First aid or anchor? Gill Grimshaw wants a rethink on eldership

‘Should we value eldership more highly?’

by Gill Grimshaw 6th February 2026

An elder was once asked, ‘How do you differentiate between mediation and worship?’ They replied that, ‘If I am meditating, I still myself to connect my body with my surroundings. If I worship I still myself to connect with the divine.’ In all our Meetings for Worship we seek collectively to connect with the divine as our guide to living our lives, and focussing our actions. Quakers don’t differentiate on this according to the purpose of the Meeting. Whether purely for worship or for business, learning or threshing, all seek connection with the divine, with something beyond ourselves as a guide for our actions.