Oxford college holds Quaker-style Meeting
Twelve people attended a 'Quaker-style Meeting' at Harris Manchester College
Twelve people came to a Quaker-style Meeting held at Harris Manchester College last week. Described as an ‘invitation to stillness’, the Oxford college held the event on 6 November and invited attenders to gather at the end of the chapel seated in an arc shape. The college said: ‘Someone may or may not be moved to speak into the silence.’
Susannah Reid, chaplain of the college, told the Friend that she had been to many Quaker-style services herself. ‘Oxford is a very wordy place, so I thought having a time for listening would be just what we needed. We’re also a very international college with people from all kinds of backgrounds and silence is a universal thing. I was a bit nervous before, but after the service, people were very appreciative.
‘One woman said she was surprised by what memories and thoughts came up. It’s a very normal thing for Quakers to do [to sit in silence], but for other people it’s very unusual and they were surprised how it affected them.’
There will be another Quaker-style service at the Chapel on 12 February.
