It is not opinion, or speculation, or notions of what is true, or assent to or the subscription of articles and propositions, though never so soundly worded, that … makes a man a true believer or true Christian. But it is a conformity of mind and practice to the will of God, in all holiness of conversation, according to the dictates of this Divine principle of Light and Life in the soul which denotes a person truly a child of God.
William Penn, 1692
FRIENDS BEGAN TO USE QUERIES to ascertain the state of Society only a few years after its founding in England. The first set of such questions to be asked of monthly meetings read as follows:
- Which Friends in service to the Society, in their respective regions, departed this life since the last Yearly Meeting?
- Which Friends, imprisoned on account of their testimony, died in prison since the last Yearly Meeting?
- How among Friends did Truth advance since last Yearly Meeting and how do they fare in relation to peace and unity?
By 1700 the practice of answering in writing had begun. The list of queries soon was enlarged to make inquiries concerning the conduct of meetings. In 1791 the first general advices were adopted. Periodic revisions occurred in various Yearly Meetings; queries and advices were developed on discipline, evangelical soundness, moral and spiritual instruction, social responsibility, and ministry. Thus the queries and advices represent a continuing exploration of our common faith and practice.
The advices and queries are a reminder of the basic faith and principles held to be essential to the life and witness of the Religious Society of Friends. Each of us is therefore asked to consider how far the advices and queries affect us personally, and where our service lies. We may be disheartened at times because the ideal of Christian discipleship seems impossibly demanding. However, we should all remember that we are to seek it, not with our own strength, but with the strength of the Guide whom we follow.
The advices and queries are intended for use in Monthly Meetings as well as for personal devotions. Their use varies in Meetings according to the needs of the members. Many Meetings read and consider one or several of the queries, with appropriate advices or other material, once a month during business meetings or in other meetings. Meeting committees may find certain queries helpful in evaluating their activities. Meetings often publish the queries regularly in their newsletters. They offer a basis for Monthly Meeting’s annual report on the state of the Society.
While the advices and queries are divided into categories for convenience of consideration, Friends are reminded that the sections are part of a whole, as life itself is a unity. All aspects of life are holy; distinct lines cannot be drawn between secular and religious.
Worship
The heart of the life of the Religious Society of Friends is the Meeting for Worship. It calls for us to offer ourselves, body, mind, and soul for the doing of God’s will.
Worship is the adoring response of the heart and mind to the influence of the Spirit of God. It stands neither in forms nor in the formal disuse of forms; it may be with or without words, but it must be in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We recognize the value of silence, not as an end, but as a means toward the attainment of the end, which is communication with God, and fellowship with one another.
In all our Meetings for Worship, we gather in a spirit of prayerful obedience to God, with a willingness to give as well as to receive. In speech or in silence, each person contributes to the Meeting. Worshiping God together, we strengthen one another, and our bodies and minds are refreshed in the Life of the Spirit. Our daily lives are linked with the Meeting for Worship, the Meeting for Worship with our daily lives.
Friends are encouraged to give adequate time for study, meditation and prayer, and other ways of preparing for worship, and to arrive at Meeting promptly with an open and expectant spirit. During the Meeting for Worship, some people may feel moved to speak, to share an insight, to pray, to praise. When we feel led to speak, we should do so, clearly and simply. When another speaks, we should listen with an open spirit, seeking the thought behind the words and holding the speaker in love. After a message has been given, Friends should have time to ponder its meaning and to search themselves before another speaks.
How do we prepare our hearts and minds for worship?
Do we meet in expectant waiting for the promptings of the Divine Spirit? Is there a living silence in which we are drawn together by the power of God in our midst? Is this inspiration carried over into our daily living?
Is the vocal ministry exercised under the leading of the Holy Spirit without prearrangement, and in the simplicity and sincerity of truth? As we listen, or as we speak, are we guided by the Inward Light and sensitive to one another’s needs? Are we careful not to speak at undue length or beyond our light?
Business Meeting
Friends’ way of conducting business is of central importance to the very existence of the Meeting. It is the Quaker way of living and working together; it is the way that can create and preserve a sense of fellowship in the Meeting community. The right conduct of Business Meetings, even in matters of routine, is a vital part of the worship experience. The process of individuals submitting themselves to the corporate revelation of God’s truth forms the basis of Friends’ approach to unity.
All members are encouraged to attend Business Meetings and be faithful in the service of the Meeting’s affairs. Appointments of officers and committee members should be made with careful consideration of the qualifications of those named and of the opportunities for growth that may be afforded. Friends should not accept any service to which they are nominated without an accompanying sense of leading and a capacity for the task, nor should they lightly refuse such service.
Proceed in the peaceable spirit of the light of Truth, with forbearance and warm affection for each other.
Be willing to wait upon God as long as may be necessary for the emergence of a decision which clearly recommends itself as the right one.
Feel free to express views, but refrain from pressing them unduly.
Guard against contentiousness, obstinacy and love of power. Admit the possibility of being in error.
In Meetings for Business, and in all duties connected with them, seek the leadings of the Light.
Are our Meetings for Business held in the spirit of a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions in love and mutual forbearance?
How well do our Meetings for Business lead to a corporate search for and revelation of God’s truth?
How effectively do members of the Meeting participate in the tempering and strengthening of the leading of individuals?
As difficult problems arise, are we careful to meet them in a spirit of love and humility with minds open for creative solutions? Do we avoid pressure of time, neither unnecessarily prolonging or unduly curtailing full discussion?
Are we aware that we speak through inaction as well as action?
Are we prepared to let go of our individual desires and let the Holy Spirit lead us to unity?
Do we recognize that the search for unity may require us to accept with good grace a decision of the Meeting with which we are not entirely in agreement?
In what ways do we each take our share of responsibility in the service of the Meeting?
Are younger Friends, new members, and attenders given appropriate responsibility in the Meeting?
Participation in the Life of the Meeting
The life of the Meeting depends upon varied gifts.
There are varieties of Gifts, but the same Spirit. There are varieties of service, but the same Lord. There are many forms of work, but all of them, in all men, are the work of the same God. In each of us the Spirit is manifested in one particular way, for some useful purpose. One man, through the Spirit, has the gift of wise speech, while another, by the power of the same Spirit, can put the deepest knowledge into words. Another, by the same Spirit, is granted faith; another, by the one Spirit, gifts of healing, and another miraculous powers; another has the gift of prophecy, and another the ability to distinguish true spirits from false; yet another has the gift of ecstatic utterance of different kinds, and another the ability to interpret it. But all these gifts are the work of one and the same Spirit, distributing them separately to each individual at will.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
The Meeting is enriched when all members and attenders participate actively. The working of the Holy Spirit in our lives is expressed through prophetic ministry, pastoral caring for each other, and the example provided by lives lived in the Light.
In the active life of the Meeting, an individual’s leadings are tempered and strengthened by the corporate spirit. All members have responsibility for participation in, and the financial support of, the Meeting.
Attenders are encouraged to become acquainted with Friends’ ways, and to apply for membership when it is evident that the Meeting has become their spiritual home.
When Meeting for Worship has a central place in one’s life, regular and punctual attendance follows. We hold in the Light those who are unable to attend by reason of infirmity, or imprisonment, distance, or other stresses in their lives.
Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting? How do we recognize the varied skills and spiritual gifts of our
members and attenders? How do we nurture their use and growth?
In what ways are we bringing together members and attenders, young and old, in love and community? Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?
How are strangers made to feel welcome in our midst? How do we encourage attenders to share in Meeting activities and responsibilities and to consider membership when they are ready?
Unity
Different ways of understanding the divine life may occur among us. These differences should not be ignored for the sake of a superficial agreement. They should be recognized and understood, so that a deeper and more vital unity can be reached. Convictions which might divide or disrupt a Meeting can, through God’s grace, help to make it creative and strong. Friends should keep faith and fellowship with each other, waiting in the Light for that unity which draws them together in the love and power of God.
When problems and conflicts arise, do we make timely endeavors to resolve them in a spirit of love and humility? How do we use our diversity for the spiritual growth of our Meeting?
Are we prepared to let go of our individual desires and let the Holy Spirit lead us to unity?
Mutual Care
Our need for love and care, and our response to this need in others, make up a rich part of our lives. In an exchange truly grounded in love, each of us is both giver and receiver, ready to help and accept help. Neither pride nor fear keeps us from the unconditional love and care of God manifested through others. Let neither comfort nor self-centeredness blind us to need of others.
We listen to one another with openness of heart and in good faith, aware that greater wisdom than our own is required to meet our human needs. We lift up our hearts to the Source of all wisdom and power.
Are we charitable with each other? How careful are we of the reputation of others? Do we avoid hurtful criticism and gossip?
Do we practice the art of listening to one another, even beyond words?
How well are we able to love each other unconditionally?
Are we sensitive to each other’s personal needs and difficulties and do we assist in useful ways?
Family
It is important to live in the sense of assurance that all are children of God. In the eyes of our children, in the loving expression among adults, in the concern we have for the well-being of all in the Meeting family, we feel God’s love at work on earth.
Ideally, family is an expression of deep emotional and spiritual unity. Whatever its composition, it is a precious and sometimes tenuous bonding of people, and may bring anguish as well as joy.
We usually think of family as including parents and children. But family may also include aging parents in increasing need of care, persons not related by blood who are intimately connected with one’s household, and persons joined together to satisfy a common need. Families also include single parents and their children, couples without children, and couples, heterosexual or homosexual, living in committed relationships. For those without families, including those made single after years of marriage or other life commitment, the Meeting may provide some sense of family. The Meeting may be a source of love and care for all those associated with it.
The Meeting can support, yet does not replace, the family in the care of children. At the same time, every member of Meeting is responsible in some measure for the care of families and their members, including children. Given this sense of common concern, our families may gain a sense of belonging and commitment to the expanded family of Quakers, and to our heritage.
Do we take care that commitments outside the home do not encroach upon the time and loving attention the family needs for its health and well-being?
Does our home life support our need both for a sense of personal identity and fully shared living?
How do we make our homes places of friendliness, peace, and renewal, where God is real for those who live there and those who visit?
Is there a climate of love and trust in our Meeting which invites and encourages everyone to be open about individual and family lifestyles, including their satisfactions and problems?
How does the Meeting support families of all kinds in their attempts to improve communication, family life, and the rearing of children in a context of love?
Do we accept and support Friends in their efforts to have stable, loving relationships, whether heterosexual or homosexual? Do we acknowledge and support all relationships based on love? How do we offer strength and support to the aging, the widowed, the separated or divorced, and others in families that have been affected by disruption of some kind?
How do we help the Meeting give a sense of spiritual kinship to those who participate in it?
Religious Education
The Bible and other religious literature are the rightful heritage of us all, and study and discussion in the family are a valuable source of religious training. Yet the written word has little meaning unless it leads to the expression of personal religious experience, which is the work of the Spirit behind the word. As individuals and families we must show our children and each other that our search for truth involves every aspect of life.
In what ways does our Meeting help to develop the spiritual lives of our children and of all of our members and attenders?
Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in Meeting?
How do we encourage our children to participate actively in Meeting?
How do we share our deepest beliefs with our children and with one another? What influences among us tend to develop our religious life?
Peace
Peace is the state in which we are in accord with God, the earth, others, and ourselves. We know that true, lasting peace among us can finally be attained only through unity in the life of the spirit. We work to create the conditions of peace, such as freedom, justice, cooperation, and the right sharing of the world’s resources.
As we work for peace in the world, we search out the seeds of war in ourselves and in our way of life. We refuse to join in actions which lead to destruction and death. We seek ways to cooperate to save life and strengthen the bonds of unity among all people.
Do we live in the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all war?
Do we refrain from taking part in war as inconsistent with the spirit of Christ?
What are we doing to remove the causes of war and to bring about the conditions of peace? Where there are hatred, division, and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?
How do we communicate to others an understanding of the basis of our peace testimony?
As we work for peace in the world, are we nourished by peace within ourselves?
Equality
People everywhere are children of God and members of one family. We value the worth of each person. We cannot be easy in our own lives when others suffer indignity, injustice, or want. In the Spirit of Christ, we are ready to put ourselves at one another’s side and share each other’s burdens. As we are true to the Divine within ourselves, we respond to the Divine in others.
Do we speak to and answer “that of God” in everyone?
In all our relations with others, are we sensitive to issues of equality, autonomy, and power? How do we challenge destructive patterns in these relationships when they arise? How do we encourage ourselves and others to consider people as individuals, rather than as stereotypes?
What are we doing about the injustices which are part of our social and economic life? How do we help those who suffer from discrimination?
Do we avoid being drawn into violent reactions against those who are destructive of human dignity? Do we reach out to the violator as well as the violated with courage and love?
Do we search diligently for ways of assuring the right of every individual to be loved, cared for, and educated appropriately, to obtain useful employment; and to live in dignity?
Witness
We are glad to tell in words as well as deeds the faith that is in us. We seek fellowship with others of our own faith and with all people, realizing the oneness of humanity under God. Our witness is characterized by humility and a willingness to learn from others so that differences can be transcended. In discussion, we must not allow the strength of our convictions to betray us into making misleading or contentious statements. The experiences of others, especially those in circumstances different from our own, help us to discover what is true for us and may help us sense real kinship. We are constantly reminded that Truth is greater than the knowledge any of us has of it. God did not put all the fruit on one branch.
How do our lives testify to our convictions as Friends? What are we doing to share our faith? How do we practice listening to the Truth which may be revealed by others?
What ways do we find to cooperate with persons and groups with whom we share beliefs and concerns? Do we reach out with love and respect to those with whom we disagree?
What are we doing to make the larger community aware of our Friends Meeting?
Civic Responsibility
We value the part we have in shaping the laws of our country. It is our task to see that these laws serve God’s purposes. Our aim is the building of a social order which works toward the kingdom of God. We affirm our unchanging conviction that our first allegiance is to God, and if this conflicts with any compulsion of the state, we serve our country best by remaining true to our higher loyalty.
If, by divine leading, our attention is focused on a law contrary to divine law, we must proceed with care. Before making a decision, we pray for further divine guidance; we consult with others who might be affected by our decision. When clearness on the decision has been reached, we act with conviction. If our decision involves disobedience to the law, we make the grounds of our action clear to all concerned. If there are penalties, we must suffer them without evasion. We care for those who suffer for conscience’s sake.
Are we conscientious in fulfilling obligations to the state and society while opposing those contrary to our understanding of the leadings of God?
What are we doing as individuals and as a Meeting to carry our share of responsibility for the government of our community, state, and nation, and for the development of needed international organizations? How are we working for changes in government when change is needed?
To what extent are we interested in the schools of our community and concerned to establish practices in them consistent with the values we cherish as Friends?
Do we share our convictions in a spirit of loving concern?
Stewardship
John Woolman’s simple statement in A Word of Remembrance and Caution to the Rich (1793) may serve as a beginning for all consideration of stewardship: “As Christians, all we possess is the gift of God, and in the distribution of it we act as his stewards; it becomes us therefore to act agreeably to that divine wisdom which he graciously gives to his servants.”
The principle of stewardship thus applies to all that we have and are, as individuals, as members of groups, and as inhabitants of the earth. As individuals, we are obliged to use our time, our various abilities, our strength, our money, our material possessions, and other resources in a spirit of love, aware that we hold these gifts in trust, and are responsible to use them in the Light. As Friends, and as members of other groups, we seek to apply the same spirit to the use and contribution of our corporate resources. As people, we are obliged to cherish the earth and to protect all its resources in a spirit of humble stewardship, committed to the right sharing of these resources among people everywhere.
“To turn all we possess into the channel of universal love becomes the business of our lives”--this, in the words of Woolman, is the meaning of Quaker stewardship.
Do we regard our time, talents, energy, money, material possessions, and other resources as gifts from God, to be held in trust and shared according to the Light we are given? How do we express this conviction?
What are we doing as individuals and as a Meeting to use and thereby perfect our gifts? How do we encourage others to use theirs?
How do we exercise our respect for the balance of nature? Are we careful to avoid poisoning the land, air, and sea and to use the world’s resources with care and consideration for future generations and with respect for all life?
In what other ways do we carry out our commitment to stewardship?
Simplicity
Quaker simplicity is one of the fruits of a primary commitment to the Spirit of God. Writing of simplicity, Thomas Kelly reminds us, “Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center-a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time.”
Friends are advised to strive for simplicity in the use of their earnings and property, and in their style of living, choosing that which is simple and useful. This does not mean that life is to be poor and bare, destitute of joy and beauty. All that promotes fullness of life and aids in service for God is to be accepted with thanksgiving. Each must determine by the light that is given what promotes and what hinders the compelling search for inner peace.
Do we center our lives in the awareness of the presence of God so that all things take their rightful place?
Do we keep our lives uncluttered with things and activities, and avoid commitments beyond our strength and light? Is the life of our Meeting so ordered that it helps us simplify our personal lives? Do we order our individual lives so as to nourish our spiritual growth?
Are we alert to the dangers and unfairness of gambling, and of games of chance?
Are our lives so filled by the Spirit that we are free of the need to indulge in the addictive use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, or excesses of any kind? Do we choose recreations which strengthen our physical, mental, and spiritual lives and avoid those which may prove harmful to ourselves and others?
Do we keep to a single standard of truth, so that we are free from the use of judicial and other oaths? Are we punctual in keeping promises, prompt in the payment of debts, and just and honorable in all our dealings? Do we keep to simplicity, moderation and honesty in our speech, our manner of living, and our daily work?