The Lord opened me, that I saw through all these troubles and temptations. My living faith was raised, that I saw all was done by Christ the life, and my belief was in him.

George Fox, "Journal," in Works of George Fox, vol. 1, p. 76.

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Announcements

ESR Shares the Passing of Wilmer Cooper

The ESR community is saddened to share the news of Wilmer Cooper's passing. Wilmer was one of the founders of ESR and the first dean of the seminary. He was 88 years old at the time of his death. His wife, Emily, (creator of the beautiful Peace quilt in the ESR Gathering area) died in 2005. Wil and Emily moved to Friends Fellowship Community in 1994. They had 4 children, Suzanne, Cathy, and Barbara, who live in Massachusetts, and Scott, who lives in Florida.

He will be dearly missed. Please hold his family and friends in God's light.

The family have decided to hold the memorial service on Saturday, December 6th at 1:00 p.m. at West Richmond Friends Meeting. Keith Esch and Josh Brown will be leading the service.

Wil asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Earlham School of Religion, 228 College Avenue, Richmond IN 47374, or to West Richmond Friends Meeting, 609 W. Main St., Richmond, IN 47374.

Ministry of Writing Colloquium

"I don't do new," joked speaker Robert Wicks; "it's what I do with what's important, I think."

Wicks' keynote address was one of the highlights of the 17^th annual Ministry of Writing Colloquium held at Earlham School of Religion, October 24-25. His remarks focused on the major themes of his published work: maintaining perspective centered in faith and spirituality; offering a circle of grace formed by love and freedom to those around us; and promoting self-care, especially for those in the helping professions to avoid secondary stress.

A prolific and gifted author, Wicks' books embrace a commitment to writing as a ministry, especially in his works for the general reader. He takes Mt 22: 34-40 as the inspiration for his writings. When asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus first puts his audience at ease, then shocks them. Jesus' response calls us to love God not just "vertically," but also "horizontally" with others.

Punctuated with many examples and stories, Wicks' address concentrated on the qualities and actions ministers, including those who write as a ministry, need to take to be present to self, to others, and to God. An important action, he said, is to adopt a rule of prayer; otherwise we cannot maintain proper perspective, falling into arrogance, ignorance, or discouragement.

During the question and answer session, he advised writers to read deeply, concentrating on the works of a few key authors, and broadly, surveying the works of a variety of authors. As for planning writing projects and drafting, he encouraged them to have both their theme and audience clearly in mind. Once he decides upon a theme for a project, he spends a year using that theme as a lens through which to examine his work and researchâ - before writing the draft.

Besides the keynote address, the Colloquium offered a variety of perspectives on writing through the workshops. Don Aycock, who has published 21 books, provided keys to getting published in the Christian market. David Ebenbach, fiction writer and poet, focused on the biblical Garden of Eden to see what it reveals about human creativity and art. Narrative strategies and techniques dominated two workshops: one by creative non-fiction writer and film director Jean Harper and another by novelist and essayist Valerie Sayers. Tom Mullen, whose books often link humor with religious topics, discussed how writers develop a humorous perspective on life that can not only enliven their prose but also open the way for readers to reflect on faith. Thom Satterlee, author of a collection of persona poems himself, guided participants through the making of their own persona poems.

Two public readings framed the Colloquium's events. On Friday evening, the workshop presenters read from their works: Sayers from her short story, "A Freak of Nature" (first published in Image), and Harper from Rose City, her memoir on work and the Richmond rose industry. Satterlee and Ebenbach both read poetry: Satterlee from his collection about John Wyclif and Wyclif's times (Burning Wyclif), and Ebenbach, a series of poems about the Jewish holy days in autumn. Mullen read a humorous piece on political partisanship that, although he published it 35 years ago, was still very pertinent to our current situation.

During the Saturday evening open mic session, twelve Colloquium participants shared their work before an audience enjoying the informal coffee house atmosphere.

ESR publishes Leading Quakers

ESR is excited to present a new publication written by ESR graduate and Director of Outreach Jennie Isbell. Jennie's book, Leading Quakers: Discipleship Leadership, A Friends Model, is a nine-chapter book designed to lead worshiping communities through a thought-provoking year of adult religious education on the topic of leadership development in the congregation.

Leading Quakers explores theological and practical vocabulary and offers exercises for deepening communication and connection within the group. At the center of the book, readers will find a discernment oriented Quaker-style inventory of gifts for the corporate body and the individuals who comprise it. This is just one of the tools offered for addressing questions such as: What is God calling this group to in this time? Who are the leaders and the leaders-to-be and how can they be nurtured in their work? How can others follow with their gifts?

Leading Quakers can be purchased online by clicking here, or by contacting Donna Trankley at 765-983-1687, 1-800-432-1377, or emailing trankdo@earlham.edu.

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