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Quaker Losses I Would Like to See

We cling to old ways, even when they inhibit our spiritual growth. Sometimes we do not remember why the old ways were put in place, which means their use has lost its validity.

On Loss (May 2023)

A Meaningful Weekend

Dear Editor: I know Western Friend has focused on what our yearly and regional meetings can do to sustain and enhance their respective communities and wanted to share a bit about the spring meeting of Arizona Half Yearly Meeting (AHYM) this past March. We were blessed to have Francisco Burgos from Pendle Hill as our keynote speaker.

On Loss (May 2023)

Global Blue-Green Zone for COP28

Despite its significant limitations, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the principal setting for the international community to gather and confront our catastrophically destabilizing global climate. As the need for ambitious action from governments becomes more urgent, broader public engagement with the UNFCCC also becomes more urgent. Grassroots involvement is critical for assuring that negotiations are both effective and equitable.

On Dignity (July 2023)

Spiritually Clean – A Social Laundromat Ministry

For a few years, San Francisco Quaker meeting has been meeting Christ outside its doors, literally. The voiceless, forgotten, and politically marginalized gather outside our building to seek refuge. We welcome them to service on Sundays, make sandwiches and food, and charge their phones on Fridays, and that’s all needed. Another quiet ministry is the washing of laundry – which a few Friends take back to their places to wash and return.

On Dignity (July 2023)

Radical Welcome

It was curiosity to see if there were still people called Quakers that brought me to my first meeting at Frank and Jeanine Walker’s home on McLeod Avenue. It was radical welcome that kept me coming.

On Dignity (July 2023)

Abortion and Community

“Community” is central to Friends’ faith and practice, and of course, it is central to all of humanity. Life starts with a community of two – the mother and her infant. A baby’s community grows as she grows. Eventually it may include her father, other siblings, and many others.

On Healers (September 2023)