Quakers Western Australia

19/09/2026

In our busy lives, it's easy to overlook the deeper significance of our everyday actions. Yet, it is often in the ordinary that our true service shines. Whether through small acts of kindness, patience, or quiet dedication to our work, we have the potential to contribute profoundly to the well-being of others.

True service isn't always grand or visible. Sometimes, it is the steady, unnoticed care we bring to our everyday responsibilities that can inspire change and help liberate others in ways we may never fully see.

How can we honour the spirit of service in our daily lives? How might our "ordinary occupations" become extraordinary in their impact? See less

12/09/2026

Over the last few days, I’ve found myself seeing more stories, videos and reflections about September 11.

One in particular stayed with me a voicemail left by Brian Sweeney, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175, to his wife Julie. Knowing that things were terribly wrong, he told her that he loved her, and then said words that have kept circling in my mind:

“I want you to do good, have good times.”

There is something profoundly human in that.

When everything else is stripped away status, possessions, work, arguments, plans what remains is remarkably simple: love people, do some good, and don’t become so consumed by the seriousness of life that you forget to actually live it.

As a Quaker, I keep thinking about George Fox’s invitation to answer “that of God in everyone.” Sometimes perhaps that is not complicated at all. Sometimes it is simply recognising: you are here, I am here, this life is fragile, and you matter.

Twenty five years later, what reached me was not the hatred that caused that day, but the voice of a man saying, in essence: I love you. Do good. Have good times.

Perhaps that is a ministry worth carrying into our own lives.

Love people while they are here.
Repair what can still be repaired.
Say the loving thing now.
Do some good while you are here.
And make room for joy along the way.

21/06/2026

For Friends, a Meeting House is not sacred because of bricks, timber, or stained glass. It becomes sacred because of what happens within it: people gathering in silence, seeking truth together, holding one another in love, and listening for the quiet movements of the Spirit.

This simple house has witnessed generations of seekers arriving with their questions, their joys, their griefs, their hopes, and their uncertainties. It has held silence through times of peace and times of turmoil. It has welcomed those who felt lost, those who felt certain, and those who were simply curious.

In a world that often asks us to be louder, faster, and more certain, a Meeting House offers something different: a place to pause. A place to listen. A place to remember that beneath all our differences there is something deeper that connects us.

Whether you have been a Friend for decades or have never stepped inside a Meeting House before, the invitation remains the same: come as you are. Sit in the silence. Listen for that still, small voice. Discover what love, truth, and community might ask of you.

Sometimes the most extraordinary journeys begin in the quietest of places.

📷 Photo credit: Clive Nicholls

19/04/2026

John Woolman reminds us that true faith does not start with certainty, but with a stirring a quiet movement of love that draws us toward one another. Not to fix, not to judge, but to understand. To listen deeply enough that another person’s life, their spirit, their story, begins to matter as much as our own.

In a world shaped by division and fear, this kind of love asks something costly of us. It asks us to slow down. To step closer. To be changed by what we encounter.

And perhaps, in that humility, in that willingness to be led rather than to lead, we find ourselves becoming more gentle, more open, more at peace.

Love was the first motion…
What might it be asking of you today?

31/01/2026

In 1660, George Fox and early Friends offered a revolutionary testimony to the world: that the Spirit which guides us the Spirit of Christ is unchanging, peaceable, and true.

At a time when war and violence were the norm, Friends declared a bold and unwavering commitment to peace. Not as passive avoidance, but as an active refusal to harm a faithfulness to the inward Light that calls us toward love, justice, and truth.

This remains our witness today. In a world still torn by war, division, and fear, may we continue to trust in the Spirit that leads us not into battle, but into reconciliation, healing, and courageous peace.

18/01/2026

In the heart of Quaker faith lies a radical conviction: that the Divine breathes within each of us not distantly, but directly. That beyond dogma and noise, beyond striving and certainty, there is a Living Voice that speaks into the stillness of our being.

Caroline Stephen reminds us that to hear this voice to truly listen requires surrender. Not only of sound, but of self. The soul learns to breathe in God’s rhythm only when we are willing to be still, to be alone, to be present.

Silence, then, is not a withdrawal it is a communion. A yielding to the mystery that we are never alone, and that the Light we seek has been quietly kindling within us all along.

16/01/2026

In this powerful QuakerSpeak video, Friends from around the world speak with clarity, tenderness, and conviction about what it means to be a faith community in this century one led by love, shaped by justice, and grounded in continuing revelation.

They challenge us not to hide our light, not to soften our witness. To be bold in truth, humble in spirit, and open to the discomfort that transformation asks of us. To welcome seekers not only with words, but with the work that love requires of us publicly, courageously, and faithfully.

As one Friend reminds us: "At the centre of it all is not Quaker practice. It is love."

QuakerSpeak is a weekly video series. New video every other FRIDAY! SUPPORT QuakerSpeak! https://quakerspeak.com/donate/SUBSCRIBE for a new video every oth...

15/01/2026

In a world that constantly pulls at our attention, Quaker worship offers something radically countercultural: stillness.

Rick Ells reminds us that being constantly on high alert dulls our deeper capacities our intuition, empathy, and wisdom. Centering is not a luxury; it is a return to ourselves and to that of God within us.

Before we can welcome the sacred, we may first need to clear the space. To let the noise settle. To ready the inner room.

May we each find moments today to gently lay down the weight of the world… and centre into presence.

11/11/2025

Today, as the world commemorates November 11, a day marked by history for the armistice that ended World War I, we find a moment of deep reflection in the Quaker community. In the spirit of our long-standing commitment to peace and non-violence, this day holds a special meaning.

The Quakers, or the Religious Society of Friends, have always stood as a beacon of peace in the tumultuous seas of conflict. Our history is steeped in the pursuit of peaceful resolutions, holding firm to the belief that war and violence are fundamentally incompatible with the spiritual life.

On this day, we remember not only the end of a great war but also the continuous struggle and advocacy for peace. We honour those who have suffered in conflicts, and we reaffirm our dedication to creating a world where such suffering is no longer necessary.

Let's use this November 11 as a day to reflect on the true cost of war and the enduring value of peace. We encourage friends, families, and communities to join us in contemplation, conversation, and action towards a more peaceful world.

In the spirit of understanding and compassion, we extend our hands and hearts to all those working towards peace. Together, we can build a future that honours the dignity and worth of every person.

If "War is not the Answer" what is? Diane Randall of FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation) talks Quaker pacifism, pentagon spending, and the mili...