Friends Journal
@friendsjournal.org
Friends Publishing is a non-profit organization dedicated to communicating Quaker experience in order to connect & deepen spiritual lives. Friends Journal is our flagship publication, with a legacy that goes back to 1827.
Reposted by Friends Journal
This story is wild. Can't tell what the outcome is or what he's pleading to, but the Reed College administrator who shared his information with ICE was fired and the entire story is about a Quaker who was, allegedly, mad enough to throw rocks at ICE agents.
A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for Quaker activist Robert "Jacob" Hoopes, who had pled not guilty to charges of aggravated assault of an ICE officer and damaging federal property stemming from a protest in Oregon last year.
According to court staff, the hearing is set for February 18.
According to court staff, the hearing is set for February 18.
FBI Agents Seize Quaker Activist from His Home in Morning Raid
A plea hearing has been scheduled in the trial for Portland Quaker activist charged with assault of a federal officer.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 31, 2026 at 7:10 PM
This story is wild. Can't tell what the outcome is or what he's pleading to, but the Reed College administrator who shared his information with ICE was fired and the entire story is about a Quaker who was, allegedly, mad enough to throw rocks at ICE agents.
Reposted by Friends Journal
To me, “that of God in everyone” suggests a radical equality among all people.
Every "low and despised" person rejected by the elites has that of God in them. Every outcast has a home in the blessed community.
And when they come together in love and solidarity, it can be, as George Fox urged us to be, "a terror to all the adversaries of God."
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
And when they come together in love and solidarity, it can be, as George Fox urged us to be, "a terror to all the adversaries of God."
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
January 31, 2026 at 11:45 PM
To me, “that of God in everyone” suggests a radical equality among all people.
A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for Quaker activist Robert "Jacob" Hoopes, who had pled not guilty to charges of aggravated assault of an ICE officer and damaging federal property stemming from a protest in Oregon last year.
According to court staff, the hearing is set for February 18.
According to court staff, the hearing is set for February 18.
FBI Agents Seize Quaker Activist from His Home in Morning Raid
A plea hearing has been scheduled in the trial for Portland Quaker activist charged with assault of a federal officer.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 31, 2026 at 7:00 PM
A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for Quaker activist Robert "Jacob" Hoopes, who had pled not guilty to charges of aggravated assault of an ICE officer and damaging federal property stemming from a protest in Oregon last year.
According to court staff, the hearing is set for February 18.
According to court staff, the hearing is set for February 18.
Like many in the eastern half of the US, we felt the effects of the winter storm earlier this week. It reminded us of a video from the very first season of QuakerSpeak about a Quaker school's snow day announcement ("School Is Closed") set to the tune of a certain song from Disney's Frozen.
Quaker School's Snow Day Video Goes Viral - QuakerSpeak
Last week, Quaker School Moses Brown’s school closing announcement went viral. The video, uploaded to YouTube, is called School is Closed. It's a parody of the song Let it Go from the Disney movie Fro...
quakerspeak.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Like many in the eastern half of the US, we felt the effects of the winter storm earlier this week. It reminded us of a video from the very first season of QuakerSpeak about a Quaker school's snow day announcement ("School Is Closed") set to the tune of a certain song from Disney's Frozen.
"I see listening for the Spirit or inner voice as similar to listening to a person in crisis," says Star Ford, recalling experiences on the listening end of a hotline. "And I believe we can encounter Spirit whenever we listen long enough to anyone or anything with full attention."
Being Heard and Being Attentive
The power of compassionate listening.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"I see listening for the Spirit or inner voice as similar to listening to a person in crisis," says Star Ford, recalling experiences on the listening end of a hotline. "And I believe we can encounter Spirit whenever we listen long enough to anyone or anything with full attention."
In 1960 longtime Friend Keith Helmuth chose taking a job at a bookstore in the college town of Iowa City over pursuing a graduate degree, and he has never looked back.
After reading Helmuth's memoir, says Pamela Haines, "I’m not sure I’ve ever come across anyone who takes books so seriously."
After reading Helmuth's memoir, says Pamela Haines, "I’m not sure I’ve ever come across anyone who takes books so seriously."
REVIEWED: IN BRIEF: Working in the Commonwealth of Books, 1960–2025: A Cultural Memoir
A memoir that reveals a love for books, a mind and heart open to guidance, and an ear for the ring of truth.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:01 PM
In 1960 longtime Friend Keith Helmuth chose taking a job at a bookstore in the college town of Iowa City over pursuing a graduate degree, and he has never looked back.
After reading Helmuth's memoir, says Pamela Haines, "I’m not sure I’ve ever come across anyone who takes books so seriously."
After reading Helmuth's memoir, says Pamela Haines, "I’m not sure I’ve ever come across anyone who takes books so seriously."
Every "low and despised" person rejected by the elites has that of God in them. Every outcast has a home in the blessed community.
And when they come together in love and solidarity, it can be, as George Fox urged us to be, "a terror to all the adversaries of God."
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
And when they come together in love and solidarity, it can be, as George Fox urged us to be, "a terror to all the adversaries of God."
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
January 28, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Every "low and despised" person rejected by the elites has that of God in them. Every outcast has a home in the blessed community.
And when they come together in love and solidarity, it can be, as George Fox urged us to be, "a terror to all the adversaries of God."
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
And when they come together in love and solidarity, it can be, as George Fox urged us to be, "a terror to all the adversaries of God."
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
After Kristallnacht in November 1938, British Quakers committed to helping Jewish children flee Poland, Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. The Kinderstransport program was able to bring thousands out of Nazi-occupied Europe in just under a year, before Britain and Germany went to war.
Quakers and the Kindertransport - Quaker.org
The Kindertransport was an evacuation effort coordinated by Jews and gentiles that saved approximately 10,000 Jewish children and other young people…
quaker.org
January 27, 2026 at 7:27 PM
After Kristallnacht in November 1938, British Quakers committed to helping Jewish children flee Poland, Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. The Kinderstransport program was able to bring thousands out of Nazi-occupied Europe in just under a year, before Britain and Germany went to war.
Reposted by Friends Journal
There's often an implied us-them dichotomy when Quakers talk about Indigenous Peoples so I'm fascinated by communities that are both.
Many Indigenous Friends do not see embracing Christ-centered Quakerism as a loss of their ancestral culture.
Some Native Americans, pointing to similarities between Quakerism and traditional Indigenous religions, aim to preserve their cultures while embracing a decidedly Christian spiritual path.
Some Native Americans, pointing to similarities between Quakerism and traditional Indigenous religions, aim to preserve their cultures while embracing a decidedly Christian spiritual path.
Indigenous and Quaker Both
Reflections from Friends in Indigenous-majority meetings.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 27, 2026 at 7:19 PM
There's often an implied us-them dichotomy when Quakers talk about Indigenous Peoples so I'm fascinated by communities that are both.
Time spent in nature is not necessarily akin to mindfulness, and cellphones easily follow us outdoors, distracting us from the work of the Spirit. To truly embrace mindfulness or prayer in nature, Phap Xa and Phap Luu suggest leaving our phones behind or limiting their use to safety and navigation.
REVIEWED: Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature
When we hold the Spirit in movement, our steps speak where words fall short.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 27, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Time spent in nature is not necessarily akin to mindfulness, and cellphones easily follow us outdoors, distracting us from the work of the Spirit. To truly embrace mindfulness or prayer in nature, Phap Xa and Phap Luu suggest leaving our phones behind or limiting their use to safety and navigation.
Reposted by Friends Journal
George Fox called on people to “be a terror to all the adversaries of God,” not through violence, but by “awakening the witness, confounding deceit, gathering up out of transgression into the life, the covenant of light and peace with God.”
It’s happening in Minneapolis.
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
It’s happening in Minneapolis.
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
January 26, 2026 at 6:20 PM
George Fox called on people to “be a terror to all the adversaries of God,” not through violence, but by “awakening the witness, confounding deceit, gathering up out of transgression into the life, the covenant of light and peace with God.”
It’s happening in Minneapolis.
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
It’s happening in Minneapolis.
quaker.org/2026/01/26/w...
Many Indigenous Friends do not see embracing Christ-centered Quakerism as a loss of their ancestral culture.
Some Native Americans, pointing to similarities between Quakerism and traditional Indigenous religions, aim to preserve their cultures while embracing a decidedly Christian spiritual path.
Some Native Americans, pointing to similarities between Quakerism and traditional Indigenous religions, aim to preserve their cultures while embracing a decidedly Christian spiritual path.
Indigenous and Quaker Both
Reflections from Friends in Indigenous-majority meetings.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 26, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Many Indigenous Friends do not see embracing Christ-centered Quakerism as a loss of their ancestral culture.
Some Native Americans, pointing to similarities between Quakerism and traditional Indigenous religions, aim to preserve their cultures while embracing a decidedly Christian spiritual path.
Some Native Americans, pointing to similarities between Quakerism and traditional Indigenous religions, aim to preserve their cultures while embracing a decidedly Christian spiritual path.
"For a while," Tenaja Henson told QuakerSpeak, "my activism looked like showing up and holding space, and I think that is just as powerful as when Spirit-led activism has looked like me showing up at protests and yelling at folks or getting rowdy."
Following a Spirit-Led Call for Activism - QuakerSpeak
“For a while,” Tenaja Henson says, “my activism looked like showing up and holding space—and I think that is just…
quakerspeak.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:30 PM
"For a while," Tenaja Henson told QuakerSpeak, "my activism looked like showing up and holding space, and I think that is just as powerful as when Spirit-led activism has looked like me showing up at protests and yelling at folks or getting rowdy."
Jiwasa is a fundamental principle and linguistic code in the Aymara language that means “communal we.” In many ways, Ruben Hilari Quispe reflects, it relates with Quaker testimonies such as community, integrity, peace, and harmony with nature.
Jiwasa, the Communal We
Recovering a lost foundation of Aymara culture.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Jiwasa is a fundamental principle and linguistic code in the Aymara language that means “communal we.” In many ways, Ruben Hilari Quispe reflects, it relates with Quaker testimonies such as community, integrity, peace, and harmony with nature.
Hilary Giovale's Becoming a Good Relative "is a book for learning to know your ancestors beyond DNA," Michele Sands writes. "It is a book for people struggling with their whiteness, for those who want to be better philanthropists, and for those who like a good story."
REVIEWED: Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers Toward Truth, Healing, and Repair
A book for learning to know your ancestors beyond DNA—a book for people who want to do important work, and for those who like a good story.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 22, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Hilary Giovale's Becoming a Good Relative "is a book for learning to know your ancestors beyond DNA," Michele Sands writes. "It is a book for people struggling with their whiteness, for those who want to be better philanthropists, and for those who like a good story."
“How can we be made in the image of God and not be built for care, solidarity, and love?”
History may show human societies choosing supremacy over love time and time again, but we don't HAVE to live that way. We don't have to give in to the ideology of Empire.
quaker.org/2026/01/19/d...
History may show human societies choosing supremacy over love time and time again, but we don't HAVE to live that way. We don't have to give in to the ideology of Empire.
quaker.org/2026/01/19/d...
January 21, 2026 at 5:43 PM
“How can we be made in the image of God and not be built for care, solidarity, and love?”
History may show human societies choosing supremacy over love time and time again, but we don't HAVE to live that way. We don't have to give in to the ideology of Empire.
quaker.org/2026/01/19/d...
History may show human societies choosing supremacy over love time and time again, but we don't HAVE to live that way. We don't have to give in to the ideology of Empire.
quaker.org/2026/01/19/d...
Reposted by Friends Journal
New on Quakers Today: Moving from "I" to "We." 🤝
Featuring: ✨ Rubén Hilari Quispe on Jiwasa ✨ Renzo Carranza on Liberation Theology ✨ Rachel Overstreet on healing boarding school history
A journey into radical belonging. 🎧
Listen now: www.friendsjournal.org/podcast/quak...
@friendsjournal.org
Featuring: ✨ Rubén Hilari Quispe on Jiwasa ✨ Renzo Carranza on Liberation Theology ✨ Rachel Overstreet on healing boarding school history
A journey into radical belonging. 🎧
Listen now: www.friendsjournal.org/podcast/quak...
@friendsjournal.org
January 21, 2026 at 1:05 AM
New on Quakers Today: Moving from "I" to "We." 🤝
Featuring: ✨ Rubén Hilari Quispe on Jiwasa ✨ Renzo Carranza on Liberation Theology ✨ Rachel Overstreet on healing boarding school history
A journey into radical belonging. 🎧
Listen now: www.friendsjournal.org/podcast/quak...
@friendsjournal.org
Featuring: ✨ Rubén Hilari Quispe on Jiwasa ✨ Renzo Carranza on Liberation Theology ✨ Rachel Overstreet on healing boarding school history
A journey into radical belonging. 🎧
Listen now: www.friendsjournal.org/podcast/quak...
@friendsjournal.org
"...we decided instead of an hour
of unprogrammed 'worship'
or 'expectant waiting,' or whatever
you want to call it—decided
to have the first half hour
be music. And one of us
who is an excellent pianist
was asked to choose whatever
she would like to play..."
—from "Music & Silence," Howard Nelson
of unprogrammed 'worship'
or 'expectant waiting,' or whatever
you want to call it—decided
to have the first half hour
be music. And one of us
who is an excellent pianist
was asked to choose whatever
she would like to play..."
—from "Music & Silence," Howard Nelson
Music and Silence
A poem by Howard Nelson.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 21, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"...we decided instead of an hour
of unprogrammed 'worship'
or 'expectant waiting,' or whatever
you want to call it—decided
to have the first half hour
be music. And one of us
who is an excellent pianist
was asked to choose whatever
she would like to play..."
—from "Music & Silence," Howard Nelson
of unprogrammed 'worship'
or 'expectant waiting,' or whatever
you want to call it—decided
to have the first half hour
be music. And one of us
who is an excellent pianist
was asked to choose whatever
she would like to play..."
—from "Music & Silence," Howard Nelson
What might happen to our faith if we start living from the “We” instead of the “I”?
🎙️ In this month's Quakers Today podcast, Sweet Miche is joined by special guest host Diana Yáñez for an exploration of the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. 🎧
🎙️ In this month's Quakers Today podcast, Sweet Miche is joined by special guest host Diana Yáñez for an exploration of the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. 🎧
Quaker Podcast - Podcast Exploring Quaker Life & Religious Beliefs
Quakers Today, hosted by Peterson Toscano, features writers, musicians, and thinkers who are seeking wisdom and understanding in a rapidly changing world.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 20, 2026 at 11:37 PM
What might happen to our faith if we start living from the “We” instead of the “I”?
🎙️ In this month's Quakers Today podcast, Sweet Miche is joined by special guest host Diana Yáñez for an exploration of the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. 🎧
🎙️ In this month's Quakers Today podcast, Sweet Miche is joined by special guest host Diana Yáñez for an exploration of the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. 🎧
Christopher E. Stern describes his "modern Quaker memoir," Who Turned On the Light?, as a story about “losing my own agenda so that God could rebuild my life" by sending angels disguised as fellow travelers to nudge him along unexpected and challenging paths of spiritual growth.
REVIEWED: Who Turned On the Light? Stories of Hope and Healing
By Christopher E. Stern. Self-published, 2024. 189 pages. $12.95/paperback; $4.99/eBook. I’ve known Chris Stern in a casual way for many…
www.friendsjournal.org
January 20, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Christopher E. Stern describes his "modern Quaker memoir," Who Turned On the Light?, as a story about “losing my own agenda so that God could rebuild my life" by sending angels disguised as fellow travelers to nudge him along unexpected and challenging paths of spiritual growth.
In 2022, New England Yearly Meeting took up a request by Indigenous advocates that all religious denominations examine their roles in the Indian boarding schools.
Mary Zwirner & Gordon Bugbee were led to visit the sites of 11 of those schools—and to meet with descendants of the tribes held there.
Mary Zwirner & Gordon Bugbee were led to visit the sites of 11 of those schools—and to meet with descendants of the tribes held there.
Never Too Late to Begin Repair
Acknowledging the dark legacy of Quaker-run Indian boarding schools.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 1:01 PM
In 2022, New England Yearly Meeting took up a request by Indigenous advocates that all religious denominations examine their roles in the Indian boarding schools.
Mary Zwirner & Gordon Bugbee were led to visit the sites of 11 of those schools—and to meet with descendants of the tribes held there.
Mary Zwirner & Gordon Bugbee were led to visit the sites of 11 of those schools—and to meet with descendants of the tribes held there.
When members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes came together last October to bury the remains of children who had died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania more than a century earlier, two Quakers—Paula Palmer and Paula Keeth—were there to bear witness and mourn with them.
A Homecoming for the Arapaho and Cheyenne
A reckoning for Quakers.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 16, 2026 at 1:01 PM
When members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes came together last October to bury the remains of children who had died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania more than a century earlier, two Quakers—Paula Palmer and Paula Keeth—were there to bear witness and mourn with them.
Alone with God offers a quarter-century of John Andrew Gallery's thought-provoking spiritual insights, drawn from the pages of Friends Journal and other Quaker publications.
REVIEWED: Alone with God: Spiritual Reflections and Essays, 2000–2024
A thought-provoking collection of spiritually engaged essays from a regular Friends Journal contributor.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Alone with God offers a quarter-century of John Andrew Gallery's thought-provoking spiritual insights, drawn from the pages of Friends Journal and other Quaker publications.
From the moment an ICE agent shot and killed her, the U.S. government has attempted to brand Renee Good as a “domestic terrorist.” Those who knew her best, though, say her celebration of God’s faithfulness and steadfast love for the world shone through her actions daily.
quaker.org/2026/01/12/y...
quaker.org/2026/01/12/y...
January 14, 2026 at 4:20 PM
From the moment an ICE agent shot and killed her, the U.S. government has attempted to brand Renee Good as a “domestic terrorist.” Those who knew her best, though, say her celebration of God’s faithfulness and steadfast love for the world shone through her actions daily.
quaker.org/2026/01/12/y...
quaker.org/2026/01/12/y...
Arturo is preaching now.
The Aymara gutturals and rasps pour out
and fill this small adobe building
with admonitions from your word.
Staccato rain fists
beat their rhythm on the tin roof.
It doesn’t seem to bother the preacher at all...
The Aymara gutturals and rasps pour out
and fill this small adobe building
with admonitions from your word.
Staccato rain fists
beat their rhythm on the tin roof.
It doesn’t seem to bother the preacher at all...
Joyful Noise
A poem by Nancy Thomas.
www.friendsjournal.org
January 14, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Arturo is preaching now.
The Aymara gutturals and rasps pour out
and fill this small adobe building
with admonitions from your word.
Staccato rain fists
beat their rhythm on the tin roof.
It doesn’t seem to bother the preacher at all...
The Aymara gutturals and rasps pour out
and fill this small adobe building
with admonitions from your word.
Staccato rain fists
beat their rhythm on the tin roof.
It doesn’t seem to bother the preacher at all...