Spirit Rising Now Available

“I love my brother. I don’t agree with what he does. Yet, I cherish the wrestling that I do with him, with what he does and why. Because of it, I am held accountable to truly devote myself and take on real risk and investment in my own beliefs. He keeps me grounded in the truth of where we are, so I can more clearly see where we can be, and perhaps the most important fact – we can only get there together.”
– Stephen Willis Dotson, 25, Goose Creek Monthly Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting

These lines are just one paragraph from among the enormous riches and wisdom contained in Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices, a project of QUIP (Quakers Uniting in Publications) released last month from Quaker Press of FGC. These words exemplify the spiritual intention of the book: to put together in one volume the authentic voices of young Quakers from around the world, speaking boldly of their experiences with God, with the Quaker world, without withholding their perspective around what is often the hardest to discuss, the very real ways we differ.

Almost five years ago, there was a committee of four of us (including one member of the editorial board for Whispers of Faith, the predecessor to this book, without which this book would not have been possible) who considered the applications of young Quakers from around the world who wanted to serve on the editorial board for this book. The decision was difficult, but also blessed, as the individual applicants each offered such amazing gifts. Angelina Conti, the project coordinator, and I got up from the table and we agreed that through this project and process we would all be transformed.

I have had the privilege of walking with the ten members of the editorial board as they developed the call for submissions, solicited pieces sometimes at great bodily risk, met together last year to discern which pieces would end up in the book, and witnessed many difficult conversations, approached with great love, around their differences. They have held words heavy with meaning and dripping with contention in the space between and worked to try to see that word through one another’s eyes, and each time have held one another with great love and been able to walk to the other side, through and beyond the struggle to see each word whole, laden with the weight each gives to it.

A few months ago I told a Faith & Play story about the testimonies (now available here) to the First Day School class at my meeting. In the story the Spirit is represented by fire and one boy was troubled by that. He asked, “Why is the Spirit shown as fire?” I asked the children whether they had ideas. His sister, who is a bit of a mystic, said, “It’s because God or the Spirit wouldn’t be represented by a thing or a person, but by something that changes you.” I suggested that meeting for worship could be like sitting around and being warmed by the fire of the Spirit, being transformed by that fire. The boy liked that idea, said, “Yes, we sit around the fire in the winter as a family and that feels cozy to me.” Sometimes when people do cross denominational or interfaith work, they focus on what those in the room hold in common, but you don’t tend to go very deep if you aren’t willing to talk about your differences. I have witnessed the editorial board of Spirit Rising as they walked through the fires of the Spirit and been transformed. In that process they have put the body of Quakerdom, in its rich geographical and theological diversity, back together in this book. Read it, it will change you, too.

If you are intrigued by the process of the creation of this book, there’s an opportunity at this year’s FGC Gathering to engage in the project, share stories of your own spiritual journey, and use Spirit Rising as a doorway to hear one another. The workshop is led by two members of the editorial board, Angelina Conti and Harriet Hart. There’s still plenty of room. We will also be having a Gathering store event to celebrate the release of the book with a number of authors present. Come join us!

In Friendship, Lucy

Click here to read about Sarah Hoggatt and John Epur Lomuria's experience of working on the editorial board.

Click here to read of C. Wess Daniel's experiences on the editorial board.

Other Author Events at the FGC Gathering

As we usually do, we will have a full author event schedule at this year's FGC Gathering. Several authors have already confirmed. David Neelon, author of James Nayler: Revolutionary to Prophet will be present to tell fascinating stories of Nayler's life and offer a fascinating analysis of Nayler's significance to early Quakerism.

Phil Gulley, author of numerous books, and the recently released If the Church were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus will be making a plenary presentation, as well as speaking about his book as part of the Gathering Store events schedule.

Donna McDaniel and Vanessa Julye, co-authors of Fit for Freedom, not for Friendship: Quakers, African Americans and the Myth of Racial Justice will make a presentation on their book, as well as tell the story of what they've learned as they've traveled extensively in the past year speaking with Quakers and non-Quakers about their book.

Altogether there will likely be twelve author events, mostly of new publications including one or two CD releases. Check the final packet of materials when you register to find out who else will be presenting and what the final schedule will be.