SEEDS e-Newsletter
Standing Alongside Those Who Serve in Public Office
By Lon Fendall About ten years ago I completed a book about the spiritual and political values of the public official on whose staff I had served for a number of years, Senator Mark Hatfield. The title of the book is, Stand Alone or Come Home. That unusual title came...
Forms with Power: The Church Has Left the Building
By Jonathan Vogel-Borne How many times have we heard someone say, "I'm spiritual, but not religious"? I have often wondered what that means? Is it just more evidence of American society's drift towards secularism? Or, is it an indicator of a common spiritual...
On Bended Knee
By Jan Wood I love the depictions of the nativity scene throughout the centuries. I can sit with a painting and be drawn into the emotions of that first revelation that God was doing something special. I feel my body bending near and am aware that the posture of...
Way of the Spirit: Fuel for Faith in Action
By Christine Hall, Director of Way of the Spirit Spiritual retreats are powerful opportunities to cultivate our best intentions for a life of faith, and help to grow the kind of courage needed to act as led by the Spirit. Strengthen our best intentions Retreats are...
Dreams and the Prophetic Life
Dreams have often been important to my spiritual life, giving me strong images that allow me to speak of the work of God in my life. I was glad to learn that there are many reports of dreams or visions in the journals of Friends who traveled in the ministry. Such...
Rhythms of Silence in Group Discernment
One of the gifts of Quakers to the wider Christian community is the understanding that God is present and active in the midst of human affairs. In simple terms God, who loves us, delights to partner with each of us in all facets of our lives. This is not a static...
Musing on Music
When I lived near Media, Pennsylvania, I joined a Gospel choir. We practiced for several weeks, did a concert in a local church, and then dissolved until the next year. It was joyful and packed full of praise. Gospel is a distinctive genre of music — sung...
Knowing Our Own Demons
by Marge Abbott "Friends, whatever you are addicted to, the Tempter will come in that thing. When he can trouble you, then he gets advantage over you, and then you are gone. Stand still in that which is pure, after you see yourselves; and then mercy comes in. After...
To Travel in Ministry
Our First Experience in Traveling in Ministry Al and Sheri Hendrix Some time ago my wife and I were led to begin traveling among other congregations (Quakers use the term Meeting rather than congregation) within our denomination. This is certainly not a new idea among...
Overcome Evil Jesus’ Way
by Jan Wood God loves--and yearns for restoration--for our broken world. But God is a realist. God is not caught by surprise when people, relationships, cultures and nations turn their backs on their Divine Purpose and become misshapen. They become a sad shadow of...