Overview

Quakerism is not a spirituality of passivity, not a spirituality of options; our testimonies are not a pre-packaged set of values. Our spiritual experience, our openness to being led and to living a guided life, leads us to a life we have little choice over. Testimony is the outflowing life we cannot help but lead.

Ben Pink Dandelion.  Open for Transformation: Being Quaker, 2014 Swarthmore Lecture

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Quakers’ experience of the Divine affects:

  • What we do in our personal lives.
  • What we believe.
  • Changes we work for in the wider world.

“Testimonies” are what Quakers call the ways we have found to live and act based on our beliefs. As a group, we find that listening to and following God leads to: Integrity—living as whole people who act on what we believe, tell the truth, and do what we say we will do. Simplicity—focusing on what is truly important and letting other things fall away. Equality—treating everyone, everywhere, as equally precious to God; recognizing that everyone has gifts to share. Community—supporting one another in our faith journeys and in times of joy and sorrow; sharing with and caring for each other. Peace—seeking justice and healing for all people; taking away the causes of war in the ways we live. Care for the earth—valuing and respecting all of God’s creation; using only our fair share of the earth’s resources; working for policies that protect the planet. We do not always hear and follow Divine guidance; being in community with other Quakers helps us to be faithful.

Source: Quaker Testimonies  Newcomer Card, Friends General Conference.  Used by Permission of FGC.

 

Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them. Then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one; whereby in them ye may be a blessing, and make the witness of God in them to bless you: then to the Lord God you shall be a sweet savour, and a blessing.  — George Fox, 1656 song by Paulette Meier, Timeless Quaker Wisdom in Plainsong.  Used by permission of Paulette Meier.

essay:  Friends Testimonies (PDF)

As Friends try to live their values, they witness or give testimony to the world.  Friends testimonies are outward expressions of God’s leadings…  Friends testimonies express their relationships with God and among people and come from Friends struggles to live their values, according to their understanding and ability. They are responses Friends make to their life experiences.

Pages 35-36 of Exploring Quakerism: A Study Guide, Participant’s Edition by Marsha D. Holliday, copyright 2006. Used by permission of Quaker Press of FGC

video: The Quaker SPICES (7 minutes) I think Quaker faith and practice, the deeper you go with it over time, the more you realize it’s not just lists of things like SPICES and different aspects of Quaker faith and practice, but it’s all one whole life and it’s a sustainable life that brings a lot of joy and wisdom over time. Original video from QuakerSpeak.com.  A project of Friends Journal.  Filmed by Jon Watts and edited by Rebecca Hamilton-Levi.  Transcript here.

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