‘Ann was determined to lean on her Quaker heritage, choosing Jordans, the burial place of William Penn.’
Just right: Margaret Cook on a unique and historic Meeting
‘She is the 789th high sheriff, and the first to be a Quaker.’
Jordans Meeting House in Buckinghamshire has been described by Simon Jenkins as ‘the Westminster Abbey of Quaker meeting houses’. Recently, a Meeting for Worship was held there that might add to its historical import.
Every year, a church service is held to mark the ceremonial opening of the court services in Buckinghamshire. The tradition dates from the twelfth century, and the service is attended by the county lord-lieutenant, judges, bishops, clergy, chair of the magistrates’ bench, town and city mayors, and high sheriffs from adjacent counties, all resplendent in their formal dress. This year, the high sheriff for Buckinghamshire is Ann Limb, from Milton Keynes Meeting. She is the 789th high sheriff, and the first to be a Quaker.
The high sheriff is an honorary role which supports and promotes the work of: the police; the probation and prison services; the emergency services; and the crime prevention and reduction agencies. For her year of service, Ann has prioritised activities, interventions and visits to organisations working to reduce domestic abuse – in particular the prevention and elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
One of the high sheriff’s responsibilities is to organise the ‘Justice Service’ to mark the beginning of the judicial year. The theme this year was ‘When Mercy Seasons Justice’. Most years, the service is carried out in steeplehouses, but Ann was determined to lean on her Quaker heritage, choosing Jordans, the burial place of William Penn.
With the support of Friends from both Area Meetings involved (Chilterns AM and Luton & Leighton AM), a programmed Meeting for Worship was devised. For most of the 100 or so people present, this was their first experience of a Quaker Meeting – and, indeed, of significant periods of silence. Many attendees expressed appreciation of the ‘unusual’ experience and said they had been ‘moved’ by it. The venue was described as ‘exceptional’, ‘stunning’, ‘a beautiful, peaceful and dignified place’, and the periods of silence ‘unique, moving’ and ‘a revelation’.
Two Quakers acted as elders for the Meeting. It began with representatives from eight different faith (and no-faith) traditions, who offered brief reflections on the theme of mercy and justice. The Meeting also included hymns and readings with the silence. It closed with an unaccompanied rendering of ‘How can I keep from singing?’.
The main speaker was James Jones, the former bishop of Liverpool, who has recently published Justice, for Christ’s Sake. Alan Wilson, the current bishop of Buckingham, acknowledged the history of Jordans by prefacing his opening remarks with gratitude for ‘this extraordinary and holy place’.
The Quakers present did wonder what earlier generations of Friends might have thought of this occasion. We hope they would have grasped the healing intention behind it.
Comments
Isaac and Mary Penington were also buried at Jordans, joining their son-in-law.
By pdahl173@icloud.com on 14th October 2023 - 7:58
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