Unity, Not Uniformity Wednesday, January 22, 2014 Many  teachers have made the central but oft-missed point that unity is not the same as uniformity. Unity, in fact, is the  reconciliation of differences, and those differences must be maintained—and yet  overcome! You must actually distinguish things and separate them before you can  spiritually unite them, usually at cost to yourself (Ephesians 2:14-16). If  only we had made that simple clarification, so many problems—and  overemphasized, separate identities—could have moved to a much higher level of  love and service. Paul already made this universal principle very clear  in several of his letters. For example, “There are a variety of gifts, but it is  always the same Spirit. There are all sorts of service to be done, but always  to the same Lord, working in all sorts of different ways in different people.  It is the same God working in all of them” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). In his  community at Ephesus, they were taught “There is one Lord, one faith, one  baptism, one God who is Father of all, over all, through all, and within all;  and each of us has been given our own share of grace” (Ephesians 4:5-7). Adapted from Oneing, “The […]

39. Consider which of the ways to happiness offered by society are truly fulfilling and which are potentially corrupting and destructive. Be discriminating when choosing means of entertainment and information. Resist the desire to acquire possessions or income through unethical investment, speculation or games of chance.

37. Are you honest and truthful in all you say and do? Do you maintain strict integrity in business transactions and in your dealings with individuals and organisations? Do you use money and information entrusted to you with discretion and responsibility? Taking oaths implies a double standard of truth; in choosing to affirm instead, be aware of the claim to integrity that you are making.

36. Do you uphold those who are acting under concern, even if their way is not yours? Can you lay aside your own wishes and prejudices while seeking with others to find God’s will for them?

Again trying to make the point that there is no such thing.  When there is no need to protect doctrine, then there is a freedom to listen, learn and engage in deeper ways. I repost this book review in this light… Quaker Pantheism Posted on June 8, 2010 by ecouke I have seldom encountered a book that reflects my worldview as clearly as Standing in the light: my life as a pantheist. The book is a sort of quirky spiritual autobiography.  In this review I will refer to the author by her first name, not because I know her, but because after reading this book, I feel as though I do. The book follows several different but interrelated threads:  On a personal level, she describes her experiences as an on and off and on again Quaker, her personal history living in both urban and rural New Mexico and elsewhere, and accounts of exploring and assisting with research (banding birds) in protected natural areas.   Interspersed with these personal stories and reflections she gives us a clear and insightful discussion of pantheism from the early Greeks to the present. Sharman traces the history of pantheism from pre-Socratic Greeks — Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Heraclitus, and […]