Friday 27 April 2007

bym on the brain


daybreak, zanzibar
Originally uploaded by jez s.
In a dream that I had last night, I was in BYM and an elder eldered me for talking in session.

I tried to protest and so she asked me if I had listened to what she had said.

Then she asked me what she had just said, but I couldn't remember.

What does it all mean?

Thursday 26 April 2007

link up to us like Ealing Quakers have!

Hurrah for Ealing Quakers link page.

Also thanks to Sam for the tip off.

Wednesday 25 April 2007

join in the action


join in the action
Originally uploaded by jez s.
oh no! not another blog-based poster from the walkers of Quaker Street?

'Fraid so, folks!

Friday 20 April 2007

britainyearlymeeting.blog


britainyearlymeeting.blog
Originally uploaded by jez s.



Join in: tag your blog post or flickr pic with

quaker.britainym

and see all the posts at quakerquaker.

Friday 13 April 2007

the Meeting is gathering


A classic Quaker sign
Originally uploaded by jez s.
There are only three weeks until Britain Yearly Meeting 2007.

If you haven't already got them, documents in advance are available from the Friends House Bookshop (see post below).

There is no need to register in advance, as long as you are a member of a Meeting within Britain Yearly Meeting.

If you are not an official member, you will need to provide a letter, on registration, from your local Meeting. Young Friends can arrange for letters from the clerk of Young Friends General Meeting, if they contact the YFGM office in advance.

Members from other Yearly Meetings will need to provide a specific letter from their Yearly Meeting, or, a travelling minute.

When I worked at the Quaker UN Office in Geneva as a volunteer for 2 months in 2002, I took a travelling minute with me. I announced myself at the end of a Meeting for Worship and presented my letter. The person dealing with notices, took the letter and put it away.

They were good sports at Geneva and a few weeks later some of us young Friends took over the Meeting for a day. We told people that it was 'open day' at the Meeting House and consequently several people came to worship with us for the first time, who had said that they did not want to go to a meeting for worship if there would only be established Quakers there.

I was the doorkeeper and read notices. One Friend was visiting from the US on business and gave me a travelling minute. Following previous form, I put it to one side, only for the fellow to tell me that this was his travelling minute and when handed over, it must be read to the whole Meeting!

Hopefully, as we prepare ourselves for Britain Yearly Meeting, we won't be too silent, but we will soon gather...

Wednesday 11 April 2007

*waves*



Name: Laura
Blog: silentblog
Location: Southeast London, UK
Testimonies: compassion for animals, being teetotal, speaking truth to sexism, not breeding
Etc: Hello there. I'm 32 years old, live with my boyfriend and work for The Children's Society as an Administration Manager. I've been coming to Quaker meetings since 1999 and am a member of Southwark, Lewisham and Bromley MM. My own meeting is Blackheath: www.blackheathquakers.org.uk where I'm 'QPSW Correspondent' and sometimes doorkeeper.

I've also been involved in YFGM since 1999 and currently hold the post of Meeting for Sufferings Rep. On the side, outreach is a big interest for me, and I've worked a bit with Quaker Quest on outreach in London to students. Occasionally I contribute to Young Quaker magazine, but mostly I just write in my blog. 2007 will be my first ever BYM. One of the reasons I never went before is because I wasn't certain whether it was ok to just invite myself. In particular I'm looking forward to the 'Quakers and the State' stuff and the Swarthmore Lecture because I've met Beth Allen.

Non-quaker stuff I do includes cycling, going to the theatre, vegan cake-baking, vegan tourism, trying out the various classes available at the gym, reading wikipedia, Harry Potter fandom, feminist zinestering and learning French.

Friday 6 April 2007

Documents in advance


food stall
Originally uploaded by jez s.
Documents in advance of Britain Yearly Meeting are now out. They've been out for a while, but I didn't know this until the other day.

You can access them at this website.

The documents are: -

Quaker Work in 2006
Documents in advance of Yearly Meeting at Friends House London (May 4-7, 2007)
Epistles and Testimonies

And there is a timetable and a tabular statement too (see the first link, above).

I bought the big 3 from Friends House bookshop (+44 (0) 20 7663 1030) at £6 each, because I don't own a printer and there are 437 pages across the 3 documents (plus covers).

I hope that they are printed on recycled paper or sustainably forested paper, but I haven't found anything so far to suggest that they are (or aren't). I will try and clarify this point within the next seven days.

Sunday 1 April 2007

A Short Introduction

Hi Everyone, I am C. Wess Daniels. I am 28 years old, a husband, oldest of nine children and I love riding bikes. Normally I blog at gathering in light about theology, culture, technology and Quaker faith, but I've been invited to be a blogger for BYM this year as well.

I am from the U.S., born and raised in the Ohio, and currently living in Los Angeles, California with my wife of 5 years, Emily. I am currently a PhD student at Fuller Theological Seminary. There I am a student in the School of Intercultural Studies, where I am investigating our rapidly changing culture and it's effects on church life and mission from a Quaker perspective. Another aspect of Quakerism I am looking into is how older church traditions transition from one culture into another. Both topics I feel to be crucial in our ever shifting cultural landscapes.

The reason why I am coming to England this summer is to do a directed tutorial with Quaker scholar Ben Pink Dandelion at the University of Birmingham. I will be living at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre during my stay and am really looking forward to meeting all kinds of wonderful new people.

Because I have been blogging quite awhile I've had the chance to make some Quaker friends in the U.K., namely Simon and Jez. Simon and I have been friends online for almost two years now and has been a big part in helping me come out to Birmingham for my study. When he heard that I was for sure coming in the summer he urged me to try and align my visit with BYM so I could attend. Not only did that work out but John Fitzgerald and Jez ended up inviting us to blog for the event.

I am really looking forward to the opportunity to participate in the community life of European Quakers and anticipate loads of new experiences, tons of learning and I expect to make a some friends in the process!