I've been trying to get caught up on my reading list. Here's some of the great stuff that's on my bookshelf: The Greatest Man in Cedar Hole by Stephanie Doyon A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly Star Trek New Frontier by Peter David We B*girlz by Martha Cooper and Nika Kramer More about each…
Category: The Spirit
Learning about “nontheist Quakers” this weekend at Powell House
I'm going on a somewhat last minute trip up to the Quaker retreat center Powell House in Old Chatham, NY. I've been wanting to head up to Powell House for the past few months. Danielle from Brooklyn Meeting offered to get a car and drive up, so I jumped at the opportunity. The occasion is…
Responsible, Sustainable Holiday Shopping in NYC
I just got home from hopefully the last round of shopping for holiday presents this year. Yes, we are in a recession. But the stores and holiday markets are still packed with people busy stimulating the economy, as Mayor Bloomberg keeps telling us to do. I will be the first to admit that I probably…
A Quaker Christmas Tree?
This afternoon I was surprised to see that there is a Christmas tree in the "coffee hour" area of the Brooklyn Quaker Meeting that I attend. Apparently Brooklyn Meeting even holds a "Christmas Tree Festival" for our young people where Santa Claus makes an appearance! I find this all vaguely disconcerting and un-Quakerly. Historically, Quakers…
“Muxlim” virtual world closed due to griefer attacks
I just tried to register and log-in to the new “Muxlim Pal” virtual world, recently launched in beta. The website explains that Muxlim Pal is “the first Muslim virtual world providing a new kind of family friendly social online environment for your entertainment.” It is built on top of the Muxlim social network which has…
Holding each other in the Light
One of my favorite Quaker practices is during Meeting for Worship when we allow time for people to share particular situations or people that they want the Meeting to "hold in the Light." At Brooklyn Meeting, this happens at the end of Meeting for Worship, when the person sitting "head of Meeting" welcomes anyone to…
Thomas Kelly on the spiritual discipline of saying “No”
This passage from the Quaker mystic Thomas Kelly's book A Testimony of Devotion really speaks to my condition: "The concern-oriented life is ordered and organized from within. And we learn to say No as well as Yes by attending to the guidance of an inner responsibility. Quaker simplicity needs to be expressed not merely in…
Tai Chi in Cuyler Gore park in Fort Greene (video)
I overslept and missed Quaker Meeting this morning. So I decided instead to do some tai chi chuan in Cuyler Gore park across from my apartment in Fort Greene. It was a brisk but sunny Fall morning, with the breeze whipping around the orange and yellow leaves. Lovely conditions for some tai chi. Here’s a…
Listen, Pray, Dance, Love
Today’s Meeting for Worship at Brooklyn Quaker Meeting felt so electric and powerful to me. There was a palpable energy in the room that had a dozen people leaping up and sharing vocal ministry that moved me greatly. I’m generally not one who likes a whole lot of vocal ministry, preferring a mostly silent Meeting…
“…. and scene”: wrap-up of World of Peacecraft hoax
And now a little wrap-up after the silly Quaker MMORPG hoax I perpetuated over the couple of days. For those I fooled and are miffed about it, my apologies. It was only meant in good fun, I assure you. My intent was simply to riff on the announcement earlier this week of a new virtual…