Quaker Spiritual Disciplines

The practice of Quakerism doesn’t just take place on Sunday morning. Many of us have spiritual disciplines that we carry throughout the week. Patricia McBee explores the Quaker disciplines that address this need.

Jon Watts

Jon Watts launched and directed the QuakerSpeak project for its first 6 seasons. Keep up to date with Jon’s work at his website.

11 thoughts on “Quaker Spiritual Disciplines

  1. I just started listening to these videos recently. I’ve been involved in meditation all of my life and recently found out that my 9th great grandfather was one of the first Quakers in the colonies. His name was Ambrose Dixon and held meeting with Friends in his home in Maryland. I thoroughly enjoyed the video of Quaker disciplines. It is pretty much what I have practiced all my life. Withdraw from the field of activity into That Silence and then plunge back into activity, bringing That Silence with me.

    1. Are you related to either
      1. Mason/Dixon surveyors

      2. Historian who lectured at NewArk DE senior center
      about 4 years ago ? He said he was no relation to that
      Dixon.
      No need to answer just like all these connections😃Newwark

  2. Thank you Patricia for this video. It really speaks. It would be great if you collect these thoughts into a book along the lines of “Quaker Spiritual Disciplines” – as it is one of the things that really sets us apart.
    Could you please give us more articles along these lines. Kind regards from Bandung Indonesia.

    1. A foundational text on Spiritual Disciplines is “The Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster, which grounded me when I first started attending Quaker Meeting:
      https://quakerbooks.org/search?q=celebration+of+discipline
      And there is a very useful book by a different Patricia in Pat McBee’s home Meeting:
      https://quakerbooks.org/collections/all-products/products/listening-spirituality-volune-1-3601

      both books are available on-line at those links to the Friends General Conference bookstore

  3. I have started the practice of Turning Within, taught by Kelvin Chin, Quaker meditative practice sounds very similar. Are there any scriptures that describe or instruct the meditative practice?

  4. this really demonstrates the simplicity of Quaker Practise and the power of that practise to guide and support us.

  5. I’d be very keen to see any writings Patricia has generated on this topic if they are available. Can anyone direct me to a source?

  6. In Chavakali Yearly Meeting at Ivona Monthly Meeting where i serve as a pastor of Ivona Village (local) church, across the week there are Quakermen felllwship every Friday afternoon, USFW fellowship every Friday morning and homecares fellowships every Tuesday in the afternoon. Here the discipline of prayer, discipline of the word and discipline of communion are evident prior to Sunday’s worship as a Sabbath. Thanks so much for this video.

  7. I have so enjoyed these moments with Friends and wish there were a meeting nearby. Being spiritual is what knowing God is all about and if we don’t know God then we are truly lost. Ritual is what people turn to when they do not know God, a kind of magical thinking that if I say the right things in the right order I’ be a right. When Jesus said “{I no longer call you servant for a servant knows not what his master does, but I call you friends for I have shown all things” We have an opportunity to be with God and that He is our friend what could be better Scottville than that.

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