Thursday, April 19, 2007

quaker blog carnival!

Today Quaker bloggers all over the blogosphere are uniting to send a shout-out to QuakerQuaker.org, which is a great resource for connecting all of us Quaker bloggers with each other and with interested readers. Martin Kelley runs it and does an excellent job! As a tribute we're invited to say what QuakerQuaker has meant to us, which is funny, because I just wrote a post about that a couple weeks ago on our meeting's website, www.northvalleyfriends.org, to let people know about this resource so they can joing the "Quaker conversation."

Just tonight I was leading a small group on early Friends, and we were talking about how we are feeling called to act in radical ways similar to those the early Friends did, and how important it is to have a community to act with. Someone else brought up that they appreciated finding out from my blog entry on the meeting's website about QuakerQuaker, so the movement is growing!!!

To expand on what I already wrote on the other blog, I really appreciate QuakerQuaker because it helps us to see that we're not alone in our questions for the Society of Friends, as well as our passion for our shared history and our desire to follow the Spirit into the future as we are led. If it wasn't for QuakerQuaker I don't know if I ever would have found any other Quaker blogs. It's so cool to be able to go to one site and see a list of Quaker blogs, and not only that but to see which entries are most interesting that day! It's very helpful, because I don't have time to read everyone's blogs (unfortunately).

I'm so encouraged by the conversation and the true community that we've formed. I feel like perhaps I'm not a very good part of that community because although I read lots of posts I don't always have time to respond to others' posts (or even to comments on my posts...), but still, I gain so much joy and encouragement through reading what other Quakers are thinking.

Thanks, Martin, for thinking of this and working to make it happen! It's a great gift to us all, and a definite ministry.

3 comments:

Martin Kelley said...

What, you think I don't have a fat-enough head already? How's that old Quaker line go: "Friend, thy gave mighty fine ministry today." "Yes, the tempter told me that as I sat down."

But who am I kidding? It's great to hear such positive feedback! It's not been the easiest six months since I lost my job. QuakerQuaker is really just a water cooler for folks to assemble around and I'm as nourished and challenged by it as everyone else! Thanks for the kind words.

Oh no, I'm only now seeing this is an organized thing. Oh boy! I'm in for it now...

Anonymous said...

It seems that lately a number of us are noticing that the Lord is moving among us to connect us more closely to one another.

As I follow this leading, I see, like Elijah, I'm not the only one who knows something powerful is going on, and my YM (Ohio Yearly Meeting) is not the only group of Friends who know with certainty it is time for serious listening to and following the Lord. It is going to take a number of us into unfamiliar, but not necessarily uncharted territory.

I am grateful for the faithfulness and support of blogging Friends, and those who keep quakerquaker going. It has helped me feel less isolated during my extended sojourn away from my home meeting.

Thanks, Cherice, for inviting the celebration!

Chris M. said...

Yes, it's an organized thing: The QuakerQuaker Blog Carnival page is now online at
Chris M.'s blog.

Friends, if you'd like to participate email me with a link to your blog or the specific post: chrismsf [at] earthlink.net. Posts can be kept together there for the record.

-- Chris M.