Read by W. Norman Cooper from his book Seize the Day 01-08

Theodore Roosevelt used to talk about speaking softly and carrying a big stick. I prefer the truth in an ancient Chinese proverb which says: "If you talk with a soft voice you do not need a thick stick."

The warring man or nation, symbolized by the man or nation with a big stick, does not lack antagonists. One can be sure that if there is one big stick, other big sticks will soon appear. But the soft word does not challenge another to fight.

When William Penn established Pennsylvania his Quaker beliefs would not permit him to even contemplate the necessity of warfare with the Indians; and there were no wars between his followers and the Indians. His soft words brought soft words. Blessed is the peacemaker. Blessed is he who uses the soft word.

Read and written by Stephen Travis Pope

In his book "Encounter with Silence: Reflections From the Quaker Tradition," John Punshon writes the following: "It was the Testimonies that first attracted me to Quakerism. These say that, in all circumstances, no matter how trying, we are under a religious obligation to speak and live truthfully, peaceably, and simply. I have also become convinced that within the Society of Friends, the silent meeting for worship is the best guarantee that the strength to live up to the Testimonies will continue to be available."

Among Friends, there are many different interpretations of how the meeting for worship gives us strength--strength to live according to our higher plans, strength to be active in our communities. A meeting can be a place for active prayer; among the members of our reading and discussion group, prayer of thanksgiving was a common theme. For some, this comes automatically as soon as they calm their "chattering minds"; for others, it is a more conscious act, a part of a centering process. Many friends practice one form or another of visualization in meeting--either for the purpose of calming and centering, or of putting one's mind in a specific state of opening to the light.

In the end, a common thread appears in that Friends often relate to the presence in a Meeting that is more than the individual presence of the attenders. One can find many analogies for this "light" within our worship: the presence of angels or spirits, of Christ, or simply the congregation of souls who are open and peaceful and willing to be lead, to be available to the leadings of the spirit. Surely that leading is all around us all the time, it is only rarely, though, that we can hear it clearly.

Read by Martha Churchyard

My dear Friends, be not carried away by good words and fair speeches, but everyone have hold of the Truth in yourselves by which you may be stayed upon Christ, your bread of life, the staff of your heavenly and eternal life.

Now Friends, who have denied the world's songs and singing, sing you in the Spirit and with grace, making melody in your hearts to the Lord. You that have denied the world's formal praying, pray always in the Spirit.

You that have denied the world's giving thanks and their saying of grace and living out of it, do you in everything give thanks to the Lord through Jesus Christ.

And you that have denied the world's praising God with their lips, while their hearts are far off, do you always praise the Lord night and day.

And you that have denied the world's fastings, keep the fast of the Lord that breaks the bond of iniquity and lets the oppressed go free, that your health may grow and your Light shine as the morning. --Letters of George Fox 167

Read by W. Norman Cooper from his book, SEIZE THE DAY 01-05

Genuine, God-given freedom is living at peace in God's universe so that we may be of service to others in need. It is living in a universal, divine relationship with all that God has created. When you extend to others their God-given freedom, you are free. There is no other way of gaining freedom for yourself but by giving others their freedom.

The reverse is also true. You are in bondage when you deny freedom to any other creature in God's universe. This does not mean that when you recognize your oneness with God that you are denied individuality or diversity. But as you recognize your oneness you will find that your individuality and diversity are enhanced. This is true because God expresses His freedom through you as individuality and diversity.

Why not live your God-given freedom today and let others be free also?

Read by W. Norman Cooper from is book, Seize the Day 01-07

in his Table Talk, Martin Luther wrote: "War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity. It destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it."

These words of the great Reformationist were written in the 16th century. They were true then. They are even more true today. With the advance of technological means of carrying on warfare today, it is even more true that "any scourge is preferable to [war]."

A nation may gain temporarily from war. It may even gain what in ignorance is called a victory. But true victory is the victory of divine Love operating in and as the thoughts and lives of men. True victory is gained by the peacemakers--not the war makers.

Let us be the blessed peacemakers.

Read by Martha Churchyard from Letters of George Fox 227

Dear Friends, who suffer for your testimony and to all the rest in your county, I am glad to hear of your faithfulness and of your standing for the Church which Christ is the head of, which is in God, and [you] are become his living members. And therefore wherever you are, in prison, or out of prison, where two or three are gathered together in his name, there is a Church, and Christ the living Head in the midst of them: a prophet, to open to his Church the things of his Kingdom; and a bishop, to oversee his living members, that they be preserved in his Light, Grace, Truth, Spirit and Gospel; and he is a shepherd, to feed with heavenly food; and a priest, who has offered himself up a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, who cleanses, washes and purifies his Church. And therefore feel and see Christ exercising his offices, and ruling in your hearts. [Letter 368]

Sing and rejoice you children of the Day and of the Light. For the Lord is at work in this thick night of darkness that may be felt. Truth does flourish as the rose, the lilies do grow among the thorns, the plants atop of the hills, and upon them the lambs do skip and play.

Never heed the tempest nor the storms, floods or rains, for the Seed, Christ, is over all and does reign.

And so, be of good faith and valiant for the Truth. For the Truth can live in the jails. Fear not the loss of the fleece, for it will grow again. And follow the Lamb, if it be under the beast's horns or under the beast's heels, for the Lamb shall have the victory over them all.

Read by Stephen Travis Pope

When a War Begins, the Peace Witness Does not End

The following is taken largely from an article called "When War Begins, the Peace Witness Does not End" by peace activist and Friend Chuck Fager.

What do the crises in the Middle East mean for Quakers? Consider here an analogy: most fire departments work hard at fire prevention, and an actual building fire means a setback for this goal. Yet the blaze does not put the firefighters out of action. To the contrary, they redouble their efforts, take risks, and absorb casualties, all in a struggle to contain the fire, roll it back and ultimately put it out. Once this is done, they catch their breath and return to their prevention campaign.

Friends are in a parallel situation. The outbreak of war surely marks a setback for activities of marching, vigiling, and writing to head it off. But it does not spell defeat, and much less a reason for withdrawal into disappointment, indifference or escape. There is still much To Do. And even more, there is still much To Be. Here I'll pass by what To Do; there are many possibilities and opportunities for action, and they are widely advertised. Rather, let me focus briefly on what, for Quakers, there is To Be.

At bottom it is straightforward and simple, so much so that it can be easily overlooked: It is, in George Fox's phrase, to "keep to our meetings," that is, to maintain and deepen our life as a worshiping community. This cultivation of a deep center will not only help sustain us as individuals in a dark time (which it will). It also, and perhaps more importantly, has a public aspect: it can maintain our meeting as a place of refuge from the spirit of war.

We know that, in the last six months, our meetings were at times filled up with pilgrims. They were seeking a similar respite from the war-spirit, and somehow figured that among Friends they would find it; and they were not mistaken. By "simply" being who we were, the meeting sustained a public witness, ministering to many who did not know where else to turn. From a worldly perspective, the meetings do not "accomplish" much. Our public protests are largely ignored or ridiculed. Yet we did achieve something, which I am convinced is more lasting than many a noisy protest: the meeting's presence and character helped sustain the hope of many. By the time the tide of that war receded, I was convinced this was one of our most important tasks during wartime: the task of being, rather than, or better yet, undergirding all our doing. As we continue to rush about doing all that we can to stem the tide of yet another war, let us not forget that much of our most potent peace witness will grow out of our being, as a worshiping community, rather than our doing.

W. Norman Cooper reads from Faith and Practice of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

A life centered in God will be characterized by integrity, sincerity, and simplicity. Simplicity is best approached through a right ordering of priorities. Simplicity consists not in the use of particular forms but in avoiding self-indulgence, in maintaining humility of spirit, and in keeping the material surroundings of our lives directly serviceable to necessary ends. This does not mean that life need be poor or bare, or destitute of joy and beauty.

Read and written by W. Norman Cooper, Seize The Day, p 26

All genuine religion teaches that love--and love alone--is the fulfilling of the law; and selfless love which finds its source in divine Love is the pathway to true and lasting happiness.

We must learn that love must be and is selfless. One finds happiness only when he has so much faith in his own God-given worth that he loves selflessly. One finds no lasting happiness when he seeks selfishly to be loved. Love is giving--giving even to one's enemies. It is giving love because it is the blessed privilege and duty of each of us to love.

It may seem too idealistic to believe that the love which seeks to give--rather than to receive--is the great power which brings one into contact with Divinity. But if it is idealism, it is practical idealism. It is the practical idealism which was expressed by a Florence Nightingale or an Albert Schweitzer. Love is the practical idealism which each of us should strive to express in daily thought and life.

Read by W. Norman Cooper from his book, Seize the Day, p 262

Through whom does God carry on His holy work? He carries on His holy work through you. Yes, God carries on His holy work through you because you are God's chosen vessel through which He shares His love, His compassion and His comfort with others, even with our enemies.

Every moment, the loving work of God can be carried on through you. Today, let someone feel the presence of God operating through you on His behalf. Listen for the divine Voice within and act upon it.

In the Bible it is recorded that the young child Samuel listened to the divine Voice within him. Then he said: "Here am I Lord." Yes, each of us can listen as did this young child and then say: "Here am I Lord," use me to show forth Thy love. "Here am I Lord," to be your humble and loving servant. "Here am I Lord" to be your chosen vessel, to share your love, compassion and comfort with others.

Read by Martha Churchyard

He is the living God, that clothes the earth with grass and herbs, causes the trees to grow and bring forth food for you, and makes the fishes of the sea to breathe and live. He makes the fowls of the air to breed and causes the buck and the doe, the creatures, and all the beasts to bring forth whereby they may be food for you. He is the living God, that causes the sun to give warmth to you, to nourish you when you are cold. He is the living God, that causes the snow and frost to melt and causes the rain to water the plants. He is the living God, that made heaven and earth, the clouds, causes the springs to break out of the rocks, and divided the great sea from the earth. He divides the light from the darkness, by which it is called day and the darkness night, and divided the great waters from the earth, gathered them together, which great waters he called sea and the dry land earth. He is to be worshiped that does this. He is the living God that gives you breath, life, and strength and gives you beasts and cattle whereby you may be fed and clothed. He is the living God, and he is to be worshiped.

This is the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose hand is the breath of all mankind. --Letters of George Fox 292

read and written by W. Norman Cooper from Seize the Day p 254

Everyone wishes to live a calm and unhurried life. Where then is calmness to be found? Certainly not in the avoidance of the facing up to a problem. Such a pseudo-calmness is the absence of genuine calmness and is no calmness at all.

Genuine calmness can be found right in the midst of a problem. It is found by facing up to the problem. There is no real calmness in the emptiness of a Life which attempts fruitlessly to avoid a problem, but there is great and lasting calmness in the mental activity which faces up to the problem.

Lasting calmness is calmness right in the center of a problem. Even in the eye of a cyclone there can be great calmness. Only when we fail to go to the center of a problem do we fail to find our calmness. But a problem once faced up to through an awareness of one's oneness with divine Love becomes a means of finding and expressing lasting, God-given calmness and our ability to help others, even our enemies.

Stephen Travis Pope reads Rufus Jones

In the Bible, Jesus never promised that the door to the things we most desire is an open door. The policy of the open door is not in the Gospels. Christ brought, rather, the challenge of the closed door. He said, "Knock, and the door will open." It isn't open to begin with. None of the things we want most are within easy reach. None of them are waiting for us through open doors. We must not only knock, but often besiege the door and endure a long wait before it opens for us. One of the first laws of life is this: you must seek, you must want and then you must eagerly and patiently knock.

It seems strange that the things we want most are not furnished ready-made. If God is good and loving, why didn't He meet our deepest wants with open doors to them? The world might have been made so that all that you would need to do would be to go through an open door, and what you want would be there waiting for you.

The apocalypses all take the easy line of expectation. Everything is done for us without any effort on our part. In the Revelation, the Apocalypse says "behold, I set before you an open door," but the true blessing is in the slow, hard way of spiritual progress. The beatitudes emphasize the blessedness of wanting, not of easy attainment. The main trouble with the biblical scribes and Pharisees is that they didn't have any remaining wants!

read and written by W. Norman Cooper, from "Seize the Day" p 227

Words used in religion can be helpful in your search for God because religious truth can hint at the nature of God. But even religion cannot tell you what God is. God is the interpreter of His own nature.

Only as you look beyond the human mind and intelligence do you become aware of the nature of Him whom the physical eyes cannot see, the physical ears cannot hear and the human mind cannot possibly comprehend.

How true it is that "no man hath seen God at any time." Only when you see through the eyes of spiritual inspiration do you discern God. You must go directly to Him; you need no intermediary. Actually, He is seeking you to express Him. All you need to do is respond to God's seeking of you. If you do, you will find that you are--and ever have been--one with this divine Source.

Read by Martha Churchyard from the Letters of George Fox 380

And now dear Friends, in all your words, in all your business and employments, have a care of breaking your words and promises to any people. Consider beforehand, that you may be able to perform and fulfill both your words and promises to people, that our Yea be Yea and Nay, Nay in all things, which Christ has set up instead of an oath.

Therefore all are to consider afore-hand, before they speak their Yea, Yea, what they are able to perform. It will preserve you out of all rash, hasty words and promises, for such kind of inconsiderate and rash speaking is not in the everlasting covenant of light, life, and grace.

Christ says, "If you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust you the true riches?" (Luke 16:11). Therefore there must be a justness and faithfulness in the outward riches between individuals if you will have a place in your hearts for the true heavenly riches. The inward faithfulness to God brings forth faithfulness to people in outward things.

Read by: W. Norman Cooper From his book, "Sieze the Day" p 216

Have you discovered the grandeur of stillness? In this world of discordant sounds, how refreshing is a period of stillness. I often think that the test of a long and satisfying friendship is not so much the ability to carry on a satisfying conversation, as it is the feeling of comfort you have with another during a period of stillness.

The Bible instruction is to: "Be still and know that I am God." First, the instruction is that you must be still if (second) you are to know and feel the divine Power within you.

The novelist Herman Hesse says it so well when he puts these words into the mouth of one of his characters: "We talk too much. Clever talk is absolutely worthless. All you do in the process is lose yourself."

Why not resolve to find some time today to be still--so still that in this stillness you will find your true and genuine Self; thereby, you will be enabled to be of loving and selfless service to others.

read by Stephen Travis Pope

The following is based on a note written in 1933 by Rufus Jones.

In Psalm 1 there is the phrase "He shall be like a tree planted by brooks of water." This is saying that a certain kind of man is like a certain kind of tree; they are alike in the point that they both grow. Did you ever stop to think how much is written about growth? Consider the lilies how they grow. They toil not, they spin not. They just let the forces of life operate. They never know how it happens; they simply find themselves beautiful.

We puff and wheeze; we struggle and discuss; we have endless committee meetings. But Jesus said that where two or three meet in his name, he is there in their midst and then they grow like the lily or the tree by the brook. It isn't effort; it isn't struggle that makes us grow; it is life. It is contact with the forces of life that does it. Growth is silent, gentle, unnoticed, but you can't have growth until you have the miracle of life--soil, sun, water, and air.

It is the same with spiritual growth. It begins with life from God, and it grows through light and truth and love, which have their source in the spirit. A good many people expect the Kingdom of Heaven to come by a sudden relief expedition from the sky, but Jesus said it would come like growth of a tiny seed. It is like a mustard seed or yeast. You start with a tiny germ of life, and the growth is sure to follow--first the blade, then the stalk, then the ear, and finally the full corn in the ear. It grows while the farmer sleeps; he knows not how. It is a mystery, but not a miracle. When it comes to the Kingdom, we people are the soil, we are God's farm. God will come like rain on the mown grass; he will come as dew.

from Sieze the Day by W. Norman Cooper

There is a saying that "talk is cheap." But actually unnecessary talk is very costly. To talk when we should be silent often costs us the loss of friendship, peace of mind and even love.

I am told that the Jewish Talmud contains this statement: "He who talks too much commits a sin." To talk when we should be silent--or to be silent when we should talk--causes us to dishonor God. When we gossip about another's faults, we dishonor him, ourselves, and our God.

Let us find within ourselves the quietness and the stillness which will enable us to be silent when we should be silent or to speak words of cheer, comfort and love when we should speak. So, have a day in which you hear God's voice and humbly speak His word.

Read by Martha Churchyard

So, this is the word of the Lord God to you all. Do rightly, whether you be tradesmen, of what calling or profession or sort so ever, or husbandmen. Do rightly, justly, truly, holily, equally to all people in all things; and that is according to that of God in everyone, and the witness of God, and the wisdom of God, and the life of God in yourselves.

Whatever our calling, live in the power of Truth and wisdom of God to answer that just principle of God in all people upon the earth. So, let your lives preach, let your light shine, that your works may be seen, that your Father may be glorified. This has the praise of God, and they who do so come to answer that which God requires, to love mercy do justly, and to walk humbly with God.

So everyone strive to be rich in the Life, and the things of the Kingdom that has no end; for the person that covets to be rich in the things of this world falls into many snares and hurtful lusts. Therefore, let the one that buys, or sells, or possesses, or uses this world be as if he did not. Let them be masters over the world in the power and Spirit of God, and let them know that they owe no one anything but love; yet serve God in Truth, and one another in their generation. --Letters of George Fox 200

from Sieze the Day p 203 by W. Norman Cooper read by Val Schorre Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is within. The kingdom is within and must be found there; and this kingdom is found through your God-given, intuitive Awareness. This kingdom can be gained only in the present acceptance, through faith, of all that is of true value for your individual identity. The kingdom can never be gained by needlessly looking back, because it is gained only by accepting all that is of true value of the past as your present experience.

To spend time worrying about--or unduly thinking about--the past, shuts you out from the kingdom. Jesus said: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Once you have set your hand to the plough--once you have begun to search for and find that which is of true value--you need no longer dwell on the past or look back to the past. The kingdom of God is the Now experience and must be accepted and shared as the Now experience.