Carlisle Quaker Meeting

05/23/2026

"When I was growing up," Ron Hogan recalls, "people believed the world might end at any moment." With two nuclear superpowers in an uneasy standoff, and the end of a millennium on the horizon, many turned to the Bible, hoping to puzzle out the details of a doomsday scenario that would usher in the kingdom of the heavens.

In this week's Look to the Light message, we consider why Quakers don't go in for that sort of thinking much, and how the blessed community is already here—but, to borrow a phrase from the science fiction author William Gibson, it's not very evenly distributed yet.

https://quaker.org/2026/05/11/time-come-judgment-begin/

05/23/2026

Join this online workshop series with other people of faith who are working for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and liberation. This program will be offered in two parts. The initial workshop will be offered two times, once with intentional space for q***r identities on June 25, and once with intentional space for cis/het identities on July 9. All attendees will join together for the second part on August 15th.

Register for the workshop on the 6/25 at https://pendlehill.org/calendar/tending-the-soil-q***r-identities/2026-06-25/

Register for the workshop on 7/9 at https://pendlehill.org/calendar/tending-the-soil-cis-het/2026-07-09/

05/23/2026

📍 We have some special news to share!

📜 Today, on the International Day of Conscientious Objection, we are launching our publication: 'Voices of Peace, Stories of Conscientious Objectors from Europe and beyond.'

💡 Conscientious objectors are people who refuse the war system. This can mean refusing to serve, wanting to leave the army after joining, refusing to be enlisted, refusing to train for war, or refusing to support or take part in any war activities.

🗨️ Join us in reading inspiring stories from objectors in eight countries: Belgium, Greece, Eritrea, Türkiye, Israel, Finland, Russia, and Spain.

Each story is unique and comes from a different background. From Spanish artists to Russian human rights activists, the desire to live in peace transcends gender, age, and location.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part and shared their stories. This publication would not exist without you. 💙

You can read these stories here �https://www.qcea.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/QCEA_Voices_of_Peace.pdf

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🤝 This project is a collaboration between Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA), Connection e.V., War Resisters' International, and Agir pour la Paix.

Big thanks to everyone involved in the creation of this publication:

Authors: Celina Bebenek and Andrew de Sousa (Quaker Council for European Affairs), Zaira Zafarana (Connection e.V.), Semih Sapmaz and Natalia García Cortés (War Resisters’ International).

Editorial support: Julia Montier and Charlène Poupon Brengel (Agir Pour La Paix), Mikheil Elizbarashvili (Peace and Service Network), Gill Alcock and Kate McNally.

Translation from French: Daniel Flynn.

Design: Beatrice Romagnoli and Celina Bebenek.

Image credit ©Asis Percales for Fine Acts

05/23/2026

Peter's message to the crowds that heard the apostles at Pentecost was a reminder of God's promise that the prophetic imagination is meant to spread among all the people, not just a few.

"We aren’t talking about seeing what will happen tomorrow," Ron Hogan writes, "but about recognizing what has gone wrong with the world today—and why. The more people we have out there prophesying in this manner, sharing their visions and dreams with each other, the less powerful the secular world’s grip on our minds becomes. We question authority, we become increasingly ungovernable, we lay the foundations for a better way of living."

https://quaker.org/2026/05/18/i-will-pour-out-my-spirit/

04/14/2026

The Puritans in Massachusetts viewed the Quakers as so powerful a threat to the stability of their colony that they had passed legislation forbidding Friends within their borders upon pain of death. Mary Dyer kept coming back, "willing to suffer, as her Brethren did," and was publicly executed in 1660.

In this week's Look to the Light message, we remember Mary and other Friends who have come into conflict with the state because they followed God's leading.

https://quaker.org/2026/03/23/god-has-opened-my-ear/

04/14/2026

In celebration of Second Chance Month, all are invited to a screening of the award winning documentary "Pardon Me", which explores the barriers individuals face after conviction and the role pardons play in strengthening our community. The viewing will be followed by a panel discussion including individuals who have dealt with the pardon system. The event will be held on April 30, 2026 from 6:00 - 7:45 PM at the Bosler Library.

04/14/2026

Through the course of Women's History Month we have reached more than half a million people with a message of gender equality from our Quaker foremothers.

To finish the month we had a look at the papers of the first female Quaker preacher (arguably the first Quaker preacher of any gender) Elizabeth Hootten*, who was likely the person who convinced George Fox of the case for women's ministry.

It turns out that she too corresponded with the 'Bishop of London and Canterbury', around the same time as Margaret Fell wrote 'Women's Speaking Justified' whilst imprisoned.

Tantalisingly, there is a curt note on the end of the letter in handwriting resembling that of William Juxon (Archbishop of Canterbury 1660-1663), which implies that the letter was read.

An engaging new episode of Thee Quaker podcast explores Hootten's eventful life in greater detail, including her work for religious freedom in America: https://quakerpodcast.com/elizabeth-hooton-the-radical-life-of-the-first-quaker-woman-preacher/

Thank you to Library of the Society of Friends for allowing us to look at and photograph these historic documents.

*Various spellings available, but this is the spelling she used in the letter this post refers to

02/08/2026

01/14/2026

The flyer for our Annual MLK Luncheon is now available to download and print. Please share with your contacts. Thank you!
https://bethelamecarlisle.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/MLK2026Flyer.pdf