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Friends United
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Quaker Life
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| Between Friends | Contents |
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By Katie Terrell, Editor George Fox experienced many great openings. One, of which many Quakers are familiar with, involved the formal education of ministers. Fox wrote, “ … being bred at Oxford or Cambridge was not enough to fit and qualify men to be ministers of Christ.” Yet, in my travels among Friends, I am overwhelmed by the number of Friends who have attended Quaker schools: Earlham, Guilford, Swarthmore, Haverford, Friends University, Wilmington, William Penn and George Fox. Education is certainly valued among Friends. Tom Hamm speaks to this in this issue’s “Ask Tom” column (p. 24). For me, what stands out in Fox’s opening is the phrase “was not enough.” Formal learning is important, but the Spirit and experience are central to the Quaker faith. God calls us to ministry, and young Friends who are in the midst of, or just coming out of, college are well aware of the importance of God’s call in ministry. This year I have been blessed with the opportunity to experience two groundbreaking events involving youth: the young adult Friends conference at Earlham College that brought Friends from across the U.S. and Canada together to embrace the rich heritage of young Friends ministry, and the introduction of the second QUIP youth book project, which is being directed entirely by a youth editorial board. My reflections on the young adult Friends conference, peppered with the profound insights of several conference participants, can be found on pages 12–16. It was through planning and participating in this conference that I was reminded that Jesus began his ministry at 30 years of age, and George Fox was a mere 23 when Quakerism was founded. A movement among young Friends is destined to erupt. Recently a wellrespected Friend sent me a note prophesying this movement as the third Quaker awakening. A conference participant shared with me, “We’re closer than I thought.” A summary of the QUIP annual conference, a deeper look at the QUIP youth book project and John Lomuria’s adventurous first trip to the U.S. in order to participate in the first meeting of the youth editorial board, can be found on pages 25–28. During a question and answer session, I asked the editorial board why they were qualified to do this work: planning a book project, soliciting donations of articles and funds, editing and designing the final product. I asked to provide them the opportunity to “show off” in front of the seasoned Friends in the audience. They exceeded my expectations, from college degrees in business and English, to editing handbooks for academic institutions, to starting their own independent publishing companies. Even so, it was John Lomuria whose response stays with me, “Education and experience are not what qualifies us to this work; we are called to it.” Readers, I tell you, the Spirit is alive and well among young Friends. |
12 Living as Friends,
Listening Within 16 Kindred Spirits 18 The Moment of Now 20 Remembering the Call of the Mountain _______________________________ 7 News from Friends United Meeting 17 Quotes 23 Scripture for Living 24 Ask Tom 25 News 29 Peace Notes 30 Reviews 32 Passages 36 Classifieds 42 Perspectives _______________________________ This issue’s cover art is an original colored pencil rendering by Marcella Beaty, a visual artist who lives and works in Colorado and attends High Plains Meeting. She worked off a reference photo taken by Sebastian Penraeth. The Penraeths are the owners of the 1765 journal pictured: A Journal or Historical Account of the Life, Travels, Sufferings, Christian Experiences, and Labour of Love, in the work of the ministry of that Ancient, Eminent, and Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ, George Fox, Third Edition, Corrected, W. Richardson & S. Clark, London.
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