Issue 13-04-2018
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Thought for the Week: Quaker discipline - Letting go and letting God
‘All Friends understand and live by Quaker discipline. ‘Our discipline is actually “Letting go and letting God”: not “Thou shalt” nor “I will” but “What does Love require of us?” It works when we understand it and practise it. Because we understand it, we can share it with others. Our...
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Membership
In late 2017 a discerning conference entitled ‘Membership Matters (or does it)’ was held in Birmingham. Membership numbers continue to drop, although there are many attenders. Central England Quakers asked: ‘Does this matter? Do we want a larger membership? How does membership affects the wellbeing and life of Quakers? What do...
God, words and us: The pearl of great price
Every once in a while a book comes out which proves to be a marker in the continuing development of Quaker faith and practice. I believe God, words and us will prove to be just such a milestone. In the autumn of 2014 Meeting for Sufferings set up the Book of...
Wake up?
I have noticed an interest in Zen Buddhism arising amongst some Quakers today. I think all Friends should be aware that Zen Buddhist monks encouraged the young men of Japan to take up arms on behalf of the emperor during the second world war.
New light from an unexpected source
Last year I spent a week contemplating the life of saint Clare. You may think this is an unusual thing for a Quaker to be doing but we are encouraged to be ‘open to new light, from whatever source it may come’ (Advices & queries 7).
Not all in the mind
When I worked as a professional in the field of mental health the people who sought my help were often deeply distressed, and came to me as a last resort, having looked for relief elsewhere without success. Nonetheless, they were still able to communicate enough for us jointly to begin...
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Meeting for Sufferings: Appeals, sustainability and truth
Friends travelled from all parts of Britain to Friends House on Saturday 7 April for Meeting for Sufferings with appeal processes, sustainability, truth and integrity among the concerns addressed.
Meeting for Sufferings: Britain Yearly Meeting trustees
Ingrid Greenhow, clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) trustees, began the report of the most recent meeting of BYM trustees on an upbeat note.
Meeting for Sufferings: Final report of Appeal Review Group
‘If we are listening to each other, we should be able to reach clarity,’ Beryl Milner told Meeting for Sufferings on 7 April. She is the convenor of the Appeal Review Group – set up in December 2016 to appraise possible amendments to the appeals procedures described in Quaker faith & practice sections 4.2...
Friends respond to Gaza
A statement on the ongoing conflict in Gaza has been released by Friends House calling on ‘the Israeli military to end their violent use of live gunfire on unarmed protesters, in clear violation of international law’.
Faith groups urge re-think on tax credit limit
One year after the two-child limit policy with regard to child tax credits was introduced, faith representatives, including Paul Parker, recording clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting, are urging the government to re-think it.
George Cadbury is ‘top Brummie’
George Cadbury has been voted Birmingham’s ‘top Brummie’ in a Twitter-based vote organised by the Birmingham St Mary’s hospice.
Letters - 13 April 2018
Post-truth Tony Philpott’s forthright article on ‘Truth, garbage and politics’ (30 March) was welcome. Politicians have always delivered half-truths and ambiguous rhetoric to a sometimes angry electorate. The difference today is that ‘alternative facts’ have become elevated, largely via the use of social media, to the status of a ‘norm’...