Lara Rae is the host of “What Canst Thou Say”, a podcast about, and by, the Religious Society of Friends in Manitoba – also known as Friends, or Quakers. And if that introduction so far brings up more questions for you, you are in the right place!

What is a Quaker anyway? What draws people to Quaker meetings in Manitoba, and what holds them there? And what’s up with that ‘Canst Thou’ language? Stay tuned and the light will shine on all those questions!

What does it mean to be Quaker? Gwen Anderson travelled all the way to San Francisco to visit Tom Findley, one of the founding members of Winnipeg Quakers, to find some answers for herself.

At the centre of Quaker practice is silent worship. And the first time that Cate Friesen experienced that worship, she found something she didn’t even know she was looking for.

While Quaker meeting is rooted in silent worship, if someone feels compelled by the Spirit to speak, pray or read, the silence will be broken. We call that vocal ministry. Jennifer Dueck lived in Oxford, UK, when she attended her very first Quaker meeting for worship. And she found a profound connection in what Friends had to say in this meeting.

For Quakers, our sense of connection comes from worshipping together, and also in working together. Other religious groups have clergy to marry and bury, but not so for Quakers in Canada. We share this work by committee. And one of the most joyous committees to be on is the one that supports a marriage. Sometimes the work of that committee is spiritual in nature and sometimes it’s very practical. And as Jim Chapryk explains, when that work expresses deeply held shared values, it brings a lot of joy.

How Quaker Dorothy Wise choose to live and to die had a profound effect on many Winnipeg Quakers. When John Samson-Fellows saw how the meeting upheld Dorothy, he was also able to see a place for himself within this community.

George Fox, considered the founder of Quakers back in the 1600’s, is often quoted – “You will say, Christ saith this, and the apostles say this, but what canst thou say?” That was a very radical question to pose then...and now. It reminds us that we are active participants in the pursuit of truth. That no minister or leader can carry that for us.

Wruth Wood gives us a heartfelt inspiring answer to this question -- her life is a testimony.

“What Canst Thou Say” is part of an oral history project by Winnipeg Quakers.

Special thanks to Art Turner for providing the music for this podcast.