Peggy Senger Parsons and Marge Abbott

Changing the World by Being a Changed People. Target Audience: Young Friends, Convergent Friends, Quaker Bloggers, People who live with fear, People who admire primitive Quakerism, People who are frustrated with Quakerism, People who want a spiritual basis for their activism and people who want a more active expression for their spirituality.

This weekend will explore the spiritual qualities that once caused Quakers to be thrown in prison and legislated against as a danger to the realm. This “danger” grew out of the power of their worship and their faithfulness to the Light of Christ within. These set them apart from their neighbors and meant they were not cowed by threats or dangers to themselves or their property. Transformation, deep self-knowledge, a fearless faith, and a life lived out of a place of love and grace have all been visible in Friends’ demeanor at various points in our history. Are they alive and relevant features of your faith? What does this look and feel like in your experience? What other features might be crucial today? How might we support one another and be patterns in the world?

What does it mean to be “dangerous”?

* To be transformed.
* To care more about the Still, Small Voice than the neighbors.
* To act out of our faith, not our fears
* To enjoy paradox.
* To be able to use the power of anger without getting angry.
* To listen with an open heart.

Peggy Senger Parsons
Peggy Senger Parsons is the pastor of Freedom Friends Church in Salem (OR). She is a Quaker minister who preaches and teaches nationally and internationally. Peggy is a licensed professional counselor with a specialty in trauma healing and a certified spiritual director. She writes regularly on topics of spirituality. She received the Northwest Yearly Meeting 2001 Award for Excellence in Peace and Social Justice.

Marge Abbott
Marge Abbott has been “released” by Multnomah Meeting, a liberal, unprogrammed meeting in Oregon, for a ministry of teaching and writing about Quaker theology and practice, often asking “What is being a Friend all about?” in the context of Friends worldwide. Marge and Peggy co-edited Walk Worthy of Your Calling: Quakers and the traveling ministry. Marge’s book reflecting on her own spiritual journey, “On Being Broken and Tender,” is scheduled for release by FGC Press in 2009.

$285/shared room; $360/private room; $200/commuter

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