.
[Years later my friend] Mary Campbell said: “The signal is always there, but you have to block out external sensations to hear it… That’s what the Light is like too, a far distant signal that only seems weak; yet it is clear & distinct when we listen with all we have.” Common denominators in our experiences permitted Mary & me to bridge the inexpressible & find understanding of events that were important to us.
[Here I am reaching out with my experience and feelings] to others who are kind, receptive and seeking answers]. I have been blessed with glimpses of the multiple facets of this world. My experiences all arrived from deep inside me, [from a stillness that grew inside me], at a time when I was transfixed in a state of silent awe of the power and beauty of nature. To seek God we must create a god with us in an image we can accept. The greatest truth of my life was an awareness that we are all one and one of the same.
CRYSTALS AND THE BREATH OF GOD—I studied a small depression on a sample of cassiterite, filled with tiny sparkly crystals. Studying the fairyland of light and reflections transported me back in time to my first experience with crystals. When I was 13 in school, the principal sent us out onto the playground in winter. About the sun and in the sky were great circles of light and from the sun grew shafts of light that formed a large cross whose arms arced across the heavens to meet at the cardinal points of the great circle; the cross and circle displayed the colors of a faded rainbow. At the cardinal points were 4 more circles; at their open, [outside] cardinal points were arched cusps of yellow, orange, and red light; the sky began to move.
As the circles became more distinct, mock suns formed with focusing brightness within the smaller circles and then crosses emanated from the “suns”. It was a symphony of light. Principal Meeker said: “There are clouds of 6-sided ice crystals higher than we normally see clouds. They are aligned in different patterns high up in the stratosphere. It’s called a perihelion, a great solar complex. [A short time later it began to snow]. I looked at the first snow- flakes; they were 6-sided crystals.
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299. Vistas from Inner Stillness (by Richard L. Walker; 1991)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR—Dick Walker is a convinced Friend & presently a member of Wider Quaker Fellowship. He lives in Northern AZ & is a research astronomer & article publisher about binary stars & satellites. This pamphlet is an attempt of self-expression, to describe & share common denominators in human experiences.
[Introduction]—[I have come to believe that the restlessness that causes us to feel there is more to the universe than we sense with our own senses or with instruments is caused by a collective consciousness in the uni- verse; we are part and one with all elements in creation. At a point in inner stillness, from an awareness until then obscure, a power flows through me that frees my eyes & mind for what may truly be a glimpse into reality. “Be still & know I am God. (Psalm 46: 10). Chuang Tzu wrote: “To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders.” I am moved to write this monograph in an effort to relate a few personal experiences in my life that have created an awareness in me, which I sense is “A Knowing of God.”
THE SOUNDS OF LIVING—When I was a boy we lived on the edge of [an Iowa] town; our home was bordered on 2 sides by lush green fields of corn. Stifling heat made sleep impossible; we would sleep outside, hoping for a breeze of salvation. The stillness of the night held the marvel of the stars for me. Late one night as I lay very still, I heard the corn [& the grass] grow.
[Years later my friend] Mary Campbell said: “The signal is always there, but you have to block out external sensations to hear it… That’s what the Light is like too, a far distant signal that only seems weak; yet it is clear & distinct when we listen with all we have.” Common denominators in our experiences permitted Mary & me to bridge the inexpressible & find understanding of events that were important to us.
[Here I am reaching out with my experience and feelings] to others who are kind, receptive and seeking answers]. I have been blessed with glimpses of the multiple facets of this world. My experiences all arrived from deep inside me, [from a stillness that grew inside me], at a time when I was transfixed in a state of silent awe of the power and beauty of nature. To seek God we must create a god with us in an image we can accept. The greatest truth of my life was an awareness that we are all one and one of the same.
CRYSTALS AND THE BREATH OF GOD—I studied a small depression on a sample of cassiterite, filled with tiny sparkly crystals. Studying the fairyland of light and reflections transported me back in time to my first experience with crystals. When I was 13 in school, the principal sent us out onto the playground in winter. About the sun and in the sky were great circles of light and from the sun grew shafts of light that formed a large cross whose arms arced across the heavens to meet at the cardinal points of the great circle; the cross and circle displayed the colors of a faded rainbow. At the cardinal points were 4 more circles; at their open, [outside] cardinal points were arched cusps of yellow, orange, and red light; the sky began to move.
As the circles became more distinct, mock suns formed with focusing brightness within the smaller circles and then crosses emanated from the “suns”. It was a symphony of light. Principal Meeker said: “There are clouds of 6-sided ice crystals higher than we normally see clouds. They are aligned in different patterns high up in the stratosphere. It’s called a perihelion, a great solar complex. [A short time later it began to snow]. I looked at the first snow- flakes; they were 6-sided crystals.
How can one view such majesty, such beauty and not feel that everything about us is governed by laws, greater than physical laws? Laws that we can only hope to feel. Feelings consume me now as I write, and in the meditation and in our Quaker silence I can sense them radiating from the very atoms inside me, atoms which are ordering themselves inside me. They are the same ordered atoms, the same vibrating oscillators that stopped a mid-western city in the 1950s. The sensations, ideas and motivating forces within us that we call consciousness are the same as those which order the universal spheres in their orbits. Celestial consciousness is a source we all touch; we are all tapping it. It is the Good, the Light, the Spirit, an essence that I add to nature of God. There is no self, no individual, no separation of ego in blissful stillness.
THE EYE OF GOD—Herbert Young quotes his father’s answer to an atheist: “How can anyone of reason & ordinary intelligence not have seen a power beyond chance in the wonders of nature, in delicate & gorgeous flowers, in beautiful trees, in the variety of animals, & in man’s own abili- ties? I climbed a 12,000 ft. mountain near my home. At 10,000 ft I turned north & began a steeper climb to the peak. I stood knee-deep in flowers: Indian paint brush, orange, red, and yellow, & creations of lacy blues and violets, mountain daisies, groundsels. In between the flowers were baby pine trees, green with tips of light yellow-green.
[Higher up on the mountain] fired had raged & all about me were burnt stalks of trees all white and dry. I looked back toward the flowers and faced miles of volcanic cinder cones struggling for recognition toward the sky god, and above them, cumuli cast shadows on the quilt work of the earth. I could see across the southern tip of Nevada into California, and in the north I could see the notch in the horizon we call the Grand Canyon.
At this altitude the sky was an inky blue, & scattered throughout it were cloudbursts. The air also has the half the oxygen content found at sea level; the mind struggles to exist. In that struggle vistas occurred at an accelerated pace. I climbed further into the sky & when I crested a saddle of the mountain I met the most beautiful cloud in the universe. It towered & grew, & billowed all white & grey, pink against the Turrellian blue sky above the mountain.
At this altitude the sky was an inky blue, & scattered throughout it were cloudbursts. The air also has the half the oxygen content found at sea level; the mind struggles to exist. In that struggle vistas occurred at an accelerated pace. I climbed further into the sky & when I crested a saddle of the mountain I met the most beautiful cloud in the universe. It towered & grew, & billowed all white & grey, pink against the Turrellian blue sky above the mountain.
The cloud towered grander than the mountain. It was the grandest in the universe. It lived & grew before me & its radiance & strength infused me with energy. It became a living entity that changed before me in a mocking display of greatness. I was truly in a state of being present, & I became flush with a crushing humility. A fly landed on my hand. His eyes were hexagonal lenses, red and brown and black and shiny and dull and clear and opaque. In that eye was a vista that rivaled the panorama before me, above me and about me.
Reality exists somewhere between the shadows & reflections of one’s thoughts. It takes a lifetime to realize that thoughts can never be distinguished in the shadows of reality. Molecules of still air on my cheek lifted a pale from my eyes. Are sensations of the soul, feelings, & sensed paradoxes the way in which reality is revealed to us? The mountain & the cloud grew ever larger, grander, & more beautiful with each quantum lift of the veil.
Reality exists somewhere between the shadows & reflections of one’s thoughts. It takes a lifetime to realize that thoughts can never be distinguished in the shadows of reality. Molecules of still air on my cheek lifted a pale from my eyes. Are sensations of the soul, feelings, & sensed paradoxes the way in which reality is revealed to us? The mountain & the cloud grew ever larger, grander, & more beautiful with each quantum lift of the veil.
Between the voids the structure of galactic clustering appears like a shaped, 3-D lace work, and at each node of that intrinsic beauty a galaxy con- taining billions of stars glows with a singular beauty. When we become still and journey within ourselves, letting other dimensions emerge, limited and limiting thoughts may also cease.
THE KITE—Something inside me was in preparation for a spiritual les- son that was to manifest itself. I drove to a cinder cone west of my home, high in the Arizona mountains. There, 1½ miles closer to the stars, I flew a kite. To fly that kite at night was a drive within to meet something I sensed was on the edge of consciousness. I ran backwards, held the kite to the sky, & let go. It pulled & tugged before me like a child being born. It had a life then & in an instant it was gone from sight, racing toward the stars. Without a visible im- age, the principal senses & resulting logic were cut off & feelings were sub- stituted. I centered on the kite, became one with it.
Suddenly the tugging stopped & was replaced with a steady, firm pull & the nature of that pull told me I was doing more than flying a kite. The pull was gentle, one of kindness, a sweet, peaceful reassurance being transmitted from above; [we reached toward one another]. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the presence of God. All the power of the universe is before us at all times and in all situations. That power has consciousness & is aware of us. My faith in the presence of God was transformed into awareness of that spirit. It is an essence that blends us all. I asked: Will I be conscious of this presence if I let go? As I released the string my answer came.
THE KITE—Something inside me was in preparation for a spiritual les- son that was to manifest itself. I drove to a cinder cone west of my home, high in the Arizona mountains. There, 1½ miles closer to the stars, I flew a kite. To fly that kite at night was a drive within to meet something I sensed was on the edge of consciousness. I ran backwards, held the kite to the sky, & let go. It pulled & tugged before me like a child being born. It had a life then & in an instant it was gone from sight, racing toward the stars. Without a visible im- age, the principal senses & resulting logic were cut off & feelings were sub- stituted. I centered on the kite, became one with it.
Suddenly the tugging stopped & was replaced with a steady, firm pull & the nature of that pull told me I was doing more than flying a kite. The pull was gentle, one of kindness, a sweet, peaceful reassurance being transmitted from above; [we reached toward one another]. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the presence of God. All the power of the universe is before us at all times and in all situations. That power has consciousness & is aware of us. My faith in the presence of God was transformed into awareness of that spirit. It is an essence that blends us all. I asked: Will I be conscious of this presence if I let go? As I released the string my answer came.
THE PARIAH—Life just is. We are neither right nor wrong, & the pur- pose of life is to fulfill an obligation to live. [Walking in the Grand Canyon], I looked up a side canyon to an opposite cliff. High on the cliff [a tree grew, without benefit of ledge or crevice]. It was not a young tree, & that tree was baked each day of its life in one of nature’s most merciless ovens. Worst of all, it was alone. It was isolated. It was an outcast. It was a pariah.
At the base of the cliff, hundreds of feet below its gaol of stone, was a miniature forest of trees. The trees in this microcosm were straight, upright, blessed with sufficient water, sun, and shade. They were offspring of that suf- fering image of the Christ Spirit high above them. Because it lived there was life more abundant elsewhere in the universe. A lesson had been presented at a time I needed one. I had an obligation to live, and my purpose in my life was to fulfill this obligation. Loving life gives us the beginning glimpses of the edge of the miracle of paradox, the genius of the absurd, the wonder of light from darkness, and light in darkness.
THE FINGERS OF GOD—In a revelation of liberating death [by a roa- ring waterfall] I came to know the physically gentle, warm, care of the creative force of the cosmos. There is a confluence at the western end of the Grand Canyon where the turbulent, muddy Colorado River meets with the crystal, blue-green water from Havasu Creek, which has rapids, 3 magnificent water falls, & leads to one of the smallest Indian villages in the world. Entrance is usually made by hiking from a dusty hilltop deep in the Arizona high desert, reached by 60 miles of rustic road which ends at a cliff overlooking a pano- rama of canyons & cliffs thousands of feet below. The desolation of the vista screams with such intensity that one transcends loneliness to enter a revela- tion of ecstatic beauty that bubbles in the soul. 2 Quaker friends were with me.
At the base of the cliff, hundreds of feet below its gaol of stone, was a miniature forest of trees. The trees in this microcosm were straight, upright, blessed with sufficient water, sun, and shade. They were offspring of that suf- fering image of the Christ Spirit high above them. Because it lived there was life more abundant elsewhere in the universe. A lesson had been presented at a time I needed one. I had an obligation to live, and my purpose in my life was to fulfill this obligation. Loving life gives us the beginning glimpses of the edge of the miracle of paradox, the genius of the absurd, the wonder of light from darkness, and light in darkness.
THE FINGERS OF GOD—In a revelation of liberating death [by a roa- ring waterfall] I came to know the physically gentle, warm, care of the creative force of the cosmos. There is a confluence at the western end of the Grand Canyon where the turbulent, muddy Colorado River meets with the crystal, blue-green water from Havasu Creek, which has rapids, 3 magnificent water falls, & leads to one of the smallest Indian villages in the world. Entrance is usually made by hiking from a dusty hilltop deep in the Arizona high desert, reached by 60 miles of rustic road which ends at a cliff overlooking a pano- rama of canyons & cliffs thousands of feet below. The desolation of the vista screams with such intensity that one transcends loneliness to enter a revela- tion of ecstatic beauty that bubbles in the soul. 2 Quaker friends were with me.
From the hilltop one descends into a waterless world of baked stone and down switchbacks shared with Indian horses, [through 30-foot wide can- yons and layers of rock laid down 250 million years ago. The 3 water-falls are: Navajo Falls (50 ft. high); Havasu Falls (150 ft. high); Mooney Falls (200 ft. high). We camped by the 3rd one]. We chose 3 separate rocks on which to sit and settled into an inner stillness.
After a while it seemed as though first one & then another friend had moved closer [actually they had not moved]. Then, something was pressing against me, not my friends, from behind, the front, above, and beneath; I was surrounded. My awareness changed from terror to love as I realized this was a gentle force, a brush of power, and my fear changed to awe, then bliss. I was flooded with light, granting me an awareness, that in this setting of explicit beauty, I was surrounded by a facet of the infinite force of the universe, and it was contacting me with an assurance that God was there.
THE GREAT CIRCLES ON MT. HAMILTON—One summer evening [at the “Great Refractor” on Mt. Hamilton], I was distracted [by the moonlight within the dome]. As the moon moved, its light pour down the telescope like pale silver and paused on the great circles high above me. It then dropped to the floor, where my eyes met a confusion of interwoven elliptical shadows magnified by projection. In those shadows was something I had never seen before; not a visible sight, but insight. I saw a glimpse of truth of the uni- verse displayed before me in a show of light and shadows. It was only a glimpse, and I could not fathom it.
After a while it seemed as though first one & then another friend had moved closer [actually they had not moved]. Then, something was pressing against me, not my friends, from behind, the front, above, and beneath; I was surrounded. My awareness changed from terror to love as I realized this was a gentle force, a brush of power, and my fear changed to awe, then bliss. I was flooded with light, granting me an awareness, that in this setting of explicit beauty, I was surrounded by a facet of the infinite force of the universe, and it was contacting me with an assurance that God was there.
THE GREAT CIRCLES ON MT. HAMILTON—One summer evening [at the “Great Refractor” on Mt. Hamilton], I was distracted [by the moonlight within the dome]. As the moon moved, its light pour down the telescope like pale silver and paused on the great circles high above me. It then dropped to the floor, where my eyes met a confusion of interwoven elliptical shadows magnified by projection. In those shadows was something I had never seen before; not a visible sight, but insight. I saw a glimpse of truth of the uni- verse displayed before me in a show of light and shadows. It was only a glimpse, and I could not fathom it.
I ran from the dome, & stood in the darkness of the hot night air. [There was a great universal meeting of my self with the stars]. The centering was instantaneous and so deep that my body left me as I became only mind and then that mind, that ego, faded too. The stars became parallel shafts of light all of various hues from white to dark red; I heard the stars. My ego become an illusion, it was a twist of existence. [The universe], the laws of nature, God, Light are incomplete without us. The atoms of my body began to dis- solve, disassociate and mingle and then move out and upward through space. It was a very grand osmotic transformation and I became aware I would never cease to be. It, God is one and the parts, the fragments I thought was me, a personality, is part of it.
There is a gap between each thought we have. That gap, that interval of time & space, is our inner stillness. It is there that peace resides, inner peace, the stillness of our soul. Friends in meeting can tap a tremendous source, a vantage point for an extra view of the universe. Through the inner stillness we become a portion of the wonderful vista. Our inner silence is like a gate through which the good of the universe flows through us. It is a good amplified in our lives that flows back leaving us reborn each time with greater love. [I have seen many if not most of the wonders that the universe has to show us]. It is of no importance to me how many voyages I complete about the sun, for some day I will experience the ultimate experience, disembark & walk about for a time.
300. Therefore Choose Life: The Spiritual Challenge of the Nuclear
Age (by John Tallmadge; 1991)
About the Author—John Tallmadge is Professor of Literature & Envi- ronmental Studies at the Union Institute. He is a scholar and practitioner of nature writing with interests in the spiritual aspects of wilderness travel, nuclear disarmament and peace issues. Relationship dynamics, double binds, and the addiction model seem very relevant to the nuclear dilemma. This updated es- say offers insights into the post-Cold War era, when we will be faced with planetary challenges of peace and survival.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life." (Deu- teronomy 30:19)
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life." (Deu- teronomy 30:19)
[Introduction]—The ancient Chinese had an astonishing curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Few times are as interesting times as [the nu- clear age]. [In the wake of the rapid corrosion of the Iron Curtain, eaten away by millions of individual minds resolving to live for democracy & freedom], we [felt briefly] what life could be like on an unshadowed earth. A few months after the Berlin Wall fell, I was driving through southern Ohio
I felt the curse of these interesting times, [as if I had] no credentials, no leverage, no expertise, & yet with a sense of responsibility. It occurred to me that the Cold War had really been fought in the minds of [individual] common people as a spiritual war for their allegiance. The nuclear threat would never be exorcised, except by the moral choice of ordinary people. Each of us must set out alone, in fear & trembling, to discover what paths may lead to our planet’s survival.
The Spiritual Nature of the Problem—In The Fate of the Earth (1982) Jonathon Schell offers an analysis of the nuclear threat. He concludes that nu- clear weapons confront humankind with the prospect of extinction. Schell ar- gues that we must look for its consequences before it occurs. “It takes the form of a spiritual sickness that corrupts life [beginning with] thoughts, moods, and actions.” By “spiritual” I mean that part of our life not limited to material objects and sensory experience. “Spiritual growth” means extending the limits of one’s personality in order to participate in relationships of equality with a greater and greater diversity of beings. Spiritual stagnation may be seen as a kind of men- tal illness. Extinction as a “present reality” [in our imaginations] is spiritual rather than material, [but it can still] seriously disturb us. Extinction can da- mage our lives before it occurs.
Also, we have tended to focus on this destructive power, often endowing it with a hostile animus. [Actually], we should fear it less than our own evil will to use them. This will to annihilation is something spiritual inside us that has no material being; dismantling our arsenals would not really solve our pro- blems. The stronger our collective will to survive, the healthier & more vigo- rous our life in the world becomes. Just as nuclear weapons have frozen world politics into a state of permanent crisis, they seem to have paralyzed our imaginations too.
Our will to survive may be strengthened or weakened by how we choose to interpret our situation, [and what assumptions we make]. Through- out the Cold War, both sides continued to make offers they knew would be refused; the results confirmed their worst expectations about the wickedness of the other side and the futility of negotiations. Our expectations have led to behaviors which confirm our expectations and repeated experience has habi- tuated us to this unhealthy situation. Our best hope is to break the feedback loop before the system gets into a runaway mode. The longer we succumb to the illusion [that deterrence is working and keeping us safe], the easier it is to slide toward a despair that may one day prove fatal. We should try to under- stand the psychology of our current behavior and begin appropriate therapy in this moment of apparent and temporary reprieve.
Nuclear Dependency—In a nuclear age, horror, anxiety, helpless rage, and “psychic numbing” have percolated into our daily lives & produced symp- tomatic patterns of behavior; some deny it; others embrace it obsessively. [In- dividual denial takes the form of]: glorifying the American Way; scapegoating [a long list of those “other people”]; living irresponsible, self-centered, & hedo- nistic life styles; [and a general “live, invest, build for today” attitude]. Some people show an unhealthy obsession with nuclear holocaust; some dream about it. The word “nuke” has become popular. These behaviors suggest that we generally repress our feelings about the nuclear threat; this repression yields a low-level depression. Our condition prevents us from becoming all that we could be. You could say that it stunts our spiritual growth.
Collectively our most striking symptom is our faith in the doctrine of de- terrence; [i.e. that only the fear of mutual annihilation can hold them in check]. Jonathon Schell concludes that deterrence makes sense only if you assume that both you and you opponent are insane. Deterrence commits us to building more & more weapons by the assumption that our opponents are so foolish as to fear us in proportion to our accumulated firepower. [We also build] huge standing armies which we will never be able to use against each other.
The most absurd symptom of all is our simple failure to abolish these weapons, or to make their abolition the primary goal of our negotiations. [Our leaders call them effective instruments of diplomacy, and give them names like “Peacekeeper”]. Nuclear states seem to have made their weapons part of their national self-image, and call themselves “superpowers.” They ignore the fact that their weapons have not deterred small countries like Viet Nam Iran
We cling to these weapons as a means of self-definition. Nuclear states behave like alcoholics who find an identity in the habit they know is slowing destroying them, & they deny they have a problem. These states have shown their willingness to destroy innocent populations, generations of the unborn, & much of living nature in order to protect their “national interest.” Their depen- dency has progressed to the point of evil, like that of an alcoholic who abuses his loved ones.
In the most general sense, evil is whatever is opposed to Life, & it can take both physical and psychological forms. Scott Peck defined “psychological evil” as “the exercise of political power in order to avoid spiritual growth.” Peck argues that evil people seek to control others because they lack self-control & discipline that comes with self-confidence; they seek to make others exten- sions of themselves. Nuclear dependency participates in such radical evil by threatening us with extinction & preventing our spiritual growth.
Our addiction arose in response to real issues in life [i.e. how] to prevent a repeat of WWII. And now that brave and imaginative efforts are being made in the East, the western powers sit back on their stockpiles and behave as if nothing has changed. The real purpose of deterrence is to allow us to have peace without having to give up war. Our missile addiction alters our mood and helps us avoid the deeper issues. We refuse to abandon deterrence and embark on the difficult task of building a new world political order. Deterrence like alcoholism is founded on laziness, fear, and despair, and the longer we cling to it, spiraling toward extinction, the more painful and arduous the reco- very process will be.
Avenues of Healing/Right Thinking—Recovery is still possible, right up until the moment of launching the missiles. Our 1,000-mile journey begins with a single step: right here, right now, right at home. I believe our personal choices and actions can affect the shape of things to come. I would suggest a healing process of “right thinking” [i.e.] for survival and against extinction, and “right action” [i.e.] strengthening our will to life.
Right thinking requires an individual choice for Life [over extinction]. Right thinking involves acceptance of responsibility as citizens of a state com- mitted to threatening the race with extinction. & right thinking requires a deci- sion to take right action, to commit to therapy. [Most people would indignant- ly deny] favoring extinction or holding the human race hostage for the sake of our national interest. The same person will likely blame the Soviets for the arms race, & [make excuses why they are unable to do anything], which is standard addict behavior.
[A therapeutic intervention might work], but in the case of nuclear de- pendency [who can we turn to or listen to]? The severe narcissism of the nuclear states prevent them from taking seriously any opinions except their own. [God will not make it easier for us; that would] short-circuit a process of choice whose very difficulty is essential to its effect. [Such intervention can] only come from within the nuclear states themselves. Each personal deci- sion to repudiate extinction, to admit addiction, to assume responsibility, constitutes a brave and loving intervention, even if it is known only to a hand- ful of people. The person who makes a choice of this kind becomes a living challenge to our narcissistic & weapon-dependent society. [They] feel a new energy & freedom; paralysis dissolves. One has repudiated and thereby overcomes the sloth and despair at the heart of the nuclear crisis.
Right Action—What therapy shall we undertake to strengthen our individual and collective will to survive? 1st, since despair and sloth are our greatest temptations, we should begin to lead lives of quiet affirmation. We should go stubbornly about our business of being human in full recognition of the threat’s presence. [We need to continue to live a full life of full service to humanity and creation], all the while celebrating by these wholehearted actions whatever is noblest in human life & repudiating those impulses toward lethar- gy and despair which constitute the real threat to our survival.
2nd, we must cultivate images of truth & hope. Early images of tests in- spired awe, terror, & fascination we normally associate with the Sublime. It is not surprising that we interpreted such power as giving divine or at least natural sanction to our political decisions. Images of nuclear war victims seduced us, because while revealing truth, they also concealed truth. [We looked at blast effects of nuclear weapons] & ignored the more lethal secondary & tertiary effects. [Taking these effects into account], there would be no place for survi- vors to go.
Recent images present the facts more honestly. Fallout victims are portrayed so that we know their deaths will be painful, senseless, and disgus- ting. Perhaps the most potent image of truth to appear in recent years is the image of nuclear winter, [with vast quantities of dust thrown into the air obscu- ring the sun, killing green plants and drastically reducing the temperature]. There are also images of hope, [of life going on in spite of the bleakness of nuclear war’s aftermath]. Our most valuable image of hope is the image of our earth seen from space. Gazing upon our home world seen from afar ought to shame us out of our suicidal narcissism and offer us a sign of the planetary consciousness we need in order to survive.
Because we have a duty to the earth and to other human being, [we need to] rebuild our relationship to the biosphere on a model of symbiosis and stewardship rather than parasitism and exploitation. Knowing the truth and beauty of our world will strengthen our reverence for all life, including our own. Right action must include rededicating ourselves to healthy relationships with each other and with God. [Our] survival requires nothing less than a funda- mental reorientation.
Prospects—With addiction, as with sin, a cure is possible right up to the moment of death, for the problem adheres in the mind of the person more than in his external circumstances. The spiritual view enables us to appreciate the importance of individual moral choice as central and decisive. Science cannot give us moral advice or make our choice for us; all it can do is make clear the material consequences of our choice. If we believe in a living future, it may arise, but if we do not, we will surely perish. We do not get to heaven; we be- come heaven.
I said the solution to our problem was unimaginable to us at the pre- sent time and that this lack of imagination constituted our problem. We have the capacity to imagine any solution's broad outlines. [God posed the chal- lenge long ago]: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
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