Photo: An extract from 'Advices & queries' 1.
Eye - 07 March 2025
An experiment by the Quaker Arts Network, sharing a story of coming to Quakerism, Quaker spotting in a quick crossword, and mindful colouring
Arts and worship
The Quaker Arts Network (QAN) has been running a series of online experiments. Linda Murgatroyd shared how it’s been going with Eye.
‘The online sessions were inspired by conversations at the time of Yearly Meeting last year, and a wish to offer spiritual nurture and community through the arts. We thought it might be particularly valued by those spending much of their time at home.’
The sessions are being arranged by John Lampen, and Linda told Eye: ‘So far we have had a sequence of poetry readings, reflections on Piero Della Francesca’s “The Baptism of Christ” and some recorded extracts from The Fire and the Hammer, an oratorio about the early life of George Fox.
‘A deeply gathered worship has quickly been reached each time, with the aid of the prepared ministry, and it has been very enriching. It has also has been amazing to hear the variety of responses to each offering, with many people contributing to the “afterwords”. The arts seem to empower us to express spiritual experience with greater confidence than usual.’
For information about the final session on 11 March, see: https://quakerarts.net/events.
A story to share
Eye is delighted to be getting contributions sharing how you came to Quakerism!
David G Bower, of Wooldale Meeting, writes: ‘What a pleasure to turn to the Q Eye page [14 February]… Fat Cat cartoon making a return which I thoroughly enjoyed when [it was] a regular feature. A bit of humour is definitely needed in what can sometimes be challenging pages in the Friend… The second item that caught my eye was Quakers and colour… I worked all my life in the textile and clothing industry and colour matching was a part of my job…
‘Thirdly, an invitation to tell your Quaker journey. Mine is fairly unremarkable but one that in the future will probably not occur again. A birthright Friend. Growing up in a Quaker family, going to a Quaker school and meeting lots of my mother’s and grandmother’s generations of Quaker cousins… One of the founding members, in the seventeenth century, of the Meeting I have always attended, Wooldale, was my six times great-grandfather.
‘Then, finally, to the ditty… Yes, very catchy! But, on a serious note, with mention of Zoom…It has its uses, particularly for Business Meetings, but please don’t let it become the prominent method of Quaker communication. In my experience, deep worship needs to be in person and ideally in our own Meeting houses, buildings have memories and souls that they can share with us.’
Quaker spotting
J Trevor Evans, from Harpenden, writes: ‘Friends may be interested to hear that QUAKER was a solution to a clue in today’s [25 February] Quick Crossword in The Guardian. The clue was “Inner Light Christian”, which could take the prize for the most succinct definition of a Quaker.’
