ADVICES AND QUERIES
of
Iowa
Yearly Meeting (Conservative)
Introduction
Quakerism is a living faith
made real through the inward light of the living Christ. This faith holds that
our individual lives and the corporate life of the Meeting can be guided by
continuing revelation through the Holy Spirit.
When we behold the splendor
of creation, we realize that knowledge of what is divine is beyond description.
Traditionally, Friends have referred to the divine in such terms as God, the
Inward Light, the Living Water, the Creator, the Christ Within, and the Spirit.
Many believe that when we limit the divine to one gender we also limit
ourselves and each other. Becoming aware of how we discern Spirit is important
to our worship.
The Quaker faith is not
written in the form of a creed, but is experienced in our lives as a vibrant,
living truth. Advices and queries serve to engage our minds and hearts in a
process which may provide openings to the leadings of the Spirit within us.
These leadings may speak to our individual and corporate needs. The advices and
queries reflect experiences from many lives as they contribute to the gathered
wisdom of the group. They serve to guide us on our spiritual journeys by
opening our hearts and minds to the possibility of new directions and insights.
We look for our own truths
and the truths of our meeting when we discuss the advices; and answer the
queries. It is suggested that one advice and one query be considered by the
local meeting each month.
Monthly Meeting answers to
each of the queries are to be mailed to the assistant clerk of the Yearly
Meeting one month prior to Yearly Meeting. While Friends are encouraged to
consider each query in its entirety, replies need to cover only those questions
the meeting is led to address. A
summary answer, to be read at the Yearly Meeting session, will be chosen by the
assistant clerk from among the Monthly Meeting answers.
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Outreach |
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5.
Mutual Care |
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6.
Education |