Issue 28-10-2016
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Thought for the Week: A spiritual home
Religion has always been important in my life. As a child, I regularly attended a Church of England service and was part of the choir that sang every Sunday. I was a choral scholar before university, then commuted every weekend to sing in various churches around London.
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On discipline
The 1860s were a time of great change for the Religious Society of Friends, the Quakers, in Britain. During that decade the ‘old’ gave way to the ‘new’. Before 1860 Quakers were easily distinguished by their dress (plain and grey), their speech (using ‘thee’ and ‘thou’, the ‘First Day’ for Sunday, â€...
Simplicity: The Twelve Steps
When I started the series of interviews that I conducted for my 2016 Eva Koch scholarship I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t expect to find such a deep well of spiritual simplicity within the realms of addiction.
Should land be owned?
The Principles for a new economy, put forward after much consultation by the Quaker new economy project, states as the goal for a society that reflects Quaker testimonies: All (including future beings) have an equal right to access and make use of global commons such as land, soil, water, air,...
The Living Wage
Living Wage Week is between Sunday 30 October and Saturday 5 November. This is not George Osborne’s National Living Wage, which is just a hike up of the minimum wage, but an hourly rate of pay set by the Living Wage Foundation, based on calculations made by The Centre for Research...
From the archive: War and the Social Order
From the 19 to the 22 October 1916 Friends held a conference on ‘War and the Social Order’. It was organised by a committee appointed by the Yearly Meeting and was reported in the Friend of 27 October. The conference was well attended and the discussion wide-ranging. The committee had prepared a memorandum that...
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Churches demand end to destruction in Aleppo
Quakers in Britain have joined the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Church in Wales, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church in releasing a statement calling for an end to the bombardment of Aleppo.Â
Historic Jewish celebration at Friargate
The terrace at Friargate Meeting House in York was the setting for the first sukkah – a temporary shelter made out of branches, leaves, fruit and vegetables – built in the city in more than four decades.
Charity head moves to Quaker organisations
Campbell Robb, chief executive of the homelessness charity Shelter, is to take the helm of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT).
White poppy appeal to remember all victims
The organisation that produces white poppies is calling for Remembrance Day to focus on supporting all victims of war rather than glamorising the armed forces.
Scottish Friends mark anniversary
A new labyrinth has been created to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Quakers worshipping in St Andrews.
Central England Friends focus on carbon
More than a dozen Friends from seven Meetings attended the Central England Quakers Low Carbon Commitment Forum in Coventry on 15 October.
Friends promote tax bill
Friends from Manchester and Warrington Area Meeting held an hour-long silent vigil to draw attention to the Income Tax (Non-Military Expenditure) Bill.
Eye - 28 October 2016
A Foxy selfie The first performance of a play called ‘George Fox takes a selfie’ was put on at Taunton Meeting in September. The play was written by Avril Silk, of Wellington Meeting, and gave a few familiar names some unusual experiences.
Letters - 28 October 2016
Capitalism and peace I read G Gordon Steel’s article (21 October) while coming home from a ‘Justice and Peace’ day in Lancaster. Here we addressed issues similar to those raised by Gordon: How to speak ‘truth to power’, ‘when the powerful tend now to be faceless and remote from us?’ ...