An Introduction
A core truth of Quaker theology and experience is the direct relationship of God with humanity. Whether as individual seekers or in the collective practice of worship, God can be experienced anywhere, at any time, and all people can be called on for the work of ministry. The experience of God is both sustaining and transformative, as the divine Seed in each person is met and searched and nourished directly by the Inward Light of God.  

The range of theological language and ideas at play within Quakerism, for various individuals and groups of Friends, has broadened considerably from the original Christian context of Quaker faith. What remains at the core is the intimate, know-able nature of spiritual reality, the mystical heart of faith experience.

This summary was written by Kody Hersh, who is a member of Miami Monthly Meeting and serves on the Youth Ministries Committee of FGC.

Jacob Stewart

Do I know God? Of course I know God. God whispers sweet words of silence in my heart when I am most still, as well as when I am not so still and need Her words the most. God is everywhere. I feel Her through others as well as through myself, when a tender worship is invoked from the center of my heart, while I am alone or among those whom I love, and I feel that this love from my heart is the purest form of worship.

God flows through rivers, and blossoms on trees. God is the words carried by wind, and the warmth of sunlight on all of our cheeks. God volunteers to serve food to hungry people in city soup kitchens, and God asks me for change on urban streets. She takes care of me when I’m sick, She holds me in the night, She loves me unconditionally. She is a lover, She is a mother, and She is a sister.

God is stillness and compassion, God is love and God is light, and God is life and God is death.

God is that which connects me to nothingness and to everything: a quiet dichotomy that is inherent among all people regardless of religion, race or romantic orientation. For me to name this God is to limit God, since God has many names and many occupations, for we are God and God is inside us all.

Jacob Stewart resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he actively pursues his studies both in and outside of his academic community. He is part of a neighborhood of active youths in the struggle to understand their existence and expresses his Quaker values in the form of simplicity, modest humility and thoughtful intent.

Liz Wine

My experience with God began at a young, tender age.  When I was growing up we spent countless hours on acreage in the country my parents owned.  It was in these moments when I encountered nature that I felt the presence of the divine--I knew something powerful and wonderful had to have orchestrated this beautiful land, from the cornstalks to the grasshoppers.  

I have always found along my journey that Quakerism emphasizes personal experience with God, the moments such as the above. This is how we learn and are spiritually shaped.  While I love to read books and feel I can relate to other's walks, there is no substitute for my own experience.

God came to me, in the form of a vision of his son, Jesus, while at the World Gathering of Young Friends in 2005. During the closing silent worship service I had a vision that Jesus came and sat in worship with me, which was a very special moment in my life.  I was speechless.  During this open worship, someone gave vocal ministry in a language I did not understand. I noticed Jesus was watching them intently. I asked him if he understand them and he replied, "Yes, I understand all languages, especially the language of the heart." This blew my mind, as the human heart can be so complicated! This was the first milestone of several journeys that led me to Christianity, which to me is a closer and deeper walk with God.

Along the way, he has graciously taught me about himself by showing he is patient with me when I am not patient with circumstances, and by showing he is graceful by loving me even with my human error! God has taught me who I am, as his creation--that even though I may not always feel like loving myself, He loves me and that is adequate.

There is no greater joy than knowing and living in the light of God's love for me!  I could never have gotten to this point if it were not for my openness to these journeys, such as my time at World Gathering and my subsequent experience at the Young Adult Friends Conference in 2007, at which I accepted Christ into my heart. It may be uncomfortable and unsettling at times, but the end result, the daily walk with God, is worth it.

Liz was raised in an FGC affiliated meeting and is now currently a member of University Friends Church in Wichita, KS.  Liz is preparing to go to Rwanda for 2 years with Evangelical Friends Mission, to teach missionaries children.


Nathan Sebens

When asked to blog about God, I must admit, I had no idea about how I should go about it. I knew right away that it would be a good exercise for me, but also, incredibly challenging. This is because, God to me is mystery. Rather than understanding, God is the lack of understanding. I have found this discovery to be both liberating and frustrating. And so I think I would like to talk about that.

During my studies at seminary, my eyes have truly been opened to many aspects of my own faith. Perhaps one of the most amazing experiences came through my study of the Hebrew Scriptures. There is a great tradition of mystery in the Hebrew canon. So much so, that it is often considered taboo (if not blasphemous) to say the name of God. So now, when many Jewish people talk about God, or translate the original Hebrew, they use words like Adonai (Lord), or Hashem (literally, the name). In scholastic discussions, the name of God is referred to as the tetragrammaton (or 4-letter word). In modern times, people also will write G-d in the place of the word God. For me, the substitution of words seems a little out of place, because everyone knows what you really mean, but I think there is something to being intentional about not pretending to know too much about God.

This opening of the Divine Mystery has truly changed my views on God. Though I may find words helpful in describing my experience of God, I know that they in no way can define who God is to me, much less the world. God is both the Mother/Father/Brother/Sister/Son/Daughter/Friend/ Aunt/Uncle etc., and also is none of these things. God is simply God. God is the God of Moses and the God of Jesus. Despite the apparent discrepancies between this God of Military leader, and the God of the one who came telling us to love our enemies. God is the God of Mother Theresa, and the God of Jimmy Carter. Despite the differences between a man who served in the highest governmental position in the world, and a woman who chose to live among the “least of these”. The contradictions are rampant, and yet when you open your eyes to the darkness, when you live into the mystery, they seem to disappear.

When asked who God is to me, I think it is useful to refer to God how God answered Moses when he asked who he should tell the people had sent him. God said, in a very Popeyeish way “I am who I am”. And so, when asked what or who God is, I think from now on I will say only, “God is!”    

Nathan Sebens lives in Richmond, Indiana where he is a Masters of Divinity student at the Earlham School of Religion. Nathan enjoys volunteering at the Richmond Civic Theatre and directing the choir at West Richmond Friends.



What is Quaker Quest?
Quaker Quest is based on the idea that Quakerism is a spiritual path for our time that is simple, radical, and contemporary. Quaker Quest offers Friends an opportunity to articulate their faith, deepen relationships within their meeting/church, and share their spiritual stories with the larger community.

The public Quaker Quest sessions are structured gatherings for people interested in learning about Quakerism.  As part of the public Quaker Quest sessions, three people from the Quaker meeting share from the heart about their experiences on a particular topic.  These presentations are prepared in advance and include brief quotes from Faith and Practice or other resources.  Presenters mostly share stories that illuminate their journeys around the topic.   

How the blog series works
Each month from March until June, three Quakers will write 2-3 paragraphs on a certain topic from their experience as a Friend. I hope that the posts will spark a conversation that can continue online through people commenting on the blog posts.  Please email Emily at emilys@fgcquaker.org if you are interested in writing on one of the topics.

Schedule of topics
February- An introduction to Quaker Quest
March-Quakers and Equality
April- Quakers and God
May- Quakers and Pacifism
June- Quakers and Worship

For information on Quaker Quest, email quakerquest@fgcquaker.org or call 215-561-1700. Quaker Quest in the US and Canada is a project of Friends General Conference http://www.fgcquaker.org/quakerquest/organizers.