Quakers and Quaker Values
The Religious Society
of Friends call themselves 'Friends' and for many years have been known
as 'Quakers'. Friends gather at Meetings for worship (usually weekly) and
business (usually monthly), so the organizing body is called 'The Meeting'.
There are several Monthly Meetings in the Los Angeles area. Orange Grove
Monthly Meeting in Pasadena oversees the Friends Western School.
Quakers today are diverse in their religious beliefs. While
Quakerism's origins are firmly within the Christian tradition, and many
Friends consider themselves Christian, there are Friends who also draw from
other faiths and traditions. The most fundamental belief of Quakers is that
there is "that of God"; within everyone. An Inner Light, or seed
within, will guide us if we pay attention to it, and that it is most fruitful
to pay attention in community. Other beliefs and practices of Friends follow
from this belief.
In our Meetings for Worship we meditate in expectant silence.
The stillness of our shared worship enables us to listen to others and to
the Divine, and to manifest our faith in our families and communities. Worshipers
speak when the Spirit within moves them to do so.
Although Friends have no formal creed, out of their experience
they have developed "testimonies," which embody their shared understanding
of God at work in us and in the world.
At Friends Western School we draw inspiration
from our membership in a community that attends to the concerns of humans
of every race, status, and culture. We imbue the curriculum, our pedagogy
and each interaction with Quaker values of
Harmony: The peace testimony
is a commitment to solve conflicts without violence or threats. While we
seek to bring about an end to violence once it has started, we also work
to eliminate the causes of violence.
Simplicity: Friends are
committed to not living beyond our needs. Simplicity also applies to our
speech and behavior.
Integrity:
Friends are committed to living and saying what we believe, being honest
and fair, and acting in moderation.
Community: Together we
provide a framework for caring for each other, and a common spirit from which
we can test, find support for, and practice our spiritual work.
Equality: We hold firmly
that people are equally loved by God. It has led to a conscious
effort to eliminate all words and behavior that arise from distinctions
such as class, race, sex, sexual orientation or social status.
