Signs of Hope

I think I sometimes appear more pessimistic than I really am. Here are some of this week’s reasons for hope.

• Being in touch with Jorj & Sue and Barb and Tobi because of these writings (could the “Lost Generation”:http://www.nonviolence.org/martink/archives/000147.php be muddling towards a new coalesence?)

• A small flurry of recent talks and pamphlets about rediscovering traditional Quakerism: Marty Grundy’s 2002 lecture Quaker Treasure: Discovering The Basis For Unity Among Friends, Paul Lacey’s The Authority Of Our Meetings Is The Power Of God , and Lloyd Lee Wilson’s “Wrestling With Our Faith Tradition”:http://www.ncymc.org/journal/ncymcjournal3.pdf (PDF)

• Tony P. saying he was grieved that Julie has left the Society of Friends and caring enough to talk to her. Thank you.

• A flyer I saw this weekend, written by PYM Religious Education staff. It was a list of what they thought they should be doing and it was really pretty good (why don’t they’d print this in PYM News , it’s much better than their boilerplate entries this issue). Even more I hope the work does take a move in that direction.

• Thomas Hamm’s The Quakers in America, which just came in yesterday. It’s perhaps a little too introductory but we need a good introduction and Hamm’s the one to write it. His book on Orthodox Friends, Transformation of American Quakerism is amazingly well researched and essential reading for any involved Friend who wants to understand who we are. He’s working on a companion history on the Hicksites, which is very much needed.