Faithful Meetings

by Mary Linda McKinney You know the Bible verse in the first chapter of Luke when Elizabeth, pregnant with John, greets her cousin Mary? Elizabeth doesn’t seem to know yet that Mary is with child. The Common English Bible says this, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was […]

My January has been joyfully busy facilitating Faithful Meetings with Friends and I’m excited to be able to share some of what I did with you! On the first Saturday of the new year, I witnessed the closing Faithful Meetings retreat of Red Cedar Friends Meeting. I say “witnessed” because, although I am the facilitator

by Mary Linda McKinney   schoolofthespirit · Perfection by Mary Linda McKinney   This message was given to me in worship a couple of Sundays ago. I knew it wasn’t for me because I’m a slacker, not a perfectionist, but neither did I feel the prompting to stand and share the message during worship so

By Mary Linda McKinney schoolofthespirit · The Kingdom of God by Mary Linda McKinney   Note about language: Please read in tongues. In this essay, I use the term “Kingdom of God” because that is a phrase early Friends used. I prefer to think of it as “the commonwealth of God,” “God’s world,” or the

by Mary Linda McKinney schoolofthespirit · Spiritual Diversity by Mary Linda McKinney It may surprise you to learn that it doesn’t matter to me what you believe. Whether you believe in The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost or an indescribable Divine or in absolutely nothing that is not tangible and measurable in this material world

by Mary Linda McKinney Some of our Quaker ancestors held an expectation that they could be transformed by Spirit while in meeting for worship with Friends. Using my own understanding and language I would say they might be guided to wrestle with their egos and inner shadows while the Light searched them. They were sometimes

By Mary Linda McKinney schoolofthespirit · Faithful? Meetings by Mary Linda McKinney   I introduced spiritual formation to a new community that is participating in Faithful Meetings last week. As I explained the why and what and how of spiritual formation, a Friend raised their hand and asked, “Will this help us become a faithful

by Mary Linda McKinney   schoolofthespirit · Faithful Meetings has Launched! by Mary Linda McKinney   I write with joy, gladness, and gratitude to share with you about the first Faithful Meetings opening retreat. Forty Red Cedar Friends participated. It was a loving, tender time with a community that cares deeply about all of its

by Mary Linda McKinney New! You can listen to this blog post on SoundCloud.   schoolofthespirit · Way Opening by Mary Linda McKinney   Although I’ve been a fan of the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa since seeing “Dreams” as a young adult, I’d never watched his 1952 film “Ikiru” until last night. I could go

by Mary Linda McKinney   schoolofthespirit · Friendly Bumpers by Mary Linda McKinney   My spouse, Mark Wutka, became a member of Nashville Friends Meeting when he moved here from Atlanta to be with me in 2011. We’d met years earlier when we were both chaperones in our yearly meeting’s teen program, Southern Appalachian Young