The Sanctuary of the Soul: Selected Writings

This tiny book -- 71 pages, including the appendix -- is just right for someone who wants to learn about this 20th century Quaker mystic or someone who wants to carry around tidbits from his books (A Testament of Devotion; The Eternal Promise; Reality of the Spiritual World) and letters to his wife, Lael Kelly. Chapters include thoughts on praying, as well as reflections on a spiritual marriage, on amazing people he met in Germany during a visit in 1938, on "running away into God," on "holy obedience" and so much more, all stuffed into this little book. The only down-side I can find is that it leaves you longing for more, and so wanting to read more of his works (Testament of Devotion is highly recommended.) In Special Concerns (to be found in the aforementioned book) Kelly writes "We have tried to discover the grounds of social responsibility and social sensitivity of Friends. It is not in mere humanitariansm. It is not in mreer pity. It is not in anything earthly. The social concern of Friends is grounded in an experience -- an experience of the Love of God and of the impulse to saviorhood inheart in the fresh quickenings of that life. Social concern is the dynamic Life of God at work in the world, made special and emphatic and unique, particularized in each individual or group who is sensitive and tender in the leading-strings of love. A concern is God-initiated, often surprising, always holy, for the Life of God is breaking through into the world. Its execution is in peace and power and astounding faith and joy, for in unhurried serenity the Eternal is at work in the midst of time, triumphantly bringing things up unto Himself."Kelly repeatedly states that there is that of God in everyone (a basic to Quaker beliefs, and strongly states that what believers need is not so much the Bible as the Living Word - all of which softens some of what this liberal Friend finds a bit close to conservative Quakerism.All that aside, this is a lovely book. This pocket-sized book also includes a small autobiograph of Kelly, who was born near Chillicothe, Ohio in 1893 and died in 1947 just as he'd begun to compile a short book that would contain some of his speeches and lectures.Here is that book -- if you are interested in Quakerism, especially fairly recent writings, this is a good choice as a place to begin.