Food for thought

Into Friends House at quite a civilised hour this morning. Blogging with the sausage factory last night and subsequent transport adventures meant I wasn't home 'til 2am!

I went into the restaurant for a hearty but cheap breakfast. I sat with Anne Hosking, a Quaker Life staff member. Anne has done lots of work on Eldership & Oversight, and is full of Quaker insights.

Although we were both tired, we had really interesting conversation. Yearly Meeting can be studded with inspiring chats like these.

A few gems from Anne included the thought that 'experience' was a better word than 'belief'. Anne feels that it's much easier to listen to someone talk of their 'Quaker experience'. For many, the word 'belief' can have quite negative connotations. The word 'experience', on the other hand, doesn't deny the possibility of other experiences.

Another idea which clicked with me is whether a meeting for worship is closed, ended, or completed. These are very similar terms, and it might seem pedantic to distinguish between them. However, the words closed and ended suggest that something is being interrupted before it is finished. Complete, on the other hand, is much more positive. It suggests that the worship we are doing has come to a natural end, without closing it off from the rest of our lives (which can be equally worshipful).

A few small words, but meaningful to me. As Anne said, I offer these to you.

Thank you, Anne.

towards Britain Yearly Meeting

Welcome

Hello, welcome to Britain Yearly Meeting blog.

What is Britain Yearly Meeting blog?

This blog is an attempt by some Quakers to bring the 2007 event of Britain Yearly Meeting to a wider audience.

Britain Yearly Meeting takes place in May 2007. The purpose, was explained by Quakers of Yearly Meeting in London in 1668:

"We did conclude among ourselves to settle a meeting, to see one another's faces, and open our hearts one to anohter in the Truth of God once a year, as formerly it used to be."

What will the blog achieve?

The blog may open BYM up to people who have not been able to come.

It may also make Quakers who have never been to BYM more aware about what goes on there.

The blog may share something of Quakers with people who are new to the Society.

Who are the BYM bloggers?

The Britain Yearly Meeting bloggers, are Jez (me), John, Simon and Wess.


Links within blogs

Bloggers often put links within blogs. For example in the first section of this post, if you click on the names which are in a different colour to the rest of the text and are underlined, then you will be taken to a different website.

A bit about us

Jez (me): member of Colchester & Coggeshall Monthly Meeting, attender at Peckham Recognised Meeting, co-editor of Young Quaker, the monthly magazine of Young Quaker, blogger at Quaker Street and member of the Young Friends General Meeting Rewrite Appeal 2007 group.

John: a Westminster Meeting man, John works at Friends House, where, among other things, he edits Quaker News and was greatly involved in the 2005 World Gathering of Young Friends.

Simon: attender at Telford Meeting, Quaker Life Representative Council member for Young Friends General Meeting, overseer of Young Friends General Meeting and blogger at Underthegreenhill.

Wess: Quaker currently worshipping at Pasadena Mennonite Church in the US. You can learn a lot more about Wess here.

What you can expect from the blog

You can expect a blog that shares something of BYM, doesn't break confidentiality and provides perspectives from Quakers from different backgrounds.

There might be interviews, contributions from other people, pictures and possibly links to video and podcast material.

Links

If you have a website or a blog, please add this blog to your links.

Please tell other people about the blog.

Blog about the blog.

Leave a message and if you have a blog make sure that you leave a link to it, so that other people can read it too.

If you have added a link to this blog, leave a comment, so that we might be able to link back to you.