You are probably too busy to read this post.

Did you read this post?


I had two comments about it.

One is I loved this comment:

Quakerism just barely organized? Not my experience. I belonged to a meeting where active members had to be on 3-4 committees each in order to staff the cumbersome organization. I don't think that is very atypical. Quakerism today, particularly liberal unprogrammed Quakerism, tends to represent organization gone crazy, almost like a spreading cancer.

Secondly, I sat there wondering what would happen if all this turmoil about what it means to be Quaker were spent in silence with God... I have a LOT of work to do in that regard but I hope I'm awake to it part of the time, at least.

I remember when I worked for The Christian Science Mother Church during a time of great public turmoil. We had gone into TV and radio and were losing tons of money and it was about to fold and ultimately TV and radio did fold. I long time woman member in the church called and got me on the phone called me in TEARS. Sobbing and she wanted to talk to my boss it was sooo important. I took a deep breath and asked her if I could speak to her church member to church member, that I was NOT speaking officially for "The Church". She said yes I could. I told her very frankly that I thought the devil (CSer's call it Animal Magnetism but it's the same thing) was trying to get her so upset and busy that she would forget to pray. She got it right away. She took a breath herself and said she no longer needed to talk to my boss and she thanked me, she was going to go pray for church. My boss was grateful to hear about the call, natch, one less thing.

I think Quakers like Christian Scientists tend to be self-motivated thinkers, but that can getcha into trouble. Lack of humility, spinning wheels when it comes to what is going on in the church and in the world, and a sense of human busyness. Keeping the main thing the main thing is what matters. And for me the main thing about being a Quaker is putting a finger to the lips and listening.