So all people are radically equal as children of God because each has that light of God within them, that access to truth. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Through the simplicity testimony, Friends encourage one another to look beyond the outward and to the inward. Quaker testimonies are expressions of the commitment to put those beliefs into practice. Quakers or Friends Max Carter: The SPICES as an acronym represent, in their different interpretations but the standard are: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. A part of our Quaker approach to education at Wichita Friends School includes exploring these SPICES throughout our school year. B… The greatest gift which we have all been given is Love. Quakers believe that God wants us to live as good people. Middle. We speak truth to power and to each other, even when it is difficult and our message may be unpopular. Ben Pink Dandelion: There’s the danger that we both separate different aspects of our testimony from itself, but also that they become kind of optional add-ons or, you know, I can say I’m really into peace but I struggle with simplicity or I’m really into simplicity but I struggle with peace, and so we’re in danger I think of losing that connection between spiritual experience and our witness. Home . Somebody got rid of truth and added stewardship ,community and integrity. It also means working with people who suffer injustice, such as prisoners of conscience and asylum seekers. P eace. Protect and care for the earth; promote environmental, economic, and social sustainability; promote social justice and the need for equal access to resources. Max Carter: The SPICES as an acronym represent, in their different interpretations but the standard are: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship. Simplicity comes out of the ancient Quaker tradition of plainness; focusing on what’s most important. Integrity is the need to deal honestly and with integrity to both others and with yourself. – Freethinking Faith & Action from a Lincolnshire Friend. Your email address will not be published. Some modern Quakers—also known as Friends—have six values or testimonies that they call “SPICES. The Friends Council in Education has developed and promotes a memorable formulation of Quaker testimonies, used widely in Quaker schools to explain the Quaker ethos to students. Trust them as the leadings of God whose Light shows us our darkness and brings us to new life. Site by. Old friends introduced me to it. The Smudgy Guide website uses cookies to improve your experience. E-Equality Our students have defined each below and committed to upholding these values in our school community. Quakers try to do this in many ways, but the six most important ones are described by some people as the SPICES. If you’re interested in videos featuring Quaker women of color, a good start is at our Quakers of Color Speak playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-r97fEzGE2StFjFPQhkg43BsQhBmXROI. Today, simplicity is reflected by using restraint in daily life by moderation, remaining unencumbered by that which is not essential and by shunning excess. I ntegrity. While acting on our deepest beliefs and values, we are also open to new ideas, new solutions, and new paths. E quality. Over time Friends have developed ways of interacting and behaving that we believe are consistent with God's will. If so, how? Celebrating John Wesley And The Social Creed. I ntegrity. It used to be step or pest. For me, the addition ends up representing a loss. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Having integrity means being authentic and having consistency between one’s values and one’s actions. SIMPLICITY - Quakers believe that if we are always trying to get better things, we can In contemporary terms, Friends try to live lives in which activities and possessions do not get in the way of open communication with others and with one’s own spirituality. This inspires us to try to change the systems that cause injustice and that stop us being genuine communities. The Quaker Testimonies: SPICES Quakers agree to a core set of values, knows as testimonies. We are called to transform the institutions of society into instruments of peace and to be ourselves transformed. S tewardship. Gregg Koskela: And if we take someone else’s testimony and just proclaim it we have taken out the life of it; we’ve taken out what made it exist in the first place because all of those testimonies that we hold came because of this living relationship with God living out within a person in a community. Worldwide, Quakers (who also use the name 'Religious Society of Friends', or just 'Friends') now number around 900,000, with the majority in Africa and the Americas and considerable diversity among us in religious observance and the words used to express spiritual experience. Henry Stokes who grew up in Germantown Meeting taught me to think of them as the corner posts in the foundation of a dwelling (your spiritual home) As a group, we … As we simplify our lives we’re helping ourselves live more sustainably but we’re also living more simply on the Earth and we’re helping move towards a society more in balance with the natural world or God’s creation, and that that is the really big challenge — the final horizon within which I think we’re living our Faith and Practice today is toward a more sustainable world. There is no one outside the SPICE testimonies. SPICES (Quaker Testimonies for Children) Quaker educators have named six important testimonies (or beliefs) and call them SPICES. Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in your hearts (moment by moment, living eternally in the present!) A Cabinet Of SPICES (The Quaker Testimonies & Queries For Kids) Our testimonies are the way we live what we believe. There was very little doctrine, very little spiritual experience in a sense. And if we try to sort of– I think of it kind of like branches of a tree; if the testimony of peace or the testimony of simplicity is a branch on the tree you can’t just break it off and hand it to someone. P eace. Over in the archives of the Quaker Renewal Forum, I came across a post* about identifying the testimonies with the acronym SPICE as a way to enliven how we speak about Quakerism. Simplicity. Quaker Testimonies (the SPICES) ... rather, our traditional, simple — yet quite challenging — values represent our experience in Quaker worship. Community is the way we learn to live better lives; the community of the Friends meeting. Max Carter: Equality is important because Friends have always experienced that there’s that light and life and saving power of God within each individual. Doug Gwyn: And then the beauty of SPICES I think is that the first thing and the last thing are intimately related. Doug Gwyn: I think Quaker faith and practice, the deeper you go with it over time, the more you realize it’s not just lists of things like SPICES and different aspects of Quaker faith and practice, but it’s all one whole life and it’s a sustainable life that brings a lot of joy and wisdom over time. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I believe it has been changed very recently. They are our testimony of how Spirit calls us to live in this world. Equality is rejecting all forms of discrimination, whether based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, immigration status, class, gender, age, ability, or sexual orientation. Clearing away the clutter makes it easier to hear the “still small voice” within. Thomas appears to have been a Cavalier in Cromwell’s New Modern Army. Max Carter: When Quakers are asked what they believe, we’re at a disadvantage. Simplicity: Historically, Quakers used plain speech and wore plain dress to demonstrate simplicity. And that’s because it was presented to me differently. Some people remember these six testimonies by the acronym SPICES. “Spices “comes from this. We value nuance and choose words carefully when we speak. 2) What are some ways you’ve integrated your testimonies and witness into your life? • What we believe. The Quaker Testimonies: SPICES (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship) General INFORMATION on TESTIMONIES and QUERIES Testimonies Quakers believe in love, truth and peace, reaching for the best in oneself and respecting “that of God” in everyone. Examining our own biases and privileges and striving to achieve greater fairness in our communities and in our society is equality in action. Thank you! It was the consequence of our spiritual experience. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The acronym SPICES is commonly used by Quaker schools. Peace is embracing the transforming power of love and the power of nonviolence. Confronting evil and oppression, whether expressed overtly as physical aggression or covertly as economic injustice is peaceful. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We work to change the beliefs, practices and institutions that perpetuate prejudice, and we support affected communities in seeking their own liberation and equality. In online discussions I find that many Friends think the “SPICE” testimonies date back from time immemorial. Defining the Quaker / Friends testimony of simplicity, and 3 aspects we can all learn: simplicity of dress, speech, and material possessions. There was a perspective put forth that those 3 really don’t belong. Quakers believe everyone is equal. Lack of integrity separates us from our own sou.l. Each month, a different Quaker testimony (simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, service and stewardship–SPICES) frames study and worship. Friends talk about these “Quaker values” often, but what do they really mean? Oliver (and possibly Thomas) was a ‘Public Member’ of the Centre Meeting. My heart cries,” What did you have to mess with it for?” This leaflet tries to explain the spirit behind the testimonies … C ommunity. Peace. When we talk about Quaker testimonies we think of a list of expressions of that that we as Quakers have historically held. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. What is it showing/saying to you? don’t be afraid of any “darkness” – sit with it. i.e. Quaker Testimonies Published on December 6, 2016. Committed to making our words, actions, and beliefs consistent. Consistency in Word and DeedThe need to deal honestly with all others and with oneself has long been a foundational belief among Friends, summarized by the old injunction: “Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay.” For Friends, having integrity means being authentic and having consistency between one’s values and one’s actions. Your email address will not be published. Transcripts, Subtitles and Closed Captioning, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-r97fEzGE2StFjFPQhkg43BsQhBmXROI. We’re non-creedal folk but we have beliefs, we have traditions, and the default setting for many Friends (many Quakers) these days are the SPICES. This is a day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24), It might be a sign of my age, but I find the “spices” upsetting. We were campaigning for independent juries in the 17th-century, for marriage equality in the 21st, and for a range of things in between. Quaker Testimonies Quakers’ experience of the Divine affects: • What we do in our personal lives. Quaker Testimonies Public Content Anyone can view this post Because Quakers believe that Divine truth may be revealed to any of us at any time or place, we do not profess a set creed. And that together we find the truth more adequately than we can as individuals. Integrity. each Quaker searches for how the testimonies can best be expressed in his or her own life. Quakers believe that God wants us to live as good people. This is a really delightful video. A President sending us to war claims it's for the greater peace, and Walmart goes all soft-focus in its commericials telling us that it's acres of Chinese plastic is the hub of our hometown community. For each testimony, below, we list several activities in italics, followed by the way we apply and weave each activity into our curriculum. Quakers have sometimes abbreviated our basic testimonies as "SPICES" – Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship of the Earth.The word 'testimony' is used by Friends to describe a witness to the Living Truth Within the human heart as it is acted out in everyday life. The testimonies bear witness to We know that our understanding at any moment is incomplete, at best an approximation of the truth that may be improved by new insights. Simplicity Peace Integrity Community Equality Service Conflict Resolution Learning Lower. 1) What is the difference between a testimony and a creed? A Cabinet of SPICES. 23 Sidney Place I saw something in print very recently about it. They have continually evolved throughout the history of Quakerism and, in the 21st century, are best known worldwide by the acronym SPICES. Regardless of usage, whether testimony, testimonies, or SPICES, the point is the Quaker commitment to “faith in action,” a living out and being a witness to what one believes. In more recent years, a second S has been added to make the word SPICES. He used this metaphor as he speaks about the Quaker Testimonies: the finger being the SPICES, and the moon being the Testimonies. C ommunity. Stewardship. These testimonies also frequently appear in books of disciplines among unprogrammed Friends in the United States, particularly in the West. Gregg Koskela: So sort of the way that I see it is a Quaker testimony is my reality, my experience of God that I want to share with you because I’ve lived it, I’ve breathed it; this has been my thing. We invite you to read on and share your thoughts using the … “What do you believe?” “Well, we believe in the SPICES,” but you don’t really know why. These Quaker testimonies are known as the SPICES. 133-135 Summit Street Brooklyn, NY 11231. "Testimonies" are what Quakers call ways we have found to live and act based on our beliefs.As a group we find that listening to and following leadings of the Spirit leads to:Simplicity - focusing on what is truly important and letting other things fall away.Peace - seeking justice and healing for all people; taking away the causes of war in the ways we live.Integrity - living Equality. You have to also give them the whole tree, which is a direct encounter with God that brings all of these things out to be expressed in this real and living way. However, simplicity does not mean being simplistic. It was all about how we should live, and this led me to think that really the way we’ve– the way we used to understand testimony was as a singular category that had its source in our spiritual experience. “Quaker simplicity... has little to do with how many things you own and everything to do with not letting your possessions own you.” – Robert Lawrence Smith, A Quaker Book of Wisdom Quakers believe in simple living. Testimony and “SPICES” Explained. —Jonathan Dale, English Quaker, 1996 At Westtown, we know the testimonies as SPICES. T-Truth Everyone is equal and every person has the right to be respected. Your email address will not be published. They have continually evolved throughout the history of Quakerism and, in the 21st century, are best known worldwide by the acronym SPICES. “Testimonies” are what Quakers call the ways we have found to live and act based on our beliefs. e testimonies bear witness to the truth, as Friends in community perceive it—truth known through relationship with God. The Quaker Testimonies are the collective witness of both how Friends have lived their lives through Quakerism and are a leading for everyday life. In this week’s video, several Friends help us examine each of the “SPICES testimonies” in detail—and discuss whether it’s appropriate to reduce the lived experience of early Quakers to a set of abstract values. P-Peace. Howard Brinton in 1943 as part of his Guide to Quaker Practice organized Quaker way of witnessing to the world into what has been come to be known as SPICE. Max Carter: The concern about the SPICES for some Quakers is that like a creed or like statements of faith like the Apostles Creed or Nicene Creed, it can become a shorthand that is unreflective, that is simply repeated. Required fields are marked *. Build authentic community/interpersonal relationships; do no harm; teach respect; respect one another. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Testimonies are an outward expression of an inward spiritual discernment, constituting faith incarnated into action. Howard’s formulation of the five Quaker testimonies has become so commonplace in Quaker religious education that it is often referred to by the acronym SPICE. Quakers believe that there is that of God in every person and often refer to God as the Light Within. Love AND truth will bring you to a continual, joyful, new life. Integrate what you say you believe and how you live your daily life; let your life speak. We don’t have the Book of Common Prayer, we don’t have the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed to cite. [SPICES is the acronym for the Quaker testimonies of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship] Alumni, faculty, and parents weighed in with their responses, excerpted below. 718-858-1707. Quaker testimonies are expressions of the commitment to put those beliefs into practice. I really loved the original. Four social testimonies Simplicity, Peace, Community, Equality; One personal testimony Integrity. About once a month, Meeting for Singing, a joyful musical gathering of the school community, is held in the Meeting House. The spirit of simplicity calls us to speak plainly and go directly to the heart of the matter. I’m surprised at how deeply it hurts me, every time I see it put forth. Ben Pink Dandelion: I was teaching one class and they said, “Oh, Ben, could you make a flowchart of how testimonies changed over the centuries?” So I went back through the books of discipline over the three centuries and what struck me about the very first printed Book of Extracts, as it was called, is that it was all about testimony; it was all about the way we should live in the world. E quality. It is 'SPICES' -S(Simplicity), P(eace), I(Integrity), C(Community), E (Equality) and S (Stewardship). if you have further information about his family, i would really appreciate learning about it . This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The problem with SPICE is that they're so feel-goody that everyone likes them. Remove the excess from your life that detracts you from what’s most important spiritually in your life. Upper. • Changes we work for in the wider world. Quaker Testimonies A testimony is an outward expression of an inward leading of the Spirit, or an outward sign of what Friends believe to be an inward revelation of truth . The Quaker Testimonies are Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship/Sustainability. Quakers try to do this in many ways, but the six most important ones are described by some people as the SPICES. This attempt to put faith into practice, often with great difficulty, arises from an understanding of certain values and principles which are central to the Quaker faith. Required fields are marked *. NOTE, Tenth Month 2009: Many of the original links in this post are no longer working and I've removed them and marked them with a * as I've discovered them. 20 Bergen Street Brooklyn, NY 11201. I’m also looking forward to a Quaker video featuring seasoned and wise women of color. Kristina Keefe-Perry: In what we call Friends peace testimony now, (George) Fox talks about living in that life and that power that takes away the occasion for all wars, and I think that life and power part is the soil that we need to nurture to be in that life and power that takes away the occasion for all sorts of violence and helps us move out of the comfort of the institutions we’ve built and into some new space. © 2020 Friends Publishing Corporation. Connecticut Friends School is built on these Six Quaker Values. We may speak passionately, but we avoid distortion and exaggeration. These cookies do not store any personal information. The views expressed in this video are of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Friends Journal or its collaborators. Quaker forms of worship developed which focused on the group encounter with the divine, rather than on dogma or creed. 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