The Wider Quaker Fellowship

1506 Race Street · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 · 215.241.7293
wqf@fwccamericas.org · www.widerquakerfellowship.org

November 2009

Dear Friends and Fellows,

I give thanks for this gorgeous sun-filled day, and for the gold, green and reds of the Pennsylvania countryside through which the train is passing as I write.  I feel thankful, too, for all of you who care about the Wider Quaker Fellowship.

The two offerings now available online address some conditions of the world of business.  I worked for business for only a few months in 1968, in the office of a small construction company that installed laundromats for future owners who had contracted for them.  (This was in the Chicago area.)   I heard references to the routine bribing of building inspectors, and my boss once remarked that when stopped for speeding on the way to an appointment, he had “tried to buy a cop, and couldn’t do it.”  You can imagine my internal reaction.

These articles, therefore, really spoke to me.  Here are examples of Friends who saw working in business (looked upon with disfavor by a good many Friends) as an area where they could strive to do the right thing, uphold principles, and learn.  I believe God blesses such efforts.

Richard Holden and Katherine Coon have set forth real-life examples of challenges faced and choices made in  “Bringing Business into the Light”, and “Workplace as Spiritual Classroom,” the one  originally appearing in the Earlhamite, and the other in  “What Canst Thou Say?”

As you know, FWCC, like so many organizations, is pressed by the current state of the economy, and we are thankful for donations to help meet the expenses of this ministry.  We also welcome your comments, via e-mail (wqf@fwccamericas.org) or postal mail.

Below this letter are some queries about the texts, which can be used for reflection or study, individually or with others.

In the Light,

Judith Inskeep, clerk
Wider Quaker Fellowship Committee

 

Here are some queries that could be used for discussion in an adult study group or other forum, or informally with a few friends.

What spiritual lessons have I learned in my workplace?

How does my workplace identity reflect my values?

Did my spiritual values affect my choice of employment?

What is my attitude toward profits?

Have I ever compromised my values in my work?

Am I a peacemaker in my workplace?

 

A B O U T  T H E   W I D E R   Q U A K E R   F E L L O W S H I P

The Wider Quaker Fellowship is a program of Friends World Committee for
Consultation Section of the Americas. Through our mailings we seek to lift up voices
of Friends of different countries, languages, cultures and Quaker traditions, and
invite all to enter into spiritual community with Friends. The Fellowship was founded
in 1936 by Rufus M. Jones, a North American Quaker teacher, activist and mystic, as
a way for like-minded people who were interested in Quaker beliefs and practices
to stay in contact with the Religious Society of Friends, while maintaining their own
religious affiliation, if any. Today, WQF Fellows live in over 90 countries, and include
non-Friends, inquirers, Quakers living in isolated circumstances and active members
and attenders of Friends meetings and churches. Wider Quaker Fellowship depends
on the financial support of its readers to provide this service.

 

The Wider Quaker Fellowship
Friends Center, 1506 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 USA
tel: 215. 241. 7250, email: wqf@fwccamericas.org