LEYM ADVICES AND QUERIES: INTEGRITY
All you need say is
“Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from
the evil one. Matthew 5:37, Jerusalem Bible. There is no safe
dallying with the Truth. Isaac Penington, Letter 47, 1650.
How does Truth prosper in
our community? Do we strive to maintain the integrity of our inner and outer
lives in our spiritual journeys, our work, and our family responsibilities? Do
we seek the Truth and tell it with compassion?
Are we honest and truthful
in all that we say and do? Are we mindful in making promises and punctual in
keeping them? Do we maintain strict integrity in business transactions and in
our dealings with individuals and organizations? Do we use money and
information entrusted to us with discretion and responsibility?
Are we honest with
ourselves? What unpalatable truths might we be evading? Do we become unduly
discouraged when facing our shortcomings? Do we seek the assurance and strength
of Divine love through prayer and corporate worship?
Taking oaths implies a
double standard of truth; in choosing to affirm instead of swearing, are we
aware of the claim of integrity that we are making?
Our responsibilities to
God, our neighbors, and all of life may lead us to take unpopular stands; if
pressure is brought on us to lower our standard of integrity, are we prepared
to resist it? Do we act on our principles even when this entails difficult
consequences?
From Advices & Queries, for Use by Individual
Friends, Meetings, and Worship Groups (Lake
Erie Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends: Ann Arbor, 2012). Find
the whole document online at http://leymquaker.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/aq3f2.pdf,
or in printed form in the GRFMM library at the Browne Center.
January-February Greeters (subject to change)
o January 5: Walt Marston
o January 12: Rangers
o January 19: Robert Maluchnik
o January 26: Gerard and Judi
o February 2: Holadays
o February 9: Rangers
o February 16: Walt Marston
o February 23: Gerard and Judi
We always welcome new
greeters! If you feel led to share in this important contribution to the life
of the meeting, please let Mike Holaday know (616-975-4192,
mikeholaday@att.net).
On the Calendar
- January 15: Informational
meeting for those interested in joining a winter discussion group on Marshall Rosenberg's Non-Violent Communication: A Language for Life. Would you like
to handle difficult or negative situations and get positive results with
much less stress? Become more aware of others' underlying desires and
needs and coordinate them with your own? Become a more effective and
compassionate parent, sister, brother, spouse, friend and coworker? Find
out more on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014, from 7:00-7:45 p.m., at the
Institute for Global Education, 1118 Wealthy St. SE, GR, 49506, (phone
616-454-1642). Or contact Mary McLeod at mecmacleod@yahoo.com.
- January 16: Following Meeting for Worship there will be a
program/discussion focusing on an article by Thomas Jeavons that appeared
in the December 2013 Friends Journal
entitled “Sharing Our Faith with the Nones.” Judi Buchman has copies of
the article if you’d like to read it.
News and Notes
- Friend Judi Buchman
offers this spiritual reflection: A
short piece in the June/July 2013 issue of the Friends Journal, "Reclaiming Our Divine Birthright,"
by Patricia Barber, spoke to me. Patricia reads these words from John
Wilhelm Rowntree each day:
"Life
from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is
simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is
radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time, and makes our
life programs new and overcoming. We need not get frantic. (God) is at the
helm; And when our little day is done, we lie down quietly in peace, for all is
well."
“And it is!”
Patricia adds.
