Quakers and Worship, Nature, and Hunting

Quaker Worship, Nature, and Hunting

The episode introduces Timothy Tarkelly, a Quaker in Chanute, Kansas with a deep love for nature. Tarkelly draws parallels between the stillness of Quaker worship and his experiences in the outdoors, emphasizing the power of silence and anticipation in both settings. He wrote the Friends Journal article, Allowable Diversions: A Friend Explores the Morality of Hunting. 

Timothy published several books of poetry including On Slip Rigs and Spiritual Growth (OAC Books), Objects We Know We Don’t Deserve: Poems on Dutch Art (Alien Buddha Press), and Gently in Manner, Strongly in Deed: Poems on Eisenhower (Spartan Press). He recently collaborated with Elena Samarsky, a Ukrainian visual artist, on a work of paintings and poems entitled All Other Forms of Expression. When he’s not writing, he teaches English and Debate to students who, according to Timothy, are far more talented and interesting than he is.

You can find Timothy’s squirrel quiche recipe below. 

Follow Timothy on Twitter/X and Instagram.

LGBTQ Identity and Quakerism

Erin Wilson's story shines a light on LGBTQ inclusion within Quakerism. She demonstrates how questioning and embracing equality are integral to both her Quaker faith and her journey of self-discovery. Wilson's tale underscores the significance of creating space for diverse identities within the community. You can see Erin Wilson’s QuakerSpeak video and other QuakerSpeak videos at the QuakerSpeak YouTube Channel or at QuakerSpeak.com. 

Navigating Christianity and Quakerism

Mark Russ' reflections on the intersection of Christianity and Quakerism offer insights into the complexities of his faith. Russ, who lives in Birmingham, United Kingdom, candidly shares his experience as a Christian within the Quaker community in the UK, exploring the struggle of reconciling his identity with the broader Quaker ethos.

His queerness adds another layer to his journey of embracing his Christianity which he explores in his book Quaker-Shaped Christianity, How the Jesus Story and the Quaker Way Fit Together. Read William Shetter’s review of Quaker Shaped Christianity on Friends Journal online. 

Mark Russ is a writer, theologian and teacher. Since 2013 Mark has written useful, Quaker-shaped Christian theology on his blog jollyquaker.com. From 2015 to 2022 he was a member of the Learning and Research Team at The Woodbrooke Centre, an international Quaker learning and research organization based in Britain. Before retraining as a theologian, Mark enjoyed a successful decade as a music teacher in London, and spent a year visiting and living in various faith-based intentional communities in the UK and USA. He is currently a full time PhD student at the University of Nottingham, researching liberal Quaker theology and whiteness. He lives with his husband in Birmingham, England.

Follow Mark on Twitter/X and LinkedIn.

You will find a complete transcript of this episode at QuakersToday.org.

After the episode concludes we share voicemails from listeners who answered the question, What was a time when you rebelled and why?

Question for next month

Here is our question for you to consider. Who is someone who has inspired your faith or worldview?

Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S.

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online.

Season Two of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee 

Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of change makers. Visit AFSC.org. 

Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at podcast@friendsjournal.org.

Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. You heard Noche de Sueños by Lawd Ito, Against a Paler Sky by Hushed, Es Solo by Mimmi Bangoura, Keep Together by Indigo Days, Could Have Been Us, by Blue Topaz

Timothy Tarkelly’s Squirrel Quiche Recipe

Squirrel Quiche is a two-part process. Before you can make the quiche, you need to cook the squirrel. I developed this recipe on my own. Once you get it down, you can use the meat to make a variety of dishes: quiche, pizza, bbq sliders, soup, tacos, etc.

Slow Cooked Squirrel

Ingredients:

1-2 Squirrels, skinned and gutted

As many cloves of garlic as you can handle

1 tbsp each of salt, pepper, and oregano

Half an onion

1 peeled lemon (helps with gamey flavor - can also use lime, vinegar, or some other source of acid)

1 can of beer (I use NA Busch, as I don’t drink alcohol)

6 cups of water 

4 bullion cubes

Steps:

1. In a crockpot, place the squirrels in the crockpot. Add all other ingredients.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (fox squirrels tend to take longer than gray squirrels).
3. Remove squirrels and place in a large bowl.
4. Let the squirrels cool until you can touch them without burning your hands.
5. Carefully remove the meat from the bones. Arms, legs, and back strap are the easiest and most enjoyable pieces, the rib, belly, and spine meat is much more difficult to get, is more stringy, and is optional. However, I always go for it. 
6. Discard bones and remove any bbs from the meat if you find any (only a problem if you hunt with a shotgun).
7. This meat can be used in a variety of dishes.

Squirrel Quiche

Ingredients:

3-4 strips of bacon

A cup of diced green onions

1 diced serrano or 1 small jalapeno

Salt & Pepper

Tony Chachare’s creole seasoning (or your own cajun blend of salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder).

1.5 cups of shredded cheese

6 eggs

Pre-made pie crust

Steps:

1. Preheat oven at 375
2. In a skillet, cook the bacon until desired crispiness (mine is basically burnt) and crumble into small pieces. 
3. Put the pie crust in a nine-inch pie pan (it helps to let the crust warm up on the counter for 20-30 minutes beforehand.
4. Add the bacon, green onions, squirrel, serrano, and 1 cup of cheese into the pan.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the six eggs until smooth and consistent.
6. Pour the eggs over all of the ingredients in the pie pan.
7. Add the remaining cheese on top.
8. Place in the oven for 40 minutes. 
9. Let cool, slice, and then serve.