Category Archives: Quaker Theology

Africa, antisemitism, Arts: Drama, Bible Study, Books & Book Reviews, Cross-Generational Issues, Current Affairs, Divergent Friends, Ecumenical & Interfaith, Evangelicals, Fire This Time, Food, History, Islam & Muslims, Israel, Justice?, Keeping Warm, Mass killings, Nazis/Nazism, Oceans, Palestine, Quaker Education, Quaker History, Quaker Schools, Quaker Theology, Quakers, Religious Issues & Conflicts, Remarkable People, Signs of the Times, Women & Girls

A Cautionary Tale and an Inspiration? The “Life of Quaker Service” of Annice carter

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Finishing the new book Annice Carter’s Life of Quaker Service, my first query was: What if Annice Carter had ever learned to make bagels? Could that have changed history in the Middle East?

Annice in Middle Eastern dress.

She had the training and experience. With her college degree in Home Economics, cooking, including for large groups, was one of her many skills. And she was well aware of the implications of food for building community in diverse cultural settings.

Besides being a cook, Annice was a teacher, then Jill-of-(almost) all-trades, and later Principal of the Friends Girls School in Ramallah Palestine (started by New England Friends in the 1880s, and established as an elite  school for Palestinian students).

Continue reading A Cautionary Tale and an Inspiration? The “Life of Quaker Service” of Annice carter →

Activism, Arts: Blogging, Arts: Drag, Arts: For Kids, Carolina & the World, Culture wars, Humor, Kids, LGBTQ & Gender, Quaker Theology, Quakers, Religious Issues & Conflicts, Remarkable People, Signs of the Times, Trans, Women & Girls

For Quakers, Friends & Others – A Welcome & Colorful Break From The Weekend Madness

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Amid the upheavals, wars & rumors of war of the first weekend in October, 2023, there was a burst of light and fun and even joy, in one seemingly unlikely place — Alamance County, North Carolina. Let’s go visit it:

The occasion was as unlikely as the locale, by the historic railroad station  in the city  of Burlington, which was the scene of the ninth annual Alamance Pride Festival. It had the whole nine yards: tons of rainbow flags, stunning drag queens, and —yes, they went there— Drag Queen  Story Hour— in fact more than one. (But, in truth, they didn’t really last an hour; too many other things to do — “Psst, hey: the Quakers have candy!”)
Continue reading For Quakers, Friends & Others – A Welcome & Colorful Break From The Weekend Madness →

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FUM, John Muhanji, Uganda & “KILL The GAYS Laws: A Few Questions

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October is Visitation &  Board meeting month for Friends  United Meeting (FUM). Besides board members from  FUM’s shrinking but scattered territories, notable Friends will be gathering in and around its home turf of Richmond Indiana.

Among the most notable of these visitors is Kenyan Friend  John Muhanji, who heads FUM’s African ministries. Besides official sessions, he’ll be visiting several Friends meetings & churches in the Midwest during the next few weeks.

No doubt the official agendas in these sessions will be full, and discussions lively. But if FUM’s record is any guide, some issues may have a hard time getting heard.

One in particular (unless I miss my guess), despite the fact it’s been in the news, on my mind, and even the pope has talked about it. But neither the pope nor I will be in Indiana this month.

So maybe some reader will pass along the following questions, not only in Indiana but to any other FUM-connected meeting or concerned Quakers:

 

Also . . .

Also, about the gospel being preached . . .

One for all those with financial responsibilities:

Others are asking too:

In Closing: For John Muhanji & FUM:

Africa, Bible Study, Evangelicals, Quaker History, Quaker Theology, Quakers, Religious Issues & Conflicts, Remember . . .

Another Quaker Breakup: Indiana YM “Quits” FUM (Sort of)- Wants to Take Africa Missions With It

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Time for a sequel?

The total number of splits in American Quakerdom since 2000 has just gone from five to six. And signs of more trouble are on the horizon.

Indiana Yearly Meeting (IYM), which saw eighteen of its meetings expelled or withdraw in 2013, has now pushed its separatism further by leaving Friends United Meeting.

But IYM wants to maintain its involvement in FUM’s African mission programs. How this is going to work, inasmuch as IYM’s “gospel” is that FUM is too heretical and corrupt to associate with at home, remains to be seen. As is whether FUM officials are so gullible as to permit the open sowing of future division in their remaining turf. Continue reading Another Quaker Breakup: Indiana YM “Quits” FUM (Sort of)- Wants to Take Africa Missions With It →

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”All God’s Critters Got a Place In the Choir”–But Sometimes They have to Make (or Change) It

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”All God’s Critters Got a Place In the Choir.”

And being in the choir is work.

I’m not much for singing gospel songs; but Bill Staines, who wrote this one, was more of a folkie, and his tune, “All God’s Critters” is more folk than (Lord help us) “praise” music. But whatever the genre, I’m more interested in its theology, because I agree with it.

All God’s critters got a place in the choir,
Some sing low, some sing higher,
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire.
And some just clap their hands, or paws,
or anything they got now . . . . Continue reading ”All God’s Critters Got a Place In the Choir”–But Sometimes They have to Make (or Change) It →