Issue 25-02-2022
Featured story
Centre of attention: Terry Faull’s Thought for the Week
At the bottom of my garden there is a green lane. In one direction it leads to the parish church, which has a curvilinear enclosure that suggests it has been a sacred site since at least Celtic times. In the other direction the lane runs alongside a wood that was...
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As miserable as sin: Margaret Cook listens to Milton Keynes Friends rethink Augustine
Late last year, Friends in Milton Keynes focussed on the hymn ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’, written by the nineteenth-century Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Verse three describes Jesus withdrawing to the hills ‘to share with Thee/the silence of eternity interpreted by love.’
State of mind: For Keith Archer, an old photograph speaks to a contemporary situation
Recently, as I was sorting through some clutter, I came across an old photograph, dated 16 July 1963. It was a group photograph of the staff of Abeokuta Grammar School, Nigeria, and the writing on the back described it as the ‘Send-off photograph in honour of Mr & Mrs Vogel, Messrs. Edun,...
Quakers celebrate LGBT history month
Quakers have celebrated LGBT history this month through outreach and art. Exmouth Quakers invited members and allies of the LGBT community to join them as part of the town’s Exmouth Pride festival. Linking with its mind, body and spirit theme, the Exmouth Pride organisers wrote on Facebook: ‘It was...
Loving Earth: Some starting points for Earthcare – an alphabet book from the Quaker Arts Network
The Quaker Arts Network, which hopefully is familiar to many readers, has a soul child: The Loving Earth Project. It comprises a series of fabric panels on an ecological theme, and everyone is invited to be part of it. I would personally describe it as creative campaign, using textile art...
The high life: David L Saunders on an ecumenical matter
Like Michael Saunders (17 December) I confess to ‘high’ Quaker tendencies. While I treasure our witness to simplicity in corporate worship, I do find spiritual strength and focus from lighting my morning prayer candle. Symbols can have power and meaning – after all, Quakers have made great use of ‘Light’ over the...
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Quakers urge peace in Ukraine
Quakers have spoken out about the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Philip Austin, convenor of the Northern Friends Peace Board (NFPB), said: ‘This is a deeply worrying time and I hope we can play a useful role by providing and facilitating support, and by sharing information.’
Bristol Peace Lecture draws inspiration from West Africa
Bristol Quakers have chosen a sacred West African musical instrument to accompany this year’s annual Peace Lecture. The event next month will feature playwright and activist Ros Martin and Cameroon musician Alphonse Daudet Touna.
Juliet Prager leaves BYM post
Juliet Prager, the deputy recording clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) since 2013, will be leaving her post at the end of May.
Woodbrooke considers way forward
Woobrooke has said that it will no longer be offering bed and breakfast as it is not financially viable. A statement from the centre says: ‘While the Woodbrooke Centre has remained open for most of the last two years, the business model that the centre was operating before the pandemic...
We Speak Crisis Here, by Violet White
This small pamphlet of poems is remarkable. I commend it to any Friend who feels deeply the wounds we witness and experience in the world. White speaks from the heart of the intense suffering in our world, and of unbearable and unthinkable atrocities. She lays them before us in poetic...
The chrysalis
One hot afternoon in France, exhausted and longing for shade, I perched upon a wayside pile of logs, gingerly… for fear of snakes…
Letters - 25 February 2022
Prepared readings When we were unable to meet in person, our Meeting’s pastoral team decided to offer a suggested reading from Quaker faith & practice each week. The thinking was that if we were all to read the passage at home at the beginning of our usual Meeting time,...