| George
Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends, wrote a journal of
his spiritual life in which he said he came to "know God
experimentally" through an Inward Light which is in every human
heart as it was in his. He believed that every person can know God
directly and can find and share truth and love from Him. Out of Fox’s
revelations have grown the practices which we follow today. They’re
described in the book Faith and Practice for the Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting of which our Monthly Meeting is a part. We regularly
examine ourselves through "queries" printed in Faith and
Practice, which also contains selected writings from three centuries
of Friends. Through prayer and meditation these words become part of our
religious background.
Quakerism offers a religion based on
experiencing a loving Inner Light which opens us to truth, freedom and
peace. We worship in stillness without ritual and have no outward
sacraments. We have found a number of practical principles for living
through our worship which are seen as testimonies to the presence of
Spirit throughout this world.
Attending a Friends Meeting is an
opportunity to sense the deep spiritual power of a Meeting for Worship
when there’s a gathering of those present into something greater than
themselves. You may already be in accord with the ways of simplicity,
honesty and the wholeness of integrity which Quakers pursue. We invite
all to join in developing a world of peace, social justice and equality
of all persons through efforts guided by non-violence and
reconciliation. You may be searching for something more vital in a
religious community which makes living your religion or a
"transformed life" more possible. We, too, search for more
depth in our spiritual lives, opening ourselves to our Creator and
striving to order our affairs by a guidance that’s beyond us and felt
within us.
We, as Friends, offer no theological
formula or creed. We strive to respect the integrity in personal
beliefs. Freedom is essential in the search for truth, and it’s in
living in accord with our truth that we find our discipline.
As an unprogrammed or silent meeting, we
represent a broad range of beliefs including Christian and non-Christian
words. The history of Friends is an important influence in
understanding our present. Each friend is different as is every meeting.
Various degrees of activism and spirituality among individual Friends
help to characterize each monthly meeting. You’ll find visiting more
than one meeting informative, even among Friends, and worth it even if
you choose to join one nearby.
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