Unprogrammed worship (meetings) can be largely quiet, with space for people to speak as The Spirit moves. There are no requirements for expensive clothing, with the room reflecting the simplicity of Quakerism. There is so much I love about Quakerism, both because it speaks to me spiritually, and also because of my own experiences with religion.

As an example, when I was an undergraduate studying religion, money was very tight. I could barely afford to pay for my semester books and do laundry, much less buy expensive clothing for religious meetings. Of course, a fair number of those who could afford such seemed willing to suggest that they were more devout, because they had the latest clothing. I knew in my heart that this approach was completely wrong. There is no relationship between your clothes and your spiritual experience.

Come in your most tattered clothing, with your heart open to The Spirit!

May all beings know peace!

Aroha nui,

Tūruapō

01 Aug 2025, 12.59 (GMT +13)

The Peaceable Kingdom

We are not of this world, but are redeemed out of it. Its ways, its customs, its worships, its weapons, we cannot follow. For we are come into the peaceable kingdom of Christ, where swords are beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks, and none shall hurt nor destroy. — George Fox, Epistle 203 (1659)