Q-Eye - 07 October 2011

From bee-keeping to rapping

Bees and their keeper

‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy’

Joan King of Bakewell Meeting, has reminded Eye of these famous words in Hamlet by William Shakespeare – and that life is sometimes full of surprises. She was recently very moved by the account of an unusual event. One day a beekeeper, who knew that he was dying, asked his wife to ‘tell the bees’.

During the night he died. The next morning his wife went to the bee hives and said to the bees ‘the master has died and I am your new keeper’. On the day of the funeral a swarm of bees flew into the church and settled themselves. At the end of the service they flew out again.

Hold your tongue

A Friend has reminded Eye of a humorous story that has ‘come down’ from an old Quaker family. A young man, from this family, used to get very embarrassed when his mother ministered in Meeting. She was a well-known Friend, with a gift for ministry, and spoke practically every week.

One Sunday in Meeting, he was so desperate to avert the inevitable ‘offering’ from his mother that he prayed earnestly and continuously – that, just this once, God might not inspire her to speak. As the hands of the clock crept closer to the hour and the end of Meeting he felt an enormous sense of relief. She had not spoken and it seemed that she was not going to. He changed his prayers to prayers of thanks – whereupon his mother promptly stood up and sang!

Rapping in Chelmsford

There are many ways to minister in a Quaker meeting. Brian Wardrop of Chelmsford Meeting has informed Eye of a highly creative one offered in their ‘not quite ministry slot’ recently.

A member of the Meeting, he says, ‘tried some rap ministry (you have to imagine the beat – supplied by members of the Meeting!)’. It was inspired by the posting on YouTube from Jon Watts, a Pendle Hill Friend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XlMkK4_kTg). We recommend it!

Ministry comes in different ways
With sober words or songs of praise
Just let the Light show you how
Hey, rapping is the way of now

I’m a Quaker

In olden days they had something to say
Well, we still need to show the way
Peace, Truth, Equality, Simplicity
This way of living brings us into unity

I’m a Quaker

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