Issue 19-05-2017
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Thought for the Week: Today
There is a great spiritual poverty in the world today, especially in the Western world. This, it could be argued, began with the decline of the main Western religion, Christianity. It came about with the questioning of the credibility of the Bible and, because it has been taken as the...
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Tweaking the testimonies
Not long ago I spent a week in the cellars of Quaker House in Brussels. This was to take stock of the archive of the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA), starting when it was set up in 1979. What I found myself focusing on was the first four years, when...
Equality and education
For more than a hundred years Yorkshire Friends have joined together over the Easter period to enjoy each other’s company, to worship, to learn and, more recently, to appreciate the spacious comfort and gardens of Cober Hill in Cloughton, Scarborough, purchased by Arnold Rowntree in 1920. This year the welcome...
Words, faith and action: Testimony
‘The task of testimony is the task of speaking and doing God’s truth, of coming to the light and walking in the Light…’ - Rachel Muers in Testimony: Quakerism and Theological Ethics In her book, Testimony: Quakerism and Theological Ethics, Rachel Muers offers a fascinating and important exploration of...
Images of Christ: Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
When I started this series, I knew it would probably be as much about me as Jesus. By the third month it was beginning to dawn on me that it was probably not by coincidence that this idea had come to me this particular year. As we struggle with the...
Children of the Stone
‘Children of the Stone’ is a phrase used to describe the young Palestinians of the First Intifada (1987-93) who threw stones at the Israeli invaders of their country because they could think of no other way of defending their land after the invasion of 1987. Sandy Tolan, in his book of...
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Friends from Europe and the Middle East meet in Bonn
The Annual Meeting of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) Europe and Middle East Section (EMES) took place in Bonn from 4 to 7 May, exploring the theme of ‘Vibrant Meetings, Vibrant Section’.
Plan to close Walden School
Trustees of Friends’ School Saffron Walden, which was rebranded last year as Walden School, are proposing to close it at the end of the summer term on 7 July. Staff and parents were informed of this on 10 May via meetings and written correspondence.
New website and branding for Woodbrooke
The Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre has launched a new website alongside a new logo and branding.
A quarter of Meetings say no to fossil fuels
More than a quarter of Meetings in Britain have made a commitment to no longer invest in the fossil fuel industry, Britain Yearly Meeting has announced.
Catholic groups opt for more divestment
Nine Catholic organisations from around the world have announced their decision to divest their portfolios from fossil fuel companies in the largest joint Catholic divestment to date.
Eye - 19 May 2017
In the footsteps of Dorti Owen As the country gears up for a general election on 8 June, a Quaker connection to the scene of Theresa May’s decision has come to light. It has been reported that the prime minister changed her mind about calling a snap election whilst on...
Letters - 19 May 2017
Affirming young children (5 May) Affirming all children, and their parents, and others in loco parentis, is an integral part of being a Quaker Meeting. In my experience the pre-toddler’s ‘vocal ministry’, and the ‘moving about to greet Friends in the stillness’ of a toddler, is usually an absolute joy. ...