Issue 25-08-2023
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Rally round: Gerard Guiton’s Thought for the week
Early Quaker William Britten called Meeting for Worship a ‘gift’; it was, he wrote, ‘a wonder to the world’. For me ‘worship’ means loving with One-der – and Meeting often takes place in a symbol of Oneness, a circle. Facing each other offers possibilities for unveiling the love within everyone present....
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The re-shape of things to come: Beth Allen’s journey through grief and illness
Two and a half years ago, my husband died of Covid. He had been frail and virtually housebound for a few years. A month later I was diagnosed with cancer, and began treatment; I had a hysterectomy and chemotherapy.
Friends welcome York’s first rabbi in 800 years
Friargate Meeting House was the site of a historic event in the Jewish community this month – the appointment of York’s first rabbi in 800 years.
Body and soul: Richard Seebohm on the human condition
One of my Quaker heroes is Geoffrey Hubbard, who, in 1981, forecast the future of computerisation and robotics. But there is one underlying issue that Hubbard didn’t pause to reflect on. Perhaps Hamlet expressed it best: ‘What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in...
Refugee tales: Anne M Jones steps out
The timing of this year’s ‘Refugee Tales’ walk could not have been better, coming shortly before the passing of the cruel Illegal Migration Act. To walk over our wonderful countryside, alongside fellow supporters and former detainees, hearing tales of how they survived detention, was restorative and uplifting.
The Living Fountain: Remembrances of Quaker Christianity, by Benjamin Wood
Just look at these chapter headings: ‘The Problem of “Thin” Quakerism’, ‘The Romantic Quakerism of Rufus Jones’, ‘The Unquiet Presence of God’, ‘Recovering the Slow Jesus’, ‘Heaven: Walking the Road with Anne Conway’ – goodness! Who’s Anne Conway? I couldn’t wait, and frankly, now I can’t cope. I...
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Friends join DSEI peace pilgrimage
Quakers are organising a peace pilgrimage to support witness against the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair.
Friends continue to uphold jurors’ rights
Quakers are continuing to uphold the right for jurors to make decisions based on their conscience.
Stop ‘dehumanising asylum seekers’ says BYM
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has called on the government to ‘stop dehumanising asylum seekers’. The government ‘must recognise that of God in everyone’.
Quaker Rainbow’s fiftieth anniversary
Quaker Rainbow will mark its fiftieth anniversary in September. The group started as the Friends Homosexual Fellowship (FHF), which came into being at Woodbrooke in 1973.
Amen to that: Matt Rosen says the Jesus prayer
In worship recently, the refrain Kyrie eléison – Lord, have mercy – has been on my mind. This phrase is found throughout the Psalms, and it occurs at key moments in the Gospels. In the Christian east, it takes a longer form in what is often called the Jesus prayer: ‘Lord...
A will and a way: Sandra Dutson considers inheritance
I made my will in 2008, and sorted power of attorney a few years later. My primary consideration was that my daughters would find dealing with my affairs as straightforward as possible. The will gave more or less three equal shares to my two daughters and Christian Aid. Although I think...
Eye - 25 August 2023
New chapters Is your Meeting planning any events to reach out to new students arriving in your town next month? Share your shenanigans with us! A Friend called Francis Eye has heard further talk of Quaker involvement in the American revolution, and may well have underestimated the contributions made by...
The worship of nature
The harp at Nature’s advent strung Has never ceased to play; The song the stars of morning sung Has never died away. And prayer is made, and praise is given, By all things near and far; The ocean looketh up to heaven, ...
Letters - 25 August 2023
Hope I was pleased to see the warm responses to Paul Hodgkin’s honest and moving article (30 June). I’ve struggled with the idea of ‘hope’ for many years, so his reflections really resonated for me. There is just one word I would like to add to his prescription of ...