“Friends” are a group of Christians which arose out of 16th century England. With the advent of the printing press many began reading the Bible for the first time. George Fox was one such Seeker.
He seached the scriptures trying to make sense of what true faith in Christ meant…his experience with God brought about the Society of Friends. He testified that when all his hopes were gone and all his trust in the ministers of his day was shattered he “heard a voice which said, there is One, even Christ Jesus that can speak to thy condition…and my heart did leap for joy.”
He came to understand that outward forms do not make a Christian, but an inward spiritual change wrought by God Himself upon the human heart. He met with others who also was trying to understand the things of God. As they joined together in prayer and worship, they experienced God as an immediate Presence among them…which in their experience joined them back to those first people who were called “Christians” as they experienced the Living Presence in their midst.
Friends read in John’s gospel “up till now, I have called you servants, now I call you friends.” “You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you.” As early Friends called on others to “quake” in the fear of God…they were called “Quakers” in derision…but it soon was adopted as a “badge of honor” among “the people called Quakers”.
Friends believe that the scriptures are a living testimony to man’s search for God and God’s response to humanity. From Philidelphia Yearly Meeting…
“We do not, however, consider scriptures, whether Hebrew or Christian or those of other religious faiths, to be the final revelation of God’s nature and will. Rather, we believe in continuing revelation. This term emphasizes our ongoing communion with the Living God, our expanding sensitivity in our relationships with one another, and our growing knowledge of the universe.”
Considering the sacraments, also from PYM…
"The absence from Friends’ worship of the outward observance of the Lord’s Supper, water baptism, and other sacraments emphasizes the reality of inward experience. Friends are aware of the power of a true, inward baptism of the Holy Spirit; in meeting for worship at its best they know direct communion with God and fellowship with one another. These experiences make the outward rites seem unnecessary and, to some Friends, a hindrance to full attainment of the spiritual experiences which are symbolized.
While fully appreciative of the help that has come through the outward forms to many generations of Christians, Friends symbolize by their very lack of symbols the essentially inward nature of the sacraments. However, just as rituals and forms may become ends in themselves and thus diminished in spiritual power, so doctrinaire repudiation of form and ritual may become an end in itself, devoid of life.
Friends affirm the sacramental nature of the whole of life when it is under the leading of the Spirit. Any moment, any relationship, any object when so touched can serve as a sacrament. Insofar as we are faithful in our testimonies, our very lives may thus serve for others as the outward and visible evidence of inward and invisible communion."
Friends have been peace makers and no Friends group has ever denied the “Peace Testimony”…
“We utterly deny all outward wars and strife, and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretense whatsoever; this is our testimony to the whole world… The Spirit of Christ, by which we are guided, is not changeable, so as once to command us from a thing as evil, and again to move us unto it; and we certainly know, and testify to the world, that the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the Kingdom of Christ nor for the Kingdoms of this world… Therefore, we cannot learn war any more.”
Regarding the Light Within…
Also from PYM…"The Light Within is the fundamental and immediate experience for Friends. It is that which guides each of us in our everyday lives and brings us together as a community of faith. It is, most importantly, our direct and unmediated experience of the Divine.
Friends have used many different terms or phrases to designate the source and inner certainty of our faith—a faith which we have gained by direct experience. The Inward Light, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Spirit of Truth, the Divine Principle, the Christ Within, the Seed, and the Inner Light are examples of such phrases. George Fox refers in his Journal to “that Inward Light, Spirit, and Grace by which all might know their salvation” and to “that Divine Spirit which would lead them into all truth.” He wrote: “There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition” and encouraged Friends “to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one.” Many Friends interpret “that of God” as another designation for the Light Within.
For Friends, the Light Within is not the same as the conscience or moral faculty. The conscience is a human faculty, which is conditioned by education and the cultural environment; it is not, therefore, an infallible guide to moral practice. It should nevertheless be attended to, for it is one of the faculties through which the Light shines. Friends are encouraged to test the leadings of conscience by seeking clearness, through direct communion in the meeting for worship, and through the clearness process. Such testing enhances and clarifies insight so that the conscience may be purged of misconceptions and become more truly obedient to the Light Within. When conscience has been transformed by experiencing the Light, it gives more reliable direction "
I’ve been thinking about starting a thread about the Friends for a few days now. Maybe God is trying to tell me something.
