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The Spiritual Deepening Library

Photo by Sharon Gunther
Overview: 

Welcome to the Spiritual Deepening Library

The Spiritual Deepening Library invites newcomers, individuals, and meetings to explore how Quaker spiritual practice can transform lives and take them deeper in the life of the Spirit. The Spiritual Deepening Library offers resources, readings, queries, and activities that support spiritual exploration for individuals and small groups.

The Spiritual Deepening Library is a collection of exercises meant to deepen the life, worship, connection, and witness of individuals and meetings through the exploration of Quaker thought and practice, sharing and deep listening. The Library has materials for adults and children.

Library Contents:

The Spiritual Deepening Library is a collection of resources, activities, exercises, and texts that support the processes of Grounding, Sharing, and Practicing. The materials were developed through a collaborative process involving Friends across diverse yearly meetings and backgrounds.

Grounding Materials invite participants to explore scripture and the transformative experiences of past and contemporary Friends to help us deepen our understanding of our Quaker roots and give context to Quaker practices and beliefs.  

Sharing Exercises are opportunities for deep listening and sharing in order to hear the Truth manifesting in others.

Practicing Exercises are communal and individual spiritual practices that encourage deep listening, individual reflection, and opportunities to live out new ways of encountering The Divine in our lives and in the world.

Guide for Facilitators provides tools and guidance for facilitating small groups in a spiritual deepening workshop or retreat. The Guide for Facilitators offers resources for creating connection and community, facilitating instead of teaching, and how to use the materials in the Spiritual Deepening Library. 

Here are links to Meeting Resources and Resources for Small Group Facilitators, and Spiritual Deepening for Children. 

Exercise Search:

Search the exercises according to the length of time each takes to complete, the suggested age range of participants, and whether an activity is newcomer friendly.

 

Be a part of the Continuing Revelation! Give us feedback as you explore and use the Spiritual Deepening Library.

Contact us at [email protected].

 

Library Topics

Silence and Expectant Waiting

Explore the Quaker experience of worship, silent waiting, and vocal ministry.

Grounding Exercises: 6
Sharing Exercises: 6
Practicing Exercises: 15
The Light, Seed, Christ Working In Us

Explore the experience of being led by the inner guide.

Grounding Exercises: 7
Sharing Exercises: 13
Practicing Exercises: 11
Friendly Practices

Explore the practices of Friends, including discernment, Meeting for Worship with attention to business, worship sharing, and more.

Grounding Exercises: 7
Sharing Exercises: 6
Practicing Exercises: 13
Becoming Patterns and Examples

"Be patterns, be examples," advised George Fox. This topic explores how Quakers put faith into practice. 

Grounding Exercises: 5
Sharing Exercises: 8
Practicing Exercises: 6
Living into Wholeness

Many of us know that the Beloved Community is “not yet,” because we see the trauma of white supremacy and colonialism playing itself out across the globe. But can we co-create and Live Into Wholeness together?

Grounding Exercises: 6
Sharing Exercises: 10
Practicing Exercises: 5
Aging, Death, and Dying

Growing old, even when that means facing physical or other changes, can help us focus on what is essential.

Grounding Exercises: 10
Sharing Exercises: 14
Practicing Exercises: 6