Articulating the Quaker Faith - Can our kids do it? Can we?

 

Around 2001 or 2002, my late partner Russell and I went to worship at Stony Run Friends where we were regular attenders.  I always like sitting high so I can see everyone so we sat on the upper row of the facing benches.  We came dressed casually as we always do.  As the room filled to capacity with finely dressed people whom I didn't recognize, it became apparent to me something was off.

We didn't know but it was Friends School of Baltimore's senior farewell meeting for worship. "This oughta be good" I thought.

And it was.  The messages out of meeting, mostly from the teens themselves, showed  me the value of a Friends education.  These young graduates were able to articulate the principles of Quakerism better than I've heard many Quaker adults. They shared how they learned to be friends with people who were quite different from them; one grad mentioned that if he had gone to another private school, he didn't know, as a football player, if he would have such a diverse group of friends.  The emphasis on community, seeing that of God in everyone, the importance of meetings for worship in one's weekly practice, were among the principles that these mostly non Quaker youth learned and internalized.

When I served on FGC's Advancement and Outreach committee years ago, we learned that when articulating our faith to others, whatever we say should be under 30 seconds.  Think elevator pitch.  Whatever you can say in an elevator ride is about the attention span of anyone listening. If they want to know more they can ask more questions.

Even this video takes six minutes. But I think it's a start. As an educator I  believe that it's important that students express their experiences.  They often need help organizing their thoughts and narrowing down what they want to say.  Their understanding of life, even at a young age, is important to own and and I believe they should feel validated.  Yet when I have asked what it means to be a Quaker for some young Friends, I often get shrugs, or some vague answers about environmentalism and peace, or the SPICES.

SPICES is a start but those are the outward testimonies of an inward reality.  You can find secular groups or even other religious groups who share some or all of our values.

How do I explain Quaker faith?  Here is my simple explanation of Quaker spirituality.  I don't usually present this in bullet form but conversationally.  I'm still working to get it to 30 seconds 😉

1. We can experience the Spirit directly.
2. We have a tradition that informs us but does not rule us.
3. We experience the Spirit together, but we don't define it for each other.
4. Traditionally Quakers see the Spirit through Jesus Christ, but not all do today.
5. The Spirit is always with us and teaches and Guides us.
6. We use silence to hear the Spirit and it's out of the silence we speak, pray, sing or act in our meetings.
7. We can find Spirit in nature as well as with other people.
8. We can be healed or  released us from hurts, habits, hang-ups, addictions and attachments. and transformed by the power of the Spirit.
9. The Spirit can lead us to ministry, service and activism.
10. We see that of God in all people.  All are welcome. and we are enriched by diversity.

Can you articulate your experience of being Quaker?
What canst thou say?
What can your kids say?