Plainness & Simplicity

Robin M wonders about the effects of plainness in our children

What if we really gave up all quasi-religious holiday celebrations? What if we really ate onl. healthy diet? What if we got rid of our cars? Our cell phones? Our computers? What if we didn't allow our children to read books that include fantasy violence? What if we started reading the Bible aloud before school? What if we stopped saving money and gave all we have to the poor?martin_kelley 2009-04-16T18:35:10Z

Plain and Practical's story of going plain

What is the uniform o. friendly Quaker? Most communities that are Plain hav. fairly tight code, written and memorized, that gives every required measurement, from the thickness of the women?s hose (denier), to the width of the brim o. man?s wool hat. Plain Quakers do not have such rules. Our persuasion to be Plain comes to us individually, a. Leading, and our own intuition of what feels right, looks right, is all we need. have met sever

Infinite Daniel on beauty vs plainness

I don't think God is primarily interested in the plain--the drab, the lackluster, the outward. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus refers to the beauty of plants in the natural world, saying "Think of the flowers of growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; ye. assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these."martin_kelley 2009-01-16T01:09:14Z

NYYM (Hickiste) as Reported by The New York Times in 1893

This article is marred b. general tone of ridicule, but is notable for its detailed description of the ministry that occurred i. Meeting for worship, and for its observation on the changing fashions in Quaker clothing.Richquaker 2008-12-08T18:53:05Z

Reflections Cat on peace and dress

Peace slogans on bumper stickers and buttons and posters strike many as sentiments fit fo. greeting card... It seems to me that only by visibly and consistently placing myself outside modernism and liberalism and political sloganeering wil. be able to be the kind of visible beacon for peac. long to be.martin_kelley 2008-11-01T13:55:03Z

Robin M's Plain Workshop

How did traditional practices like plain dress or plain speech arise and how did they affect early Friends? What are the postmodern equivalents?chrismsf 2008-05-14T19:12:25Z

Ohio YM clerk Seth H on the history of Conservative Gatherings and this year's plain contingent

"An interesting aspect of the worship was the mixture of plain-dressed Friends and those who did not wear plain clothing.... In fact, the number of plain Friends present was probably the largest such gathering of plain Friends held in many decades."martin_kelley 2007-07-04T18:57:44Z

Robin M defines what plain means to her

Clothes, marriage, food, alcohol, speech and economicsmartin_kelley 2007-02-26T15:52:55Z

A "Friendly Brethren" looks at Anabaptist and Quaker plainness

"I consider myself one of many Friendly Brethren. I've notice. few people walking around ESR in what I'm pretty sure is traditional Quaker dress, which in some respects, is similar to plain Anabaptist garb. This has caused me to reflect on the Brethrenmartin_kelley 2006-09-06T23:25:03Z

Kody gives away his clothes

"Whe. tried to put o. striped, collared shirt this morning. go. stomache ache and began to tremble."martin_kelley 2006-05-12T12:49:50Z

Lynn of Noli Irritare Leones with another take on Plain dress

"As for me. can?t live without red. And selecting your palette from among some bright colors doesn?t seem particularly less simple than selecting your palette from among earth tones."martin_kelley 2006-01-25T15:47:28Z

Alice M on being visible as a Quaker

"I'm glad to be able to communicate with others who are showing outwardly that they are livin. dedicated religious life... need to keep my focus on God rather than trying to explain what is going on with my wardrobe to other people."martin_kelley 2006-01-25T15:44:04Z

Sarah on nudges toward plainness

"The why of my plain practice generally bothers me less than another question- 'what a. looking to get out of this?' because the answer to that question is much more complex."martin_kelley 2006-01-19T13:58:05Z

My Experiments with Plainness

The Quaker Ranter's early account of going plainmartin_kelley 2005-11-15T20:56:17Z

Plain Dress--Some Reflections

From Melyndamartin_kelley 2005-11-15T20:55:27Z

Plain Quaker Dressing at FGC

A mostly humorous account from the Quaker Ranter on plain dress at the North American liberal Quaker gatheringmartin_kelley 2005-11-15T20:55:13Z

Avoiding Plain Dress Designer Clothing

David cautions against fetishizing plain dressmartin_kelley 2005-11-15T20:54:17Z