Comments for Western Friend http://westernfriend.org Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:17:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on A Condition Beyond Membership: The Quaker Gifts of Experience, Discipline and Discernment by Jay Thatcher http://westernfriend.org/2012/03/1408/comment-page-1/#comment-1968 Jay Thatcher Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:17:47 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/?p=1408#comment-1968 I'm thankful for Robert Griswold's faithfulness in writing this large helping of truth. I look forward to the pamphlet. I’m thankful for Robert Griswold’s faithfulness in writing this large helping of truth. I look forward to the pamphlet.

]]> Comment on Quaker Bloggers in the West by This special issue of Western Friend focuses on lifting up the written ministry of Quaker bloggers in the West! As such, almost all of the content of this issue is available online. Tags: … - The Quaker Ranter – The Quaker Ranter http://westernfriend.org/2011/02/quaker-bloggers-in-the-west/comment-page-1/#comment-1021 This special issue of Western Friend focuses on lifting up the written ministry of Quaker bloggers in the West! As such, almost all of the content of this issue is available online. Tags: … - The Quaker Ranter – The Quaker Ranter Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:51:17 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/site/?p=948#comment-1021 [...] Tags: … Feb 12th, 2011 by Martin Kelley. // nRelate.domain = "www.quakerranter.org"; //[Western Friend] Quaker Bloggers in the West /**/ Share this:EmailFacebookPosted in: misc. ← Our project to create a Quaker Christian [...] [...] Tags: … Feb 12th, 2011 by Martin Kelley. // nRelate.domain = "www.quakerranter.org"; //[Western Friend] Quaker Bloggers in the West /**/ Share this:EmailFacebookPosted in: misc. ← Our project to create a Quaker Christian [...]

]]> Comment on Where Is the Life? Seeking the Motion of Love in the Religious Society of Friends by Another way of understanding being a Friend has two parts. One is to affirm the near-infinite diversity and subtlety of the ways we can experience that which transcends any of our words or… - The Quaker Ranter – The Quaker Ranter http://westernfriend.org/2011/07/1137/comment-page-1/#comment-1019 Another way of understanding being a Friend has two parts. One is to affirm the near-infinite diversity and subtlety of the ways we can experience that which transcends any of our words or… - The Quaker Ranter – The Quaker Ranter Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:10:38 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/?p=1137#comment-1019 [...] our words or… Jul 26th, 2011 by Martin Kelley. // nRelate.domain = "www.quakerranter.org"; //Noah Baker Merrill: Where Is the Life? /**/ Share this:EmailFacebookPosted in: misc. ← Following some guy out onto the water [...] [...] our words or… Jul 26th, 2011 by Martin Kelley. // nRelate.domain = "www.quakerranter.org"; //Noah Baker Merrill: Where Is the Life? /**/ Share this:EmailFacebookPosted in: misc. ← Following some guy out onto the water [...]

]]> Comment on Younger Blood, Older Eyes by Anthony Chang http://westernfriend.org/2011/05/younger-blood-older-eyes/comment-page-1/#comment-838 Anthony Chang Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:09:32 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/?p=1040#comment-838 I read Paul's article, Chuck Fager's response to it, the article by Stephen Willis Dotson, and read the letter that was submitted by Paul for the group Rising Light Action in Western Friend. I can't say I've had the same experiences that Paul described, though I've only really attended 2 Meetings; Reno Monthly Meeting (nearly 10 years ago) and now Honolulu Monthly Meeting, (the last 3 years in Honolulu a 90%+ attendance for Sunday Worship, a 100% attendance for Business Meeting). In both Meetings I've been treated with acceptance & respect, not a "token" young person, though I can see it having had similar experiences in other non-Quaker groups where the composition is mostly older people. There are a lack of young adults that attend Meeting for Worship (in Honolulu thats changing a little, as there are finally enough Young Adult Friends for me to plan our first ever Young Adult Friends only outing). In Honolulu, I regularly volunteer with House & Grounds workdays, teach about once a month for First Day School, rebuilt and maintain their website (sitting on all committees that go with them), and currently co-Clerk Peace Committee (I was asked to Clerk it solely at first but declined) and again, people there have been very welcoming and treated me with respect. My Membership application letter was read out loud this past Sunday, I'll be surprised if I don't become a Member, though who knows, anything can happen. I sympathize with those who've had these experiences though. I read Paul’s article, Chuck Fager’s response to it, the article by Stephen Willis Dotson, and read the letter that was submitted by Paul for the group Rising Light Action in Western Friend. I can’t say I’ve had the same experiences that Paul described, though I’ve only really attended 2 Meetings; Reno Monthly Meeting (nearly 10 years ago) and now Honolulu Monthly Meeting, (the last 3 years in Honolulu a 90%+ attendance for Sunday Worship, a 100% attendance for Business Meeting). In both Meetings I’ve been treated with acceptance & respect, not a “token” young person, though I can see it having had similar experiences in other non-Quaker groups where the composition is mostly older people. There are a lack of young adults that attend Meeting for Worship (in Honolulu thats changing a little, as there are finally enough Young Adult Friends for me to plan our first ever Young Adult Friends only outing). In Honolulu, I regularly volunteer with House & Grounds workdays, teach about once a month for First Day School, rebuilt and maintain their website (sitting on all committees that go with them), and currently co-Clerk Peace Committee (I was asked to Clerk it solely at first but declined) and again, people there have been very welcoming and treated me with respect. My Membership application letter was read out loud this past Sunday, I’ll be surprised if I don’t become a Member, though who knows, anything can happen. I sympathize with those who’ve had these experiences though.

]]> Comment on Nurturing the Body and Soul: Lessons From A Lifetime of Eating by Pinoy Quakers http://westernfriend.org/2011/07/nurturing-the-body-and-soul-lessons-from-a-lifetime-of-eating/comment-page-1/#comment-806 Pinoy Quakers Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:05:53 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/?p=1132#comment-806 Thank you for writing this. We are Quakers. But Anthroposophy has also helped us deal with such issues that are quite essential to life, and death. See also www.rsarchive.org It might also be helpful. Thank you for writing this. We are Quakers. But Anthroposophy has also helped us deal with such issues that are quite essential to life, and death. See also http://www.rsarchive.org It might also be helpful.

]]> Comment on Younger Blood, Older Eyes by Lesley Laing http://westernfriend.org/2011/05/younger-blood-older-eyes/comment-page-1/#comment-767 Lesley Laing Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:50:42 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/?p=1040#comment-767 Thank you, Paul, for a thoughtful article and to everyone else for thoughtful comments, Our year as Resident Friends in Auckland (Aotearoa/New Zealand Yearly Meeting) and our current experience as RFs in Melbourne (Victoria Regional Meeting of Australia Yearly Meeting) suggest the mystery of where is the next generation of Quakers is extant here as well as in the western US.. I hear of an actice community of YAFs on line and I know about the great JF camps at NPYM, but wonder how we will get them into our face-to-face Meetings. Paul, your analysis resonates with me, though I treasure the traditions. I do remember "lying low" my first several years as a convinced Friend while i just avsorbed the 'culture" by osmosis.. We need to do more Quakerism 101 and Quaker Quest and just be more open about who we are and what we are doing and WHY. Your comment about being "on fire" for a "cause" also resonates, I want us to be a 'big tent" and "inclusive" but still believe we need to be BELIEVERS able to articulate what we believe and demonstrate it with our lives, not pussyfooting about tradistion, style and fearful that our language may offend someone. Let us speak out, respecting our differences, listening for the deep roots of our commonalities and above all, letting our lives speak. Thank you all for being who you are and in my/our tent of Quakerism in its variety and its vitality whether on line or face to face or both. Blessings, Lesley Laing, South Mountain FM NPYM and Friends House Local Meeting, VRM AYM (Melbourne) Thank you, Paul, for a thoughtful article and to everyone else for thoughtful comments, Our year as Resident Friends in Auckland (Aotearoa/New Zealand Yearly Meeting) and our current experience as RFs in Melbourne (Victoria Regional Meeting of Australia Yearly Meeting) suggest the mystery of where is the next generation of Quakers is extant here as well as in the western US.. I hear of an actice community of YAFs on line and I know about the great JF camps at NPYM, but wonder how we will get them into our face-to-face Meetings. Paul, your analysis resonates with me, though I treasure the traditions. I do remember “lying low” my first several years as a convinced Friend while i just avsorbed the ‘culture” by osmosis.. We need to do more Quakerism 101 and Quaker Quest and just be more open about who we are and what we are doing and WHY. Your comment about being “on fire” for a “cause” also resonates, I want us to be a ‘big tent” and “inclusive” but still believe we need to be BELIEVERS able to articulate what we believe and demonstrate it with our lives, not pussyfooting about tradistion, style and fearful that our language may offend someone. Let us speak out, respecting our differences, listening for the deep roots of our commonalities and above all, letting our lives speak. Thank you all for being who you are and in my/our tent of Quakerism in its variety and its vitality whether on line or face to face or both. Blessings, Lesley Laing, South Mountain FM NPYM and Friends House Local Meeting, VRM AYM (Melbourne)

]]> Comment on Pacific Yearly Meeting 2011 Annual Sessions, Part I by Jonathan Brown http://westernfriend.org/2011/07/pacific-yearly-meeting-2011-annual-sessions-part-i/comment-page-1/#comment-764 Jonathan Brown Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:15:59 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/?p=1145#comment-764 Having been impressed by Patricia Sellick's presentation at NPYM, I'm pleased to hear that PYM Friends were able to hear her report as well. I wonder if our three sister YMs could make a practice of sharing a topical speaker at our annual sessions each year, perhaps with responsibility for selecting/arranging the speaker rotating among the YMs. This would present an opportunity to share interests and concerns among us. Another thought: maybe Western Friend could act as a sponsor and/or facilitator for such a project, as well as a venue for broadening the discussions engendered by the speaker's ministry to us. Having been impressed by Patricia Sellick’s presentation at NPYM, I’m pleased to hear that PYM Friends were able to hear her report as well.

I wonder if our three sister YMs could make a practice of sharing a topical speaker at our annual sessions each year, perhaps with responsibility for selecting/arranging the speaker rotating among the YMs. This would present an opportunity to share interests and concerns among us.

Another thought: maybe Western Friend could act as a sponsor and/or facilitator for such a project, as well as a venue for broadening the discussions engendered by the speaker’s ministry to us.

]]> Comment on Nurturing the Body and Soul: Lessons From A Lifetime of Eating by Elaine http://westernfriend.org/2011/07/nurturing-the-body-and-soul-lessons-from-a-lifetime-of-eating/comment-page-1/#comment-731 Elaine Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:22:42 +0000 http://westernfriend.org/?p=1132#comment-731 Thank you, Sea, for your deeply honest sharing about the struggle with food we all share on some level. Something I have come to believe is that whether we fall in and out of integrity with the testimonies, we are always as loved and as lovable in the eyes of our Creator. Yet, the struggle with food, diet, guilt and body-image is ongoing and painful for many of us, including me. Food, self-nurturing, loving our physical bodies as well as our mind and spirit is about healing and about our right relationship with our Creator. How can we live from this place of healing? Sea, you offer a beautiful example by sharing your truth with us. Thank you, Sea, for your deeply honest sharing about the struggle with food we all share on some level.
Something I have come to believe is that whether we fall in and out of integrity with the testimonies, we are always as loved and as lovable in the eyes of our Creator. Yet, the struggle with food, diet, guilt and body-image is ongoing and painful for many of us, including me.
Food, self-nurturing, loving our physical bodies as well as our mind and spirit is about healing and about our right relationship with our Creator.
How can we live from this place of healing? Sea, you offer a beautiful example by sharing your truth with us.

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