tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57577900874746090972024-03-13T08:23:52.325+00:00Sheffield QuakersReflections and discussion from Quakers in Sheffield.Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.comBlogger313125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-63486328052093010022017-03-03T16:02:00.000+00:002017-03-03T16:02:40.172+00:00Quaker Work and Quaker Play<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>This is Tim Herrick's 'Inner Quest' talk at Sheffield Central Meeting in January.</i></div>
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My themes today are Quaker work, and Quaker play; and the
personal examples I will explore are my paid employment at the University, and
my family life with Jayne and Isaac.
These are both areas of work - teaching as paid work, and the effort
that goes into constructing a functional, let alone happy, family life - and
play - doing fun things with lively people, whether in the walls of the
University or at home. I present them
here as examples of playing and working, and want to explore how my Quaker
identity - the things I try to be, do, and say - underpins them both. They may not speak to you as examples, which
is entirely fine; and I hope here to start a conversation about work and play
where your own stories can be told.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One reason for thinking about working and playing in a
Quaker way is that in both of the main activities of my life - teaching, and
being a husband and father - I am frequently required to improvise. Neither area is definite, fixed, or certain;
a student’s question might take a class off in an entirely different direction;
Isaac might decide today is the day he wants to jump in puddles rather than
walk to the cornershop. I need to be
able to respond no matter what, and address the emerging needs of others as
well as myself. In the necessary absence of definite things to do next, it’s
useful to have a bigger sense of what I would like to happen - the shape of an
outcome, not a clear picture. So as a
parent and a teacher I am regularly confronted by new situations where I don’t
know what to do, and my Quaker faith and practice helps in several ways. Firstly, it reminds me that I’m not alone in
carrying my troubles, nor am I the first to feel lost among life’s way. Secondly, it offers a still point of deeper
belief by which to orientate myself.
Thirdly, it offers wisdom, experience, and a sense of loving care. And lastly, for me, it encourages playfulness
and experimentation - those two words, “Live adventurously”, resonated deep
within me when I first came into contact with Quakers. So even when hard at work, I try to retain a
light sense of playfulness; and when playing, an awareness of the heavier
burdens that play might be carrying.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a Quaker and a teacher, there is a rich point of
inspiration in the work, thought, and writing of Parker Palmer. His book, <i>The
Courage to Teach</i>, is one of my favourite about the slippery business of
learning and teaching, and I am lucky enough to be in a position to recommend
it to others. In this book, he talks
about teachers reconnecting with their <i>heart</i>,
the emotional drive to make the world even a tiny degree better, that is likely
to have pulled them into teaching in the first place. He also emphasises the importance of
wholeness in a teacher’s life - sustained by community, and interactions with
loved ones, but ultimately, a version of yourself that is the same showboating
in front of 200 students on Thursday afternoon, as it is sitting silently in
Meeting on Sunday morning. The integrity
developed here - and reinforced above all by the discipline of a Meeting for
Worship - comes across to learners, and enables them to feel supported and
secure in turn. It also helps with the
vision of teaching to which I hold, the primary component of which being <i>listening</i>; listening to the learners, to
the materials that we share, and to myself seeking a deep sense of what feels
right. The integrity that Parker Palmer
emphasises holds me still in this act of careful, tender listening; my heart an
anchor keeping me tethered to the needs of others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My work, and the work of any teacher, is also grounded in
hope: a belief that people can and will change, and become better through
engagement with the world outside their heads.
A passage from <i>Quaker Faith and
Practice</i> pinned in my office reads:<o:p></o:p></div>
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To pray about any day’s work does
not mean to ask success in it. It means, first to realise my own inability to
do even a familiar job, as it truly should be done, unless I am in touch with
eternity, unless I do it ‘unto God’, unless I have the Father with me. It means
to see ‘my’ work as part of a whole, to see ‘myself’ as not mattering much, but
my faith, the energy, will and striving, which I put into the work, as
mattering a great deal. My faith is the point in me at which God comes into my
work; through faith the work is given dignity and value. And if, through some
weakness of mine, or fault of others, or just ‘unavoidable circumstances’, the
work seems a failure, yet prayer is not wasted when it is unanswered, any more
than love is wasted when it is unreturned.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(<i>QFP</i>, 20.08)<o:p></o:p></div>
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This passage speaks to me because of the balance it finds:
my work, and my self, do not matter much by themselves, but the things I put
into the work, and the energy that I channel through it, matter a great
deal. This, for me, encapsulates
something critical about the work of teaching, which is using yourself as a
bridge to enable the understanding of others.
If it’s only you as the bridge, then within no time it will be fractured
and adrift. But if it’s you, and your
faith, and the spirit that moves through the Meeting - then it can withstand
almost any amount of pressure. Instead
of a rigid iron bridge, it becomes something light and, flexible, responsive to
the dance of the wind and the pressures of travelling feet. This not only helps it last for much longer,
it also makes it a more pleasurable experience to travel over; and, just as
trying to present your wholeness and integrity can help learners find their own
still small voice, it can demonstrate that to enable others to learn, all you
need is a little flexibility.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other area I am exploring in this talk is family life,
and the pleasures and perils this offers.
I feel I can do this here, in the room where Jayne and I were married
and where Isaac first visited when he was six days old, amongst friends, with
large and small Fs alike. One of the
many delights of spending time with Isaac is the development of little games
and activities where we each have certain parts to play and variation, within
strict limits, is encouraged. The term
that fits them best is “routines” - following the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti,
this seeks to capture both their rule-bound nature, and their comedic
intent. An example may help. After bath, either Jayne and I will sit with
a towel-wrapped Isaac, and play “The clapping game”. This is essentially a game of imitation with
Isaac leading - clapping might have been the initial action, but now, when he
puffs out his cheeks, we puff out ours; if he shakes his head from side to
side, we follow suit; and if, as he is wont, he shouts “PIRATES!”, then we are
obliged to do the same. The core intent,
it seems to me, of the clapping game and related routines, is for Isaac to be <i>sure </i>that we are listening to him and
responding in ways that he appreciates. <i>Quaker Faith and Practice </i>22.62 might
help us take this further:<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is little question that if
as a parent we have not taken the time really to listen to children when they
are young, listened not only to their words but to their feelings behind the
words, they are unlikely to want to come with their sharings in later life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes, Isaac is so keen on us listening, he will compel
us - placing his favourite snuggly, Baa Lamb, over mine or Jayne’s mouth, he
will repeatedly ask “Can you talk?” The
appropriate response here is a combination of expressive eyebrow movements and
“Mmm mmm”, until Isaac chooses to remove the gag and carry on with a two-way
conversation. But most other times he is
very happy to listen to us, and us to him, without the need for
compulsion. He will recite and act
convoluted stories that put the myths of Babylon to shame, as the dolls from
his dolls house fly to the moon, get trapped in a tunnel, or go for days out
(with plenty of telling each other to “hurry up”). Listening to these is a pure pleasure as we
enter into his imaginative world, laying aside adult cares and taking time to
be still. As the passage quoted earlier
from <i>Quaker Faith and Practice</i> goes
on, “Learning to listen to each other in families can help to make us better
listeners to others and to the Inner Guide”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another routine Isaac has developed is called “Scary
monsters”, and it comes from a dark place.
It was developed after two very raw arguments between Isaac and I, when
hurt, frustration, and anger were what we shared as we were locked in
combat. The details of these arguments
matter so little I can’t recall them; but they both pulled hard at the threads
of our love, and I am (amongst other things) enormously proud of Isaac for
having the resilience to find his own way to handle conflict. “Scary monsters” involves putting your face
very close to your partner’s, almost nose to nose; and shouting, loudly, and at
length. Turns are taken, at least
initially, and it ends with a hug, or a wrestle that is also a hug. A passage from <i>Quaker Faith and Practice</i> perhaps helps explain “Scary monsters”,
and the work that Isaac has realised it does.
The passage reads:<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have heard some Friends deny
their anger in a silent ‘peace’ where there is no understanding of each other.
Such Friends are angry but by their silence the progress of world peace has
stood still. If we are angry we know how wars develop. It does not matter who’s
wrong. What matters is that we care enough to talk to each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do we become reconciled to
each other if we are asunder? All I can say is to go up to that person and say
what is in your heart; that their ways are hurting but you still love them. But
this takes time and not many people like to look in a person’s face and find
out who they are. So we miss the reconciliation and do not have the experience
– that we <i>cared</i>. Given that, then we
will know who we are and find relief in tears we all should share. This is
where peace starts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(<i>QFP</i> 20.68)<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a family, we do many things. We argue, and we care. We make each other laugh, and we make each
other cry. We play, and we work with, on,
and for each other. An image I sometimes
have in mind is Jayne, Isaac, and I as enmeshed cogs within a machine, each of
us supporting each other by turns; but also sometimes catching on each other,
and wearing each other away. The outcome
is that we fit together very well, but perhaps slightly less well with other
people, other parts of the machine. This
is one reason why Meeting is so important; it offers surrounding parts that
support and work with what we’re doing, while also offering differences and
things that we can imitate. Within the larger family of the Meeting, our little
family can be grown with love, as we continue to work and play together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->●<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->How does your Quaker identity come out in the work you
do for love, and/or the work you do for pay?<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->Where, for you, does playfulness meet Quaker-ness?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>In the discussion that
followed, the ideas outlined here were given much more richness and depth by
the contributions of others. The point
was beautifully made that as adults, we all have experiences of being children,
and these experiences will be shaped by our families and other immediate
influences. Our memories and experiences
are not all going to be happy, which means that there are likely to be hurts we
are carrying around; these may come out when confronted with other people’s,
including children’s, hurts. We also
discussed how adults have forms of play - routines of their own - which give
them opportunities for creativity and joy, from sport to drama and the
wonderful-sounding “silliness therapy”.
Lastly, there was a good discussion of some of the differences between parenting
and grandparenting - which could perhaps provide the starting-point for another
Inner Quest in future.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Tim Herrick</b></div>
Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-64999037028605424762016-12-28T00:11:00.001+00:002016-12-28T00:11:39.933+00:00Thoughts for 2017In January 1932, the Quaker philosopher John Macmurray broadcast a series of talks on the BBC. What would become known as the Great Depression was biting hard and unemployment and poverty were on the rise, whilst in Europe Mussolini was in power in Italy and Adolf Hitler would grab power in Germany in the next few months.<br />
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Transcripts of these talks and earlier broadcast talks were later published as 'Freedom In The Modern World'.<br />
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<br />
This is how he concluded his final talk: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsw5MiCDgE_X7ziufcwRbK_XUvQpSKZYWsAmez7ZCqAFrgWn9k2ksnSpGm6BsCKRfRDKhNxct9CXvJigTrBoiWrTJq6OVZAV6CIxbeyzOwWPfUW_bhtoSXqw9OLXLAYV7NkOJfsH1VZCU/s1600/johnmacmurray3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="John Macmurray" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsw5MiCDgE_X7ziufcwRbK_XUvQpSKZYWsAmez7ZCqAFrgWn9k2ksnSpGm6BsCKRfRDKhNxct9CXvJigTrBoiWrTJq6OVZAV6CIxbeyzOwWPfUW_bhtoSXqw9OLXLAYV7NkOJfsH1VZCU/s200/johnmacmurray3.jpg" title="John Macmurray" width="140" /></a></div>
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Why can we not act
greatly for the solution of our international economic problems? Why
do we simply watch our social system going to pieces before our eyes?
Why are we paralysed? Because we are afraid, afraid of one another,
afraid of ourselves, afraid of the consequences of any decisive
action. We are fear-determined, and our one demand is the
fear-demand, the demand for security, for protection. Our dilemma
lies in the fact that the more we try to defend ourselves the more we
destroy ourselves by isolating our selves more and more from one
another. You have noticed, have you not, that our efforts to solve a
confessedly international problem only seem to increase nationalism?
That is because it is fear that is the motive force of our efforts to
solve the problem. There is only one way in which we can escape from
the dilemma, and that is by destroying the fear that is at the root
of it.
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...</div>
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I do not think that
Christianity will save us from the things we are afraid of. I think
it would save us from the fear of them which paralyses us. … Real
Christianity stands to-day, as it has always stood, for life against
death, for spontaneity against formalism, for the spirit of adventure
against the spirit of security, for faith against fear, for the
living colourful multiplicity of difference against the monotony of
the mechanical, whether it be the mechanization of the mind, which is
dogmatism, or the mechanization of the emotions, which is conformity.</div>
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...</div>
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What are we to do
about it? ... how does one begin to grow faith? How does one set
about developing freedom of feeling, and rid oneself of fear? … It
is you and I who are afraid, … Whatever we do will be wrong till
we are put right. If we start trying to set our feelings free we will
just be making the dilemma worse; because we shall use our intellects
to force ourselves to feel and to act from feeling, and the whole
action will be a sham. It would only express what we think we feel,
or what we think we ought to feel; and our last state would be worse
than the first. We should turn our fear of feeling into a fear of not
feeling, our fear of spontaneity into a fear of not being
spontaneous. Reverse your fear, change its object, and it is still
fear. We are in a vicious circle. Until we are healed we cannot act
healthily.
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...</div>
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What we have to do
is to wait and be quiet; to stop our feverish efforts to do
something; to cease our fruitless attempt to save ourselves.
Salvation, if it comes to us, must come from outside. We must wait
for the new thing to be born in us; for the new light to be
manifested to us. Even to look is useless, for our eyes are blinded.
We can only be quiet and wait, expectant but unworried, for the
creative word that will say, ‘Let there be light.’ There is
nothing else to be done. The next word is not with us, but with
reality.</div>
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…</div>
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'Be quiet, be
still–the world is not resting on our shoulders; if it were, heaven
help it! If we are so futile and stupid, why should we be saved? And
if our civilization is sham, what point is there in its preservation?
Drop this stupid struggle against the reality of things; there cannot
be anything real to be afraid of.’ For we all know by this time
that what we want is a new and better social order, which will be
built and enjoyed by better men and women than we are; and obviously,
if we are to have a new world we must let the old one go. Even if it
is like death to turn our backs upon it, to stand still and see all
our defences crumble and our security vanish like smoke, … that ‘he
that loseth his life shall keep it’. It is possible for [persons]
and for societies of [persons] to be reborn, even if it is impossible
to have them reconstructed.</div>
</blockquote>
Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-79040950427164165282016-10-19T12:26:00.000+01:002016-11-26T22:05:00.400+00:00Our Spiritual Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a Meeting, we discerned in June 2016 that it was the right time to embark as a whole meeting on a review of our experience of our Meetings for Worship; we want to listen deeply to one another and enrich our lives as a worshipping community.<br />
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We hope that all the many and different existing groups and committees will make a space to reflect together. And there will be lots of other opportunities to meet individually or in different groups to deepen our spiritual lives together; for more details, please look on the review noticeboard or ask an overseer.<br />
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<b>Questions to use to talk, listen and reflect….</b><br />
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What is my experience of meeting for worship? </blockquote>
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What do we value in our meetings for worship? </blockquote>
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Sometimes I feel helped by meeting for worship and sometimes I don’t. What makes the difference? </blockquote>
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What (one thing) would make a really helpful difference to my experience of meeting for worship? </blockquote>
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What keeps me coming to meeting for worship and what prevents me?</blockquote>
<b>We suggest, whenever and however Friends are meeting to reflect together, that we all…</b></div>
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<div>
Spend time together in silent worship.</div>
<div>
<br />
Take unhurried time to reflect together using the questions/ conversation starters above.<br />
<br />
Write a minute or find another way of sharing your responses to these questions….a painting? a poem? a blog post? There will be a noticeboard and table in the social space for this purpose and/or you can email <a href="chrome-extension://bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc/views/qowt.html#mailto:spiritualreviewsc@sheffieldquakers.org.uk">spiritualreview.sc@sheffieldquakers.org.uk</a> <br />
<br />
We will be exploring creative ways of ensuring we can share together as much as possible. <br />
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It would also be helpful to have a list where possible of the names of those who have met so we can ensure as many Friends as possible are included.</div>
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<i>The Spiritual Review planning group, on behalf of Sheffield Central Local Quaker Meeting</i></div>
Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-78078067905450426692016-10-07T14:28:00.000+01:002016-10-07T14:28:33.987+01:00Just Sit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just sit there right now<br />
Don't do a thing<br />
Just rest.<br />
For your separation from God,<br />
From love,<br />
Is the hardest work<br />
In this world.<br />
<br />
-HafizCraig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-57727618939956515652016-05-13T14:06:00.000+01:002016-05-13T14:06:17.990+01:00Spring Haiku<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Despite everything</div>
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the leaves come out. The Spring still</div>
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won't give up on us.</div>
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Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-91762630875939297092016-04-27T17:44:00.002+01:002016-04-27T17:44:42.542+01:00Divesting from fossil fuels? Inspiring returns from community renewable energyQuakers have been a lead in divesting from fossil fuels. Here is my personal story.<br />
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As the pressure is on to be open and transparent about our investments and tax returns, I am coming clean that I decided to invest my modest NHS pension pot, not in an off shore unit trust, but in renewables, run by cooperatives. One of which is Four Winds Energy Coop.<br />
http://www.fourwinds.coop/home.asp<br />
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If you don’t want to read any further I highly recommend the video on their website “how coal country can spark a clean energy revolution.”https://vimeo.com/121124286<br />
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I attended the Four winds energy coop AGM on the 19th March in Barnsley which included a site visit to their 500kw turbine on a disused colliery site at Shafton. The coop have two 500kw turbines up and running on old colliery sites. The Shafton turbine pictured here which started generating in July 2015, and the other one at Duckmarton, near Chesterfield, which started generating in December 2014.<br />
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Close to, the turbine seems vast. The shaft is 70 meters tall. All we could hear was a gentle purr. We were shown inside by the members of the board who were very experienced retired people, who had been working in a voluntary capacity for several years to get this to happen. One, a retired electrical engineer, told us the turbine was bought and imported from the Netherlands. He told us at the beginning of his working life there were 6 factories in the UK manufacturing turbines, now there are none. The picture on the right is the computer control screen from inside the turbine. It was really impressive to see how the blades alter their pitch and direction in response to wind speed and direction. The turbine has been generating electricity for nine months and generated one million kw hours, roughly enough electricity for 500 households. Looking 360 degrees from the turbine we could see the communities of Grimesthorpe, Cudworth and Shafton...in our view about 500 houses. However, in the UK you can’t sell electricity directly to your local community, like you can in Germany, so this electricity is sold to the grid with remuneration through the Feed in Tariff(FITs). Instead the agm decided that in future years 5% of any dividend should go to a community fund and if possible, one that addresses fuel poverty. The Duckmanton turbine started generating in December 2014 and they have a community fund up and running, working with the local primary school who want to fit solar panels on their roof.<br />
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The AGM itself was both inspiring and depressing. The accounts indicated the coop paid for the secretariat services of the parent energy renewable coop, Energy 4 All, which amounted to one part time job and salary. The directors received no fees, just modest travel expenses. (Rather different from any bank or building society!)The deeply depressing information was that the coop had plans for 6 further turbines all on disused colliery sites in Yorkshire, but these are no longer viable due to the governments changes in policy..viz:making planning permission much harder, massively reducing the FITs, and stopping tax incentives for investing in renewables.<br />
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I think this example of Four Winds coop shows what can be done, and at the same time exposes the total hypocrisy and deceit of our government. David Cameron signed the climate Change agreement in Paris last December to commit to massively reducing our fossil fuel emissions and build up our renewables, and also declares he wants to encourage local enterprise and initiatives. With policies that cramp initiatives such as the Four Winds coop what is going on? Can we hold him to account?<br />
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But above all I am filled with gratitude for those men and women who put their all into making these turbines whirr. <br />
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If anyone is interested to look into investment in community renewables I can recommend<br />
Triados renewables, now called Thrive renewables. https://www.triodosrenewables.co.uk/en/home/<br />
and Energy 4 All http://energy4all.co.uk/<br />
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<b>Heather Hunt</b><br />
<b>11th April 2016</b><br />
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Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-17199548566378403352016-01-25T13:43:00.001+00:002016-01-25T13:43:30.502+00:00Noisy SilenceRecently I attended, for the second time, the Sunday service of a Sheffield Apostolic Church that has emerged from within the Slovakian Roma community. It has been brought from Slovakia and holds services on Sunday afternoons in Sheffield. It takes place entirely in Romany. The service lasts over 2 1/2 hours and is made up of quite a long period of singing followed by a long and impassioned sermon and then some more songs and ending with a prayer. I was the only non-Roma person in attendance and I stayed towards the back of the congregation (about a hundred adults and twenty or thirty children).<br />
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What struck me was the facility we have for finding silence and space for contemplation amongst noise. I sat there at the back and I suppose for a time the service became a sort of white noise within which I bore witness briefly and silently to the Quaker tradition.Tim Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00527376287203183106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-46167272865553161832016-01-07T19:14:00.000+00:002016-01-07T19:14:50.262+00:00Spiritual Journey'Spiritual Journey' is, it seems, used by everyone of a religious or spiritual persuasion. But what does it mean? There is no actual physical journey, so it must be a metaphor. Unfortunately, like all metaphors, it can be misunderstood or misused. For me, the most problematic misuse of the metaphor 'journey' is to think of it like an actual journey to a different place or possible 'state', that is, as some sort of progress or growth.<br />
<br />The problem with thinking of one's 'spiritual journey' like a real journey is that in fact spiritually we do not 'progress' or 'grow' in the normal sense of these words. This is dangerous because the whole mindset or paradigm of western civilisation in which we find ourselves is about progress and growth, so it is rather too easy to slip into the same understanding with spirituality. Thinking in terms of progress and growth is of course disastrous in the context of 'economic growth' since we live on a finite planet, bit also in terms of technological progress because we come to put faith in a future where technology will fix – or at least ameliorate – our problems.<br />
<br />Spirituality does not 'progress' and 'grow' – the best perhaps we can say is that it deepens. However, a mere child can have a deeper spiritual awareness than the oldest person with a lifetime of spiritual practice, such that the child knows that the emperor has no clothes and so bursts the bubble of our hubris. Spiritual insight or depth comes by grace, and all we can do is make ourselves more receptive.<br />
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It does not help that in the Christian tradition there is the concept that that the world and our body in it are 'bad' and that we will one day be in heaven, which is 'good'. This just encourages the idea of being on a journey to another place. Jesus himself talks about the 'kingdom of heaven' being amongst us, so this idea of denying the world is surely false. If the 'kingdom of heaven' is amongst us, where then do we journey to?<br /><br />However, traditional mythology is replete with the metaphor of the journey or quest, usually undertaken by the young man [<a href="http://www.laurakkerr.com/2014/04/19/goddesses-joseph-campbell" target="_blank">is it invariably a man because of patriarchy, or because women see the world differently?</a>] in order to find themselves. But in stories, the hero's journey always takes them back to where they started. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey" target="_blank">Odysseus returns to Ithaca</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit" target="_blank">Bilbo goes 'There and Back Again'</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Y9eQAFYdg" target="_blank">Dorothy goes back to Kansas</a>. <br />“We shall not cease from exploration<br />And the end of all our exploring<br />Will be to arrive where we started<br />And know the place for the first time.” <br />(<a href="http://www.coldbacon.com/poems/fq.html" target="_blank">T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets, Little Gidding, V</a>)<br />
<br />The purpose of the spiritual 'journey' then is to come to know ourselves in the time and place and community in which we find ourselves – to come to know time and place and community 'for the first time' and so become situated persons. It is not by 'progress' and 'growth' that we become situated, but by 'care' and 'attention' – care for one another and the environment around us, and attention to the time and place and culture we are in. <br />Like Dorothy we have to realise that 'there’s no place like home'.Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-22744308026506724922015-12-02T12:07:00.001+00:002015-12-02T12:07:13.487+00:00'Reading Quaker faith & practice' conference at Woodbrooke<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX10461651" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
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All area meetings in Britain have been invited to nominate a Friend to participate in the 'Reading Quaker faith & practice' conference at Woodbrooke, from 22nd to 24th April 2016.<br /><br />The conference will provide an opportunity to: <br /><br />Learn from one another’s experience of participating in the Reading Quaker faith & practice programme so far.<br /><br />Gain ideas and resources for setting up and inspiring groups in meetings.<br />Share reflections and insights emerging from existing groups.<br />Understand more about the origins, purposes and development of the current book.<br /><br />The conference welcomes participants from all area meetings, including those which have not yet decided to participate in the Reading Quaker faith & practice project. <br /><br />Area meetings are being asked to nominate a Friend or attender who has one or more of these qualities: <br /><ul>
<li>is involved in an existing Reading Quaker faith & practice group </li>
<li>is willing to promote the programme around the area meeting </li>
<li>has a concern for spiritual learning in the area </li>
<li>will be able to communicate with others about what they have learned</li>
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If you would be interested in attending the conference on behalf of your area meeting, please talk to your AM clerk or nominations committee. For more information about the conference contact: qfp@quaker.org.uk<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX10461651" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
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Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-82680827020970663012015-09-30T12:44:00.000+01:002015-09-30T12:44:31.400+01:00Killing machines R us. Protest at DSEI arms fair.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heather</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Hunt , attender at Sheffield Central meeting, donned a corporate suit and posed as an Israeli arms dealer on the first day of action to stop the London based arms fair on Monday September 7th. This day was to highlight and protest about the Israel and UK two way arms trade . </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heather is part of Sheffield Creative Action for Peace (SCRAP) and talks about her motivation and the day of action.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I was shocked that the UK government had invited Israel arms dealers to have a pavilion inside the DSEI arms fair to be held at the Excel centre East London. I am proud that the Quakers are active in opposing arms sales to Israel. However, I hadn’t realised how complicit the UK and Israeli governments are in this mutual support of arms dealing as good business.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I was delighted to be part of Sheffield Creative Action for Peace (SCRAP) and its contribution to the protest to highlight and oppose this two way arms trade. Two of us posed as Israeli arms dealers with our badges, “killing machines are us” with client support sheets detailing how you can get more for your bucks with our combat tested weapons. (eg Friendly and uncritical allies like the UK and US.) We displayed our products to interested independent media from our portfolio of 2D replicas which included our biggest sellers:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elbit Hermes 450 drones</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, made in the Israeli owned Elbit factories in the UK and used extensively on the Gaza strip. Our sales pitch, backed by research, included “Can be fitted with two hellfire missiles. Recent sales include Columbia</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Manufactured by Israeli military Industries and assembled by Israeli Ordnance corps. Fitted</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with 2 machine guns which can shoot down helicopters. Field tested on Gaza. One tank killed 120 Hammas militants in Protective Edge. Sales increased after assault on Gaza. “Very serviceable. Main battle tank for many countries. Selling well. Now upgraded to include night sensors and target trackers and adapted for guerrilla warfare.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honouring Palestinians killed by Israeli drones</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To highlight the nature of Israeli weapons other members of SCRAP displayed the Drones quilt we have been making, highlighting and naming Palestinians killed by drone strikes on Gaza.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the day an enormous low loader arrived conveying a military vehicle looking like a missile launcher. Protestors immediately got onto the road and between us we stopped the vehicle going into the Arms fair for two hours.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 3 women clambered onto the vehicle and, with a Palestinian flag flying, read out testimonies from families whose children were killed in the 2009 Israeli massacres in Gaza. And then, with the lorry still blockaded and the road therefore closed, we held a dabke dance workshop in front of the lorry, on the road with </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">police dancing round our circle trying to give us an arrest warning.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QUIucsk0mRTDtzT6Dgn9n8ebXFlGzno3hwGVrJG3acI-k6sVk6-WgDdN0K7HYu3QATshgfmdZkOV_iRJxvDao3xNQGeAhIejbNndBeklMws3BkULWL2qdBAfGbD2bG21lY60IGv6eWr1wBDl" style="border: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">War is good for business and economic growth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Refugees not arms welcome here.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We found out that the drivers of the low loader we stopped were Hungarian and had driven this vehicle from Southern Hungary, through Austria and western Europe. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometime over the weekend the driver probably drove past the thousands of migrants walking to Vienna, most of them from Syria and Afghanistan, fleeing wars prosecuted and fed by the sort of materiel he was carrying. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How ironic is this? That killing machines can cross European borders easily whist humans fleeing war torn countries cannot. The stark realisation before us then was seeing how war is so good for business. Weapons used by all and any side in Syria and other conflict torn countries around the world continue to get circulated and traded, making profit for some and for others, their lives are ravaged. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day was an excellent example of effective collaboration between CAAT, War on Want, and Palestine Solidarity campaign. It gave me hope we can work together and creatively to advocate for humane and just settlement for refugees, and an end to the arms trade.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reflections</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I enjoyed researching my role as a corporate Israeli arms dealer and keeping in that role for 5 hours. I gained an insight of a little of what it could be to be in that person’s shiny shoes. I was marketing manager and my colleague was client support. As we approached the protest, we were shouted at “shame on you! Murderers!” Some protestors really were taken in by us. We arrived confident and smart. From this vantage point the protestors looked SO scruffy and not worth listening to.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Later in the day during one interview, with Russia today, I was asked if I felt guilty and responsible for so much killing and death. I surprised myself (in role) by the question-not understanding the feeling or the question. Of course we were serving our country, particularly keeping our economy afloat. Guilt? What has that got to do with it. </span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heather Hunt 23</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">rd</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> September 2015</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can see films of the action <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhxLVg6AZXo&feature=youtu.be&list=PLNye8nqM0ywp7LuyXJ6ldHC8K0C8lpFGB" target="_blank">here</a> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><a href="https://vimeo.com/138567906" style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Testimonials From Families of Palestinian Victims - #OccupyDSEI Day One’</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhxLVg6AZXo&feature=youtu.be&list=PLNye8nqM0ywp7LuyXJ6ldHC8K0C8lpFGB" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhxLVg6AZXo&feature=youtu.be&list=PLNye8nqM0ywp7LuyXJ6ldHC8K0C8lpFGB</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SCRAP meets on alternate Thursday afternoons. Next action October 3</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">rd, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Waddingtom RAF base. Scones not drones.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Sheffield-Creative-Action-for-Peace-Scrap-214396975421071/timeline/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.facebook.com/Sheffield-Creative-Action-for-Peace-Scrap-214396975421071/timeline/</span></a></div>
<br />Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-5211204233246072762015-09-19T14:08:00.001+01:002015-09-19T14:08:24.315+01:00Our faith in the future<div id="E23" is="qowt-word-para" qowt-eid="E23" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'Arial Unicode MS', Arimo, 'Microsoft Sans serif', sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 1.655; list-style-type: none; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0px; text-align: left;">
Quakers in Britain have a new 'long term framework' to guide our discernment at all levels of decision-making, including our local and area meetings, as well as our centrally managed work. The document, called 'Our faith in the future', was approved by Meeting for Sufferings (our national representative body) on 5th September. It replaces the 'Framework for Action 2009-14', which was a previous attempt at a 'strategic framework' for Quaker decision-making.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 1.655;">The new document has shifted the focus away from a list of priority areas of work, and towards a vision of the kind of Quaker community we aim to become. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 1.655;">No strategic plan or framework can dictate how the Spirit may lead individual Friends, local meetings and the wider Quaker community in the future. Our way of corporate discernment is based on the faith that God's guidance is available to us in community, with the authority to upset all of our cherished plans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 1.655;">For this reason, the group appointed to write the new long term framework has wisely avoided any attempt to prescribe what kind of work Quaker communities should undertake. Instead, the document directs our attention towards some of the core principles - of spiritual rootedness, inclusion, discipline and social engagement that are at the heart of our Quaker practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 1.655;">Hopefully, the text will act as a reminder of what we already know by experience to be important, supporting our practice of Spirit-led discernment rather than imposing pre-determined outcomes on it. The full text is given below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Arial Unicode MS, Arimo, Microsoft Sans serif, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 16.1822px;"><b>Our faith in the future</b></span></span></div>
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<span id="E28" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E28" style="display: inline; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facing turbulent times, Quakers in Britain seek a future where…</span></div>
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<span id="E32" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E32" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meeting for worship is the bedrock of living as a Quaker.</span><span id="E33" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E33" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In worship we become one with the Spirit, with each other and with our true selves. The Spirit is the source of strength and guidance for all we are and do. Our way of worship is open to all, and we are making it available to more people.</span></div>
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<span id="E37" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E37" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quaker communities are loving, inclusive and all-age.</span><span id="E38" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E38" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> All are heard, valued and supported both in our needs and our leadings. Everyone’s contribution is accepted according to their gifts and resources. All ages and conditions are welcomed and included. There are clear and effective ways of working together on shared concerns. Fellowship and fun strengthen the bonds between us, enhancing a loving community.</span></div>
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<span id="E42" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E42" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">All Friends understand and live by Quaker discipline.</span><span id="E43" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E43" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Our discipline is actually 'letting go and letting God': not thou shalt nor I will but what does Love require of me? It works when we understand it and practise it! Because we understand it, we can share it with others. Our testimony guides us, but we have to work on what it means for each of us personally.</span></div>
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<span id="E47" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E47" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quaker values are active in the world.</span><span id="E48" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E48" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Our lives speak peace, equality, respect for the earth and all its inhabitants. We offer friendship to all and solidarity to the marginalised. We speak truth to power with love. We hold those in power in the Light. We find creative and nonviolent ways to get our message across. We are in for the long haul; we’re not afraid to take risks. We are called to live in the place where our deep gladness meets the deep hunger in the world.</span></div>
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<span id="E52" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E52" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quakers work collaboratively.</span><span id="E53" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E53" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We are well aware that we can't put the world to rights all by ourselves. We value the important work of others; by engaging with them we are already changing the world. We want to break down barriers; we refuse to prejudge who is or is not an ally.</span></div>
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<span id="E57" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E57" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quakers are well known and widely understood.</span><span id="E58" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E58" style="display: inline; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We are active in our local communities, reaching out in friendship, making more use of our meeting houses for events and renting/lending out. All members are ready and equipped to explain our way confidently and clearly to anyone who asks, as well as to speak publicly on issues of concern. We share our practices where appropriate and make full use of new media to reach out widely. In an increasingly divided world, we try to offer 'patterns and examples' of a caring community.</span></div>
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<span id="E62" is="qowt-word-run" qowt-eid="E62" style="display: inline; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">… a future where we let our lives speak</span></div>
Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-36478839184400016522015-05-29T16:22:00.001+01:002015-05-30T10:15:43.604+01:00'Right to Roam' for Palestine<div class="MsoNormal">
I have just come back from a 7 day, 90 mile, (144
km) walk across Scotland, joining Caroline Poland for a stretch of her
Right to Roam, End to End walk for Palestine, raising funds for projects
in Gaza. I’ve pasted her leaflet below. Here is a little inspiration and a humble invitation for retrospective sponsorship.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Four of us set off from Peebles on May 13<sup>th</sup>,
walked over the Pentland hills to Edinburgh and then mostly via the tow
paths alongside the Union and Forth and Clyde canals, to Milgarvie,
just North of Glasgow. We walked about 13 miles a day, often against
strong head winds. I’ve calculated that is 184,320 foot steps. Memorable
sights along the way were the long vistas from the Pentland hills,
aqueducts on the canal, awe inspiring Kelpies and the superb engineering
of the Falkirk wheel. So thanks you walking companions, our friendly
hosts, and feet, legs and boots!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It
was a very good time to be in Scotland, after the election, meeting
friendly people delighted they were part of a society that had said NO
to austerity and the Tories. Carrying a Palestinian flag, with WALK FOR
GAZA inscribed, we did not meet any opposition but rather we were met
with interest and admiration for Caroline’s End to End walk and support
for the projects in Gaza.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two
highlights for me are firstly a taxi driver in Falkirk (honest—at the
end of a long walk day, only way to get to see the Kelpies.) On hearing
what our walk was for he said, “don’t pay me the fare (£5), put it
towards the projects in Gaza”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My second highlight is learning about the <i>Shministim</i>,
Israeli school leavers refusing conscription to join the Israeli army.
We learnt about them through a friend in Protest in Harmony who hosted
an evening Palestine solidarity event in Edinburgh for and with us. I’ve
pasted their collective letter to Binyamin Netanyahu at the end of this email.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
may be a bit foot sore but it’s been a very heart warming experience.
As a fellow traveller suggests, the Right to Roam walk brings out a
strong connection to our common humanity.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A link to the women’s education project here.<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d;"><a href="http://www.sheffieldpsc.org.uk/content/swpsf/sheffield-palestine-womens-scholarship-fund" target="_blank">http://www.sheffieldpsc.org.<wbr></wbr>uk/content/swpsf/sheffield-<wbr></wbr>palestine-womens-scholarship-<wbr></wbr>fund</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
If you would like to sponsor the walk and support education for women in Gaza<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>you
can do so via</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">‘Sheffield Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund’</span></b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CarolinePoland" target="_blank"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">http://uk.virginmoneygiving.<wbr></wbr>com/CarolinePoland</span></a><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></span><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
many thanks</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Heather Hunt</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #538135; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">‘RIGHT TO ROAM’ / ‘END TO END’ WALK FOR PALESTINE</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #538135; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Raising funds for projects in Gaza</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In Britain, as in many other countries, people have had to struggle for the <i>Right to Roam</i>,
the right to walk, to wander across the land. We started out on our
Right to Roam walk in May 2013, following the 268 miles of the Pennine
Way from Edale, over Kinder Scout, the site of the historic Kinder
Trespass, to Kirk Yethom just over the Scottish borders. We continued
our walk last year, walking from Land’s End to Bristol, and then later
in the year, from Bristol to Edale to complete the ‘England’ stage of
our walk. Right to Roam / End2End walk for Palestine last year, walking
from Land’s End to Bristol, & then Bristol to Edale, to complete the
‘England’ section of our walk. The walk so far has covered around 800
miles – a stark contrast to harsh severe restrictions of movement for
all Palestinians to, from and within Palestine, and in particular the
harsh restrictions, attacks and siege of 1.8 m people within the narrow
26 mile Gaza Strip.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">We are now on the first of the two stages of our<b><span style="color: #00b050;"> Scottish section of our ‘End2End’ walk for Palestine, walking 287 miles from Kirk Yetholm to</span></b> 50 miles north of<b><span style="color: #00b050;"> Fort William</span></b>, before returning to do the final section to John-o-Groats in 2016.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">We are raising funds to support women’s education in Gaza</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Please <b>donate to the </b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">‘Sheffield Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund’</span></b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CarolinePoland" target="_blank"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">http://uk.virginmoneygiving.<wbr></wbr>com/CarolinePoland</span></a></span><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Thank you.</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Further information or enquiries: <a href="mailto:Poland.cf@gmail.com" target="_blank">Poland.cf@gmail.com</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<h2>
<i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Shministim</span></i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">letter of conscientious objectors 2014</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/%D7%A1%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%93-%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A9/letter-of-conscientious-objectors-2014/289776551172112" target="_blank">9 March 2014 at 11:22</a></div>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We, citizens of the state of Israel, are designated for army service.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We
appeal to the readers of this letter to set aside what has always been
taken for granted and to reconsider the implications of military
service.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> We,
the undersigned, intend to refuse to serve in the army and the main
reason for this refusal is our opposition to the military occupation of
Palestinian territories. Palestinians in the occupied territories live
under Israeli rule though they did not choose to do so, and have no
legal recourse to influence this regime or its decision-making
processes. This is neither egalitarian nor just. In these territories,
human rights are violated, and acts defined under international law as
war-crimes are perpetuated on a daily basis. These include
assassinations (extrajudicial killings), the construction of settlements
on occupied lands, administrative detentions, torture, collective
punishment and the unequal allocation of resources such as electricity
and water. Any form of military service reinforces this status quo, and,
therefore, in accordance with our conscience, we cannot take part in a
system that perpetrates the above-mentioned acts.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The
problem with the army does not begin or end with the damage it inflicts
on Palestinian society. It infiltrates everyday life in Israeli society
too: it shapes the educational system, our workforce opportunities,
while fostering racism, violence and ethnic, national and gender-based
discrimination. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We
refuse to aid the military system in promoting and perpetuating male
dominance. In our opinion, the army encourages a violent and
militaristic masculine ideal whereby 'might is right'. This ideal is
detrimental to everyone, especially those who do not fit it.
Furthermore, we oppose the oppressive, discriminatory, and heavily
gendered power structures within the army itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> We
refuse to forsake our principles as a condition to being accepted in
our society. We have thought about our refusal deeply and we stand by
our decisions. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We
appeal to our peers, to those currently serving in the army and/or
reserve duty, and to the Israeli public at large, to reconsider their
stance on the occupation, the army, and the role of the military in
civil society. We believe in the power and ability of civilians to
change reality for the better by creating a more fair and just society.
Our refusal expresses this belief.</span>Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-56341221267083044482015-05-09T18:29:00.000+01:002015-05-15T11:32:51.050+01:00Living out our faithAt Britain Yearly Meeting held May 1st – 4th, the theme that pre-occupied and challenged friends from Saturday to Monday was “Living out our faith in the world”. Three times we met for worship and discernment on this theme, and each time the Yearly Meeting Clerks wrote a holding minute. Monday morning was the fourth and last opportunity to pull together the many strands that had emerged during these times together. At the close of the session the Clerks drafted Minute 36 which, when agreed, was discerned by the Meeting to be a landmark minute for our times. It was suggested that Minute 36 should be circulated as widely as possible, and so it will be in Sheffield Quaker News, on the blog, and sent to spiritual friendship groups – and elders are placing it in all our envelopes. <br />
<br />
The Swarthmore Lecture this year, “Faith, power and peace”, was given by Diana Francis. It was an inspirational foundation to the sessions that fed into Minute 36, and as well as the book form, the lecture itself will be available soon on DVD. We are wondering whether our meeting would like us to arrange a time to see it, followed by discussion about it and the final minute, “Living out our faith in the world – are we ready to meet the challenge?” We would welcome your suggestions about how and when this might take place.<br />
<br />
<i>Rosie Roberts, on behalf of Sheffield Central elders.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Minute 36: Living out our faith in the world – are we ready to meet the challenge? </b><br />
<br />
How are we led to live out our faith in a world where we see systemic injustice and increasing inequality? <br />
<br />
We have been reminded that God’s work is where our deep gladness meets the deep suffering in the world. <br />
<br />
As in Psalm 85: <br />
<br />
“Mercy and truth are met together; <br />
<br />
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other, <br />
<br />
truth shall spring out of the earth; <br />
<br />
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.” <br />
<br />
We are all activists and we are all worshippers. Our worship and action spring from the same spiritual source. The light not only illumines us but pushes us to seek change. <br />
<br />
We recognise the problems in the world and the urgency of acting on them. Our current political and (especially) economic systems only recognise and encourage part of the human condition, the selfish, competitive, greedy part. So much of what is good and beautiful and true in the world is being trashed. The model of power as domination needs to be challenged and replaced with a model of power as service to the community; in doing this, we need to live our testimony and hold firm to its source in faith. <br />
<br />
The damage of the present systems, like the benefits, are not shared equally. We need to recognise how many of us benefit through the possessions we hold and the houses we live in, and to consider when we are part of the problem. In living out our faith in the world, we may be called to give up our privileges, but if we do so our voice and our lives will be all the more authentic and powerful. We can be at our most powerful when we are vulnerable. <br />
<br />
The damaged and damaging structures of the world are not the only influence on our lives: there is also the power of faith and the leadings of the Spirit, which if followed will lead us, will push us, towards a better world. That, then, may be the first action we need to take: to be more faithful. <br />
<br />
What are the changes which are needed to the systemic injustice and inequality that we see in society? We need to go deeper to find the roots of our social ills, and how we might uproot the powers that maintain them. We should rethink what needs to grow in this world and what does not. Can we transform the way the world is going and recognise that everyone and everything on the planet matters and can be thought of as a divine commonwealth, or kin-dom? Quakerism is all about putting our faith in a power which transforms us. <br />
<br />
Many of us have spoken of the anger we feel about the current injustices of the world, and sometimes our hearts are heavy with all the things we cannot do. Anger can be a spur to action, but we need Light and guidance to use it wisely and sparingly. We already have a way of finding this wisdom in our corporate discipline and our testing in worship of leadings. Through these our righteous anger and passion can be transformed in order to tackle the root causes of injustice and inequality. Our action begins in worship, in seeking and reflecting before we act. Our practices of listening within and being open to what comes to us from without are rarer than we think, and are a precious gift that we should both use and share. <br />
<br />
We are called to consider what we each can do and also make and build on connections in our communities and across the globe. <br />
<br />
We are also called to be a community of Friends as a Yearly Meeting, pushed towards the important things we can only do together. We have a body of experience we can draw on and maintain. We are in this for the long haul. <br />
<br />
As a Yearly Meeting we are restless to take corporate action to change the unequal, unjust world in which we live. <br />
<br />
We ask Friends and meetings to engage with the evil of social and economic injustice which creates a world in which the wrong things are valued. To do this requires owning and upholding the work that is already being done by Friends and in our name; helping to fund that work as generously as possible; and becoming involved in however small a way. For ourselves we need to find some action however simple to do now. <br />
<br />
We ask Meeting for Sufferings to take the work on social and economic injustice forward, coordinating the work of local and area meetings who might wish to become more deeply involved, and encouraging the deep spiritual and intellectual searching that could underpin a ‘true social order’ for our age. <br />
<br />
We ask YM Agenda Committee to align their work with that of Meeting for Sufferings and to keep this issue before the Yearly Meeting for further consideration over the next two years. Between yearly meetings we should all try to share our experience. <br />
<br />
We ask our Recording Clerk and staff to make our concern about social and economic inequality known as widely as possible and in particular to challenge the incoming UK government to adopt policies which decrease inequality and value equally the contribution which all can make to developing a more just and sustainable society. <br />
<br />
We must remember that what makes the real difference is not adding further to the words in the world but being and living out the new social order, testing our leadings together and trusting to our Quaker processes "opening ourselves to the light to guide us in each small step". <br />
<br />Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-57815003224606744742015-04-27T16:38:00.001+01:002015-04-27T16:39:31.262+01:00Experiences and words<a href="https://brigidfoxandbuddha.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/i-is-for-irreplaceability" target="_blank">Rhiannon in Brigid, Fox, and Buddha</a> asks :<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Are some words or phrases irreplaceable in our language, in that it is impossible to express the same sense – or convey the same picture of the world – without using that specific expression?</blockquote>
It depends where you start from. If you start in your head wanting an explanation for your experience, you will get hung up with words.<br />
On the other hand, if you start with the experience, and hold fast to that, words are like the bars of a prison that hold us to only one interpretation of our story. This is what happened to me when I first experienced that which is not me in a personal or relational way – not as an object to be studied by my pure intellect from the distance of the isolated subject – but rather to be known intimately. But the evangelical Christians who came along close by said that my experience meant something very specific, and told me which words to use to describe it, and thus the prison door slammed in my face. But my ego delighted in the explanation and soon I was pretending that the bars were not keeping me in, but keeping 'them' out. 'Them' – the 'world'; the others not like us; the sinners; the damned. And so my world was divided into them and us, heaven and hell, good and evil.<br />
And then years later another experience, as the other broke down the bars and showed me love, and so the world was intimate again, and then I entered the Quaker Meeting, and there were no bars and no words, only loving relationships. I no longer had to pretend to love the sinner and not the sin, but was able to love whole persons in a whole world. <br />
<br />
<b>The transcendent other, revealed in the immanence of personal relationships.</b><br />
<br />
None of this is 'reasonable', for reason demands objectivity, and love refuses to play along. Wittgenstein was right – it is not 'unreasonable' either, but different from reasonable. Reason demands an explanation, but explanations tie us to certain words and phrases, and so we come to believe that some words are 'irreplaceable'.<br />
Instead we must tell our stories, As CS Lewis said<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://sheffieldquakers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/truth-carriers.html" target="_blank">'There is, then, a particular kind of [fiction] which has a value in itself - a value independent of its embodiment in any literary work....The story of Orpheus strikes and strikes very deep, of itself; the fact that Virgil and others have told it in good poetry is irrelevant ' (C.S. Lewis, 'An Experiment In Criticism' 1961, p41)</a></blockquote>
So we must tell our stories 'well' that is in everyday language, seeking an intimate relationship with the hearer, and changing the words as we go along. For our story is not formed of words but of relationships.<br />
And whatever we do, we must never ever add an explanation, for there lies the prison bars which shut us out of love – those who have ears will hear.Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-70006974131727297122015-03-18T18:19:00.003+00:002015-03-18T18:22:09.999+00:00Quaker Discernment<span style="font-size: large;"><i>This talk was given by Laura Kerr as part of our series on 'Quaker Basics'.</i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Where do
we come across the term DISCERNMENT? <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US">Possibly
a first encounter is in one of the most popular items in Advices and
Queries – number</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>
</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US">7.
</span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>Are
you open to new light, from whatever source it may come? Do you
approach new ideas with </b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>discernment</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>?</b></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">In
that context, it could actually mean more or less the same as it does
in the wider world. ie. Discrimination, selectivity, picking out what
is good, and laying to one side things that are less good. Actually
when Quakers use it, it means a great deal more. It refers to a
careful and considered way of coming to a judgement or decision,
based on silent worship. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">It
is the way of seeking divine guidance, or ‘God’s will’ with a
particular focus on one issue or question. This is sometimes that
someone may be doing in any MfW anyway. In modern Quaker meetings, it
cannot be assumed that all present are comfortable with the phrase
“</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>God’s
will</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">”.
I have even heard a Friends describe themself as an ‘atheist
Quaker’. With that in mind, what are they seeking by discernment?
Perhaps just the very best and wisest outcome for all, both those
directly concerned and those beyond the meeting, in the world
outside.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">I
remember some ministry of a year or two back. The Friend said
something along these lines: ‘</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>I
have been pondering on what the difference is, and if there is a
difference, between discernment and wisdom…</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">’
I found it helpful ministry because it prompted me to consider the
difference. Maybe discernment is just another word for wisdom? Certainly
we hope that a Quaker decision, made with discernment, is effectively
the same as a wise decision. Someone who has wisdom, is likely also
to have discernment. But
the two concepts can be picked apart quite easily because </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>wisdom</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">
(being wise) is essentially a static quality, perhaps developed over
a long life. It’s a noun. It does not have a verb. It’s quite the
opposite with </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>discernment.</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">
That’s a noun, but essentially it is about a process, and the verb
‘</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>to
discern’</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">
is the part which is used most commonly. Discernment is actually the
process, over time, which is worked through to reach a decision.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">It
is what we are all doing in a meeting for worship for business.
Traditionally we ask someone who has never attended a Quaker business
meeting to </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>‘have
a word with the clerk or elder first’</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">.
This is simply to make sure that the new person knows that the
business meeting is not like most business meetings – it has its
own special etiquette – and is essentially a meeting for worship
and should be attended in the same spirit. (Some years ago, it would
probably have been expressed as </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>‘ask
the permission of the clerk</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">’.)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Discernment
consists of several separate activities…</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Being
silent. Sitting in the same worshipful silence as one would in a
regular meeting for worship</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Listening
carefully and respectfully – to the clerks and to any spoken
contribution.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Possibly
speaking… as ministry… what is </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>‘on
your heart’</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">.
Each contribution should stand alone, with silence after it.
Properly it should not be a response or reaction or answer to a
previous speaker. It is not a discussion. </span></span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Observing
proper ‘discipline’. In other words knowing and observing the
‘proper’ ways of doing things. Proper in the sense that these
are traditional, established, expected and accepted ways for the
meeting to operate. </span></span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Upholding
the clerks in their work of guiding the meeting, listening, and
expressing the sense of the meeting.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">The
clerks are discerning, before, during and after a business meeting. I
would suggest that the preparation of an agenda (what is on it, in
which order and how to present it) is also something that is
discerned by the clerks. Then during the meeting itself, the clerk or
clerks are continually using discernment as to how the meeting is to
proceed, which Friend to call upon and when it may be necessary to
limit spoken contribution. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">It
is rare in local or area meetings that there are more Friends wishing
to speak on a topic than can realistically be heard. Remember that
Yearly Meeting operates in the same style as any business meeting.
The clerks call on Friends to speak from a meeting of 1000. There are
always some Friends who stand, wishing to speak, but who are not
called. The clerks have to discern when that part of the meeting
should be drawn to a close and when the next stage, producing a
minute, takes over. They are looking for unity… or sufficient unity
that a minute can be tried.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">The
clerk or clerks use their discernment to draw together what they have
heard, into a draft minute which is presented to the meeting.
Depending on the nature of the business, a ‘</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>draft
minute</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">’
may have been composed before the meeting even started. We saw that
here last week at Area Meeting. The clerk again uses discernment in
taking up, or not, the comments and suggestions put forward by
members of the meeting. Strictly speaking, the minute is the product
of the whole meeting. To be accepted it has to owned by the meeting.
On the whole I feel that when I have been clerking, I have preferred
to accept further suggestions if at all possible, rather than defend
the wording as it had been offered initially. </span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">I
believe that if a Friend suggests an alteration, or change of wording
or additional phrase or sentence, then it is normally right to accept
them.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">How
do you learn ‘discernment’? Like everything else, by practice. By
attending business meetings. By observing and sharing the experience.
By being very patient. They can seem slow – even, in relation to
the outside world, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>‘boring’</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">!
But that is an essential part of the process. I admit that many a
time I have sat in a business meeting, as the minutes tick by, and
thought to myself: “</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>Is
this really what I want to do with my precious time?</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">”
But I have concluded that yes, it is, and I do attend local meeting
and area meeting whenever I can, and I recommend all Friends and
attenders to do so.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">It
must be said that discernment can take a very long time. Sometimes
with difficult topics a business meeting is preceded by a </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>threshing
meeting</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">…
at which no decision is made but thoughts and feelings are freely
expressed. The clerking of that meeting still entails careful
discernment, even if a decision is not sought. Threshing meetings
usually happen when there is a difficult or even controversial topic.
Feelings may be high. We all must share responsibility for the right
ordering of our business meetings but ultimately those at the table
have to ‘manage’ the meeting, sensitive to those whose feelings
may be especially engaged, and to bring it to an appropriate and
timely close.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">I
remember clerking a threshing meeting a couple of years ago. It was
not the prelude to another decision making meeting. It stood alone,
as a chance for Friends to express views. In some ways it was like a
large scale meeting for clearness. I believe that the Friend who
asked for the meeting did feel that a painful and problematic issue
had been properly shared, and aired. That Friend had been heard.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Discernment
can be time consuming. It may be that the clerks discern that there
is insufficient ‘unity’ within the meeting for the looked-for
decision to be made. Their discernment then is that the matter will
be brought back to another subsequent meeting. This is not uncommon.
It means that Friends have a chance to think over the matter at
greater length. And frequently it would be the case that there is a
slightly different combination of Friends at the later meeting, which
may itself mean that the sense of the meeting is different.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">I
found an example of a meeting which took 2 years to discern the right
way forward. The issue was whether or not to install air conditioning
in their meeting house, clearly a vexed and divisive issue.
Eventually, a way was found for the Friends involved to unite behind
a decision…which was not exactly that preferred by some of them.
This is an important point to stress. The fact that a decision is
made and a minute written, does not mean that each and every person
there was in full agreement, only that those who did not agree, did
feel able to unite with the other decision. (Number 15 in As and Qs
explains this well.)</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">I
have had discussions with Friends about decisions made at a previous
meeting. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>‘But
I didn’t think that the decision was right’</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">.
Sadly this will happen sometimes. We are only human. We work hard at
this process. As far as I am aware, there is no legitimate avenue to
overturn a Quaker decision, and I don’t think there should be. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US">Another
Quaker context when discernment is absolutely at the heart of how we
do things is </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US"><i><b>nominations</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US">.
Being on Nominations Committee is a very important and significant
role. The meetings of that committee are essentially all about
discernment. Carefully, lovingly, worshipfully weighing up the match,
or not, of particular Friends (or attenders) and the particular
Quaker role under consideration. And of course, it doesn’t always
work perfectly. Even after the careful discernment process, a name
may be brought to meeting and that Friend appointed, who subsequently
does not find that the work suits them at all. Again, we are only
human. But it is the way we do things.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Advices
and Queries are very helpful on the subject of business meetings; I
conclude with these wise words, which cover virtually everything I
have said:</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Are
your meetings for church affairs help in a spirit of worship and in
dependence on the guidance of God? Remember that we do not seek a
majority decision or even consensus. As we wait patiently for divine
guidance our experience is that the right way will open and we shall
be led into unity. </span></span></i>
</div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Do
you take part as often as you can in meetings for church affairs? Are
you familiar enough with our church government to contribute to its
disciplined process? Do you consider difficult questions with an
informed mind as well as a generous and loving spirit? Are you
prepared to let your insights and personal wishes take their place
alongside those of others or be set aside, as the meeting seeks the
right way forward? If you cannot attend, uphold the meeting
prayerfully.</span></span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-32322595138728123642015-02-27T09:05:00.001+00:002015-02-27T09:05:22.184+00:00Equality<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?<br />And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?<br />Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.<br />So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+17%3A7-10&version=KJV" target="_blank">(Luke 17, 7-10 KJV)</a></blockquote>
In January Friend's House made a <a href="http://www.quaker.org.uk/new-working-contracts" target="_blank">press release</a> on the resolution of the problem of Zero Hours contracts in the Friends House Hospitality company which states<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“BYM is a Living Wage Employer, and is recognised for the strict 1:4 ratio between lowest and highest paid staff. Our lowest wage band starts at 19% above the London Living Wage. All staff receive generous benefits, including 8% employer pension contribution, subsidised meals, permanent health insurance, childcare vouchers, a cycle-to-work scheme and access to a free confidential employee assistance programme.”</blockquote>
These must be amongst the best terms for employees anywhere, and the zero hours contracts have gone, yet there was still a serious problem and Friend's House is still being picketed. <br />There is a world of difference between being nice to people and treating them equally, and at the end of the day Friends House Hospitality are merely 'unprofitable servants' doing their duty by by law and good practice. <br />In a slave economy you can give your slaves good food and accommodation, decent and safe working conditions, health care and so on, but they are still slaves: they are still not equal to you. We are told that all the directors of Friends House Hospitality are Quakers, yet if the company is ran as a conventional managerial hierarchy, some people are more equal than others, and calling them Quakers, who are no doubt nice people, changes nothing.<br />In 'The Friend' of 19 Feb 2015 Ian Beeson in '<a href="https://thefriend.org/article/arguing-for-equality" target="_blank">Arguing for equality</a>' reflects on the problems at Friends House and says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"If we don’t make such an effort [to establish additional regular practices], we face the danger of stagnation, or of accepting forms of practice and conduct, and of models of organisation, economy and society, from our surrounding culture, adding only a Quaker flavour or topping instead of proposing a radical alternative."</blockquote>
The thing is radical alternatives do exist, and are being practised around the world, and were first developed by Quakers <a href="http://www.sociocracy.info/about-sociocracy/first-implementation" target="_blank">“Kees” Boeke and his wife, Beatrice “Betty” Cadbury</a>, as 'Sociocracy' or '<a href="http://www.governancealive.com/" target="_blank">Dynamic Governance</a>', so why aren't we using them?<br />
Perhaps the problems in Friends House Hospitlaity are in part due to a radical observation made by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_%28book%29" target="_blank">Ricardo Semler</a>, a Brazilian business owner who adopted Sociocracy in his large company way back on the 1980s:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<a href="http://www.sociocracy.info/transparency-2" target="_blank">No one can expect the spirit of involvement and partnership to flourish without an abundance of information available even to the most humble employee. I know all the arguments against a policy of full disclosure. … But the advantages of openness and truthfulness far outweigh the disadvantages. And a company that doesn’t share information when times are good loses the right to request solidarity and concessions when they aren’t.</a>”</blockquote>
It seems that 'solidarity' is certainly lacking at Friends House if disaffected former employees are picketing the entrance.<br />The Quaker philosopher John Macmurray had a radical vision of equality and freedom in community, and Quaker Home Service way back in 1979 at Friends House published a pamphlet containing a short piece by him written in 1929, <a href="http://johnmacmurray.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/YE-ARE-MY-FRIENDS.pdf" target="_blank">'Ye Are My Friends'</a> in which he writes that Christianity is not about duty and service, but about friendship. Perhaps it is time to get this phamphlet out of the library, knock the dust off it and read it carefully.<br />
The title is taken from the words of Jesus as recorded by <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15" target="_blank">John 15:15</a>, where he talks about servants and lords, but it equally applies to employees and directors:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”</blockquote>
We know how to have ministry without a priest, to all be equal before God, and we could know how to have management without managers, everyone working together in equal partnership to do good work in the world.<br />
Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-23177375951956480382015-02-16T09:40:00.000+00:002015-02-16T09:40:13.646+00:00Wot? No managers?There is an overriding assumption in modern organisations that a management hierarchy is essential. This assumption is taken up in many Quaker organisations, both those ran by Quakers and Quaker organisations themselves, such as at Friends House and many large meeting houses that employ staff to run a lettings business.<br />Yet no one seems to be asking the question, how is that we do without hierarchy in our meetings for worship for business, yet seem to require it in our other business activities?<br /><br />We Quakers should be disquieted by a commonly accepted theory of the origins of modern management. Before the industrial revolution, most work was carried out in homes or small forges and mills, with size limited by restricted and localised access to power and transport. At the same time the state was administered by courtiers working directly for the monarch. <br />The development of steam power and railways led to the rise of large factories employing hundreds and then thousands of workers. At the same time the state grew ever more sophisticated. Factory owners looking for efficiency and thus profits, and government officials burdened by ever more administration, looked around for methods of organising such enterprises, and only one presented itself: the army. Generals commanded armies of thousands with the organisation successfully evolving over centuries, and literally tested to destruction on the battlefield.<br /><br />Factory and government hierarchies mimicked those of the armed forces, even down to sharing the same language. And the rise of competition led to military metaphors being used to describe processes and tactics. Yet Quakers, despite our testimony against war, happily followed along in their business activities.<br /><br />At first hierarchical management was about execution – getting things done as efficiently as possible, but with the rise of ever more sophisticated technology, management turned to be about implementing expertise, which required specialist knowledge that could only be obtained from outside the community or organisation. And still Quakers followed along, despite our testimony to the truth within.<br /><br />Today, many forward thinking entrepreneurs realise that hierarchies are inherently rigid and incapable of responding effectively to change, especially in the fast moving field of information technology. This problem is well known in the field of war, through the commonly known saying “Generals are always preparing to fight the last war that they won”, and in this period of marking the anniversary of the First World War, we should be painfully aware of the terrible consequences of this failure. Yet still Quakers persist in using hierarchical command and control methods to run their business activities despite such bad press, whilst, ironically, some forwarding thinking entrepreneurs have discovered from Quakers ways of organising without hierarchy.<br /><br />In the middle of the last century Quakers Kees Boeke and Betty Cadbury developed <a href="http://www.sociocracy.info/about-sociocracy/what-is-sociocracy" target="_blank">'sociocracy'</a> in the Netherlands as a means of making effective decisions in an organisation based on “deep democracy”: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“...sociocracy is a collaborative governance method emphasizing self-organizing groups, distributed authority, and inclusive consent decision-making. Its values are equality, transparency, and effective action.” </blockquote>
Towards the end of the century the method was developed for use in business, in particular in the <a href="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.endenburg.nl/endenburg-profiel.php%3Fitem%3D7&prev=search" target="_blank">Netherlands</a> and <a href="http://theoptimist.com/semler" target="_blank">Brazil</a>. In this century the method has been further developed as <a href="http://holacracy.org/" target="_blank">'Holocracy'</a> in the United States by IT entrepreneur <a href="http://qz.com/167145/the-story-of-holacracys-founder-began-when-he-started-coding-at-age-6" target="_blank">Brian Robertson</a>, in particular to enable business to be much more responsive to change:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Management Without Managers: Holacracy places the seat of organizational power in an explicit process, one which organizes around an explicit purpose. <a href="http://www.wired.com/2011/11/starling-flock" target="_blank">This allows emergent behaviour of the whole system, without being controlled by either a single heroic leader or even the collective group</a>.” </blockquote>
In the 1640s, when many people experienced ”<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Turned_Upside_Down" target="_blank">the world turn'd upside down</a>”, George Fox saw that among “those esteemed the most experienced people...... there was none ... that could speak to my condition" he realised that not only did we not need priests telling us what to do, but that they were the source of the problem. There were no 'mangers' or 'experts' back then – the priests and preachers filled those roles:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“... the Lord opened unto me that being bred at Oxford or Cambridge was not enough to fit and qualify men to be ministers of Christ; and I wondered at it, because it was the common belief of people.” </blockquote>
And so it was that people looked at Quaker meetings and exclaimed:<br />“Wot! No Priests?”Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-16929095149902723902015-02-05T16:58:00.001+00:002015-02-05T16:58:53.680+00:00Gathered“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18.20).<br />
'In my name' means 'in the manner which I have shown you', i.e. we need to come together and submit to one another in love, as free and equal persons. It is there that the creativity that is the dynamic of persons in relations is found, and our full potential is realised – i.e. 'that of god in us' is answered and released – 'there am I in the midst of them'. The implication of this is that 'god' is in the relationships, and not a distant patriarchal man in the clouds barking commands, nor the distant mystical 'ground of our being' or 'ultimate reality'. The ground of our being is actually fully realised personal relationships, and ultimate reality is living a common life.<br />
<br />
But if we come together protecting our own individuality, fearful of being truly free, or come together under some external corporate command rather than as equals, then we are lost.<br />
<br />
For me 'individual' and 'corporate' are badly loaded words to express this dynamic. <br />
'Individual' implies some attempt to retain our own ego, to seek our own truth, to believe that we can somehow become whole without relationships with other persons, and worse, possibly trying to conjure up some mystical other being to relate to, which being a figment of our imagination, will allow us to retain our ego. The test of our individual leadings is in action in the world, especially in relationships with other persons. The leading points to truth and light to the extent that our relationships improve, and points to darkness to the extent that our relationships deteriorate. This is the locus of individual discernment, not weighing ideas in our heads, but experimentally through action in a world that contains other persons.<br />
'Corporate' implies some form of external control that we submit to. To 'submit to one another in love' is to enter freely into a relationship which treats the other as fully equal, in faith and trust that this will be reciprocated and no constraint will be imposed on us. So we do not submit to dogmas and creeds and teachings of others, not even what is in Quaker Faith and Practice. But neither do we ignore those who have gone before. We are both rooted in the past and growing towards the future, and to ignore the past and the way it has shaped our language and traditions is to cut ourselves adrift and become anything to anyone. Isaac Penington was profoundly right then to insist that each of us is 'not to take things for truths because others see them to be truths, but to wait till the spirit makes them manifest.' (The works of the long-mournful and sorely-distressed Isaac Penington, 1761) for this is the nature of free and equal relationships with those from the past.<br />
<br />
In <span id="goog_872413136"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/">'What Can We Say?'<span id="goog_872413137"></span></a>, on Transition Quaker, Craig Barnett, whom I thank for the Penington quote, asks:<br />
“Is corporate Quaker testimony important in your life? How do you see the balance between individual leadings and collective discernment in your meeting, and in the wider Quaker community?”<br />
In 'What Can We Say Today?', in The Friends Quarterly, v41-3, August 2014, Simon Best and Stuart Masters ask:<br />
'Are we a support group for individuals each engaged on their own personal and private spiritual journey or are we a faith community with a corporate life?'<br />
The answer to the question of individual versus corporate is 'both and neither'. The paradox arises, as is usually the case, because the question is incorrectly framed: it is not about 'individual' and 'corporate' but about relationships. To be gathered together as free and equal persons is to be both fully 'individual' and fully 'corporate', but also to let go of self-identity and to let go of the corporate identity, and find our identity in community with one another. It is other people that call us 'Quakers', we call each other 'friends'. A community of free and equal friends sharing a common life discover that authority resides in their relationships with one another, i.e. know 'experimentally' that 'there am I in the midst of them'.<br />
<br />
(NB For Christians, and those brought up in western culture who can still retrieve what is good in the message of Jesus past the patriarchal hierarchical homophobic church, the 'I' is 'Christ', but the 'I' can be any understanding of a personal, relational other that we discover in community.)Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-42844389863856405142015-01-29T12:49:00.000+00:002015-01-30T10:15:17.022+00:00Quaker Basics coming soonA series of monthly workshops, which is ideal for people who are new to Quakers, or for anyone who has ever wanted to know what the Quaker Way is all about...<br />
<br />
All sessions on Sundays 12-1pm at the Quaker Meeting House:<br />
15th Feb - Quaker Worship, introduced by Helen Griffin<br />
15th March - Quaker Discernment, introduced by Laura Kerr<br />
19th April - Quaker Origins, introduced by Zillah Scott<br />
17th May - Quaker Testimony, introduced by Kiri Smith<br />
21st June - Quaker Community, introduced by Robert Almond<br />
<br />
For more information, please contact Craig Barnett, Helen Griffin or Jenni Crisp.Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-19356532141950541302015-01-14T15:37:00.000+00:002015-01-14T15:37:16.161+00:00Making our voices powerful
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Time
to Act on Climate Change:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Living
Witness Group. Sunday February 22nd, 2015. 12 to 1pm</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">2015 is a
crucial year to put action on the climate firmly on the political
agenda. Our General Election is in May. The International Climate
talks are in Paris in December. </span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The Living
Witness Group invites you to a workshop on Sunday February 22</span><sup><span style="font-size: medium;">nd</span></sup><span style="font-size: medium;">
12pm to share ideas and resources on ways we can speak truth to power
and share our commitment to be a low carbon community with the wider
world and those in power. There will be opportunities to take away
pro forma letters to send to our parliamentary candidates and hear
about the Time to Act for the Climate National March, rally and
creative action in London on March 7</span><sup><span style="font-size: medium;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: medium;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I have
recently joined the Living Witness Group. I have been aware and
active around the climate crisis for a long time and engaged with
<a href="http://www.sheffieldclimatealliance.net/" target="_blank">Sheffield Climate Alliance</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I felt
enormous relief when I read the Quakers <a href="http://www.quaker.org.uk/minute-36" target="_blank">Canterbury commitment</a>, minute
36, made at Yearly meeting 2011.</span><span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://www.quaker.org.uk/minute-36"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></u></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
Selected paragraphs below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Looking
deeply, my sense of relief is from “joining the dots,” the
spiritual and political linking up, meeting that need for deep
connection. I do feel gratitude to be part of a spiritual community
that is asking us all to respond to the challenge of climate change,
to take on the enormity of the scale of change required, to realise
the links with our current economic inequitable system and to draw on
our Quaker tradition and testimonies, including speaking truth to
power and engagement through love and joy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I feel
extremely proud that UK Quakers were the first faith group to
disinvest from fossil fuels. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Two years
ago at our Sheffield Meeting I felt particularly heartened, inspired
and grateful to the Living Witness Group for holding evening
sessions to share our responses to Pam Lunn’s Swarthmore lecture,
“Costing not less than Everything”, which led up to the
Canterbury commitment. Here are just two of her chapter headings and
quotes framing ways we can respond:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">1.”There
are no passengers in spaceship earth. We are all crew” Marshall
McLuhan</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">As crew,
she suggests ways we can all take responsibility for action:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Notice
that climate change is a problem</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Interpret
this as a situation in which something needs doing</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Assume
personal responsibility for doing something</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Choose
what to do</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">2. The
Time is Now: ”You do not have to change: survival is not mandatory”
W.Edwards Denning</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">So, my
choice, in what I can offer the Living Witness Group at this pivotal
time, is to be a connector and try and join the dots between
Sheffield Climate Action and our Quaker community. I am delighted
that Janet Paske, also a member of SCA and our Meeting is joining me
in this.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">On the
22</span><sup><span style="font-size: medium;">nd</span></sup><span style="font-size: medium;"> February we
will be sharing some of the ways the National Campaign against
Climate Change and Sheffield Climate Alliance are calling on our
political leaders to show leadership: to move from delay to action
with practical policies which can lead to a more sustainable and
equal society. </span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Such
policies include:</span></div>
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● <span style="font-size: medium;">10%
emissions cuts year on year, creating at least one million climate
jobs.</span></div>
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● <span style="font-size: medium;">From
fracking and fossil fuels to renewable energy for all our needs.</span></div>
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● <span style="font-size: medium;">From
cold homes and energy waste to insulation for all.</span></div>
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● <span style="font-size: medium;">From
exploitation to climate justice: UK s</span><span style="font-size: medium;">upport for a
just international climate deal.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">We are
currently drafting pro forma letters Friends can make their own to
send to their MPs and parliamentary candidates. We will also
encourage friends to think about joining The Time to Act for the
Climate March in London on March 7</span><sup><span style="font-size: medium;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: medium;">.
We will of course welcome all other creative responses to rise to the
challenge of our time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Canterbury
commitment. Sections from Minute 36</b></span></span></div>
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“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sustainability is
an urgent matter for our Quaker witness. It is rooted in Quaker
testimony and must be integral to all we do corporately and
individually.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>A
framework for action 2009-2014</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.49cm; margin-top: 0.49cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A concern for the
Earth and the well-being of all who dwell in it is not new, and we
have not now received new information which calls us to act. Rather
we are renewing our commitment to a sense of the unity of creation
which has always been part of Friends’ testimonies. Our actions
have as yet been insufficient.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
environmental crisis is enmeshed with global economic injustice and
we must face our responsibility as one of the nations which has
unfairly benefited at others’ expense, to redress inequalities
which, in William Penn’s words, are ‘wretched and blasphemous.’
(</span></span><em><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Quaker
faith & practice</span></span></em><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
25.13)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
encourage local and area meetings to practise speaking truth to power
at local level by establishing relationships with all sections of
local communities, including politicians, businesses and schools, to
encourage positive attitudes to sustainability.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This
process needs to be joyful and spirit-led, with room for corporate
discernment at local, area and national level. We believe this
corporate action will enable us to speak truth to power more
confidently. Growing in the spirit is a consequence of taking action,
and action flows from our spiritual growth; here is the connectedness
we seek. Only a demanding common task builds community.”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>This is a longer version of an article by Heather Hunt that will be printed in Sheffield Quaker News in January.</i> </span></span></div>
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</div>
Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-48470752940423100112014-11-14T18:59:00.001+00:002014-11-14T18:59:37.152+00:00Skill
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In this year's Swarthmore Lecture, Transformation', Ben Pink Dandelion says we are a DIT religion – Do It Together, not Do It Yourself – DIY. The allusion to DIY though makes it abundantly clear that if we are to Do It Ourselves, then we need skills. If you are going to be a DIY handyperson you need to acquire proficiency in a range of skills – not for you paying the tradesperson to do your home improvements while you put your feet up – or rather perhaps tend to neglect your family and community while you scurry about earning the money to pay the tradespeople. We Quakers do not employ priests or ministers, so likewise we need to become proficient in religious and spiritual skills. Not for us sitting passively in the pews whilst being lectured by the man at the front in a frock.<br /><br />Also, if we are to 'Do It Together' than not for us either spiritual advisers, teachers, gurus and all the paraphernalia of the spiritual self-help bandwagon that perhaps some Quakers are leaping on along with so many others in our society. If we really do believe that the light is equally accessible to all, irrespective of status, then we should be seeking our spiritual help and guidance from one another.<br /><br />But it is one thing to believe that the light is accessible to all, and quite another to use that light to acquire the skills to be able to help one another. Quakers are not about belief, even belief in the light within, or 'that of God' in everyone, for we are about practising our religion or spirituality. But acquiring skill is not easy, and is certainly not acquired just sitting in silence on a Sunday morning. <br /><br />Acquiring skill requires application over an extended period of time. It is generally asserted that it takes 10,000 hours to bbecome proficient in any one skill, whether it be playing a musical instrument, carpentry, wind surfing, tennis or whatever. 10,000 hours is five years at 40 hours per week – the length of many traditional craft apprenticeships, though some are even longer, such as in medicine. Acquiring and utilizing a skill takes place over three stages, recognised in the traditional craft guild terms of 'Apprentice', 'Journeyman' and 'Master'. This not just a Western categorisation – in Japanese Martial Arts, it is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari" target="_blank">'Shu-Ha-Ri' (守破離)</a>. Shuhari roughly translates to "first learn, then detach, and finally transcend."<br /><br />The Apprentice works under a master in their workshop. There they learn technique, mainly by showing – the master will give verbal instruction where necessary, but knows that the best way to learn is by example. 'Not like <i>that</i>, but like <i>this</i>'. It is essential to make mistakes, to learn through failure. John Ruskin describes the transition from mere external rote learning of rules and procedures to beginning to acquire personal understanding:<br /><br />“Understand this clearly: you can teach a man to draw a straight line, and to carve it; and to copy and carve any number of given lines or forms, with admirable speed and perfect precision; and you find his work perfect of its kind: but if you ask him to think about any of those forms, to consider if he cannot find any better in his own head, he stops; his execution becomes hesitating; he thinks, and ten to one he thinks wrong; ten to one he makes a mistake in the first touch he gives to his work as a thinking being. But you have made a man of him for all that. He was only a machine before, an animated tool.” (The Stones of Venice, 1851)<br /><br />This is where all of us were when we first came to a meeting for worship, or first attended the meeting for worship for church affairs. We were given the introductory leaflet and learnt the rules about silence and ministry and waiting and not debating and so on. How far have we moved on? How many of us are afraid to offer ministry for fear of getting it wrong? How many of us do not realise we have got it wrong because no one told us: 'Not like that but like this'? - because they too were afraid. This is the state of affairs in religious practice with a minister or priest. The priest tells us when we get it wrong on those few opportunities we are permitted to practice for ourselves rather than just learn the catechism. But because they have the priest to tell them, perhaps they are more spiritually skilled than many of us Quakers?<br /><br />The Journeyman has left the master and is recognised as a skilled person in their own right. 'Journeyman' can mean both the right to claim their own wages for a days work (from the French <i>journée</i> – day') or the right to travel away from the master's workshop and set up on their own. But how do you know when the apprenticeship is over? Because the master tells you, and in many crafts you make an 'Apprentice Piece' to show your skill. These are often miniature works so that the journeyman can take them with themselves and show potential clients that they deserve a days pay for their work. <br /><br />So in our spiritual journey, who tells us we are fit for the road? What do we have to show for it? All too often it seems to me we make the decision for ourselves, taken up in the individualistic spirit of the age. We think we can strike out on our own because of some little thing, and no one tells us otherwise. The apprentice is told by the master 'I have shown you all I know' – or possibly just – 'I have shown you all you can take in' for we are not all equally skilled. The client looks at your work-piece and declares 'Yes I will pay you'. The recognition comes from without and is given to us by grace. <br /><br />And so the journeyman sets up shop and makes a living in the community. But the journeyman is not a master, and all self-respecting craftspeople know this. When and how do they become a master? Again the recognition comes from without, from the community the journeyman has settled in. When the parents or guardians of a young person approaches them and asks the journeyman to take them on as an apprentice. And the cycle of life turns and starts around again.<br /><br />The discipline of practical apprenticeship and mastery of skills has much to teach us spiritually, especially us Quakers, for we 'Do It Together'.<br /><br />Furthermore the discipline of application of practical skill teaches us about our spiritual lives directly. The mastery of practical skills in the world directly translates into enabling our relationships with one-another. The need to work out how to turn a material object into something useful and beautiful – including getting the best sound out of your musical instrument – teaches us to stay with the problem and discover the solution from within the material, which in turn teaches us to engage in dialogue with others, and not to force ourselves on others. The need to find the best and easiest way to get the result we are looking for without laborious working and reworking teaches us to be tentative with the material and so to be tentative in our dealings with other people, to listen and consider ourselves perhaps mistaken. And above all, the need to deal objectively with the world, to confront the material objectivity of the other teaches us empathy with both the materials we work with and with other people. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXE4NEgLn8&t=17m30s" target="_blank">Hear Richard Sennet on this</a>.<br /><br />The master truly knows the meaning of 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.' (Matthew 16.25). The master transcends the self and becomes one with the work, and then in the work discovers themselves.Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-51559241165114184392014-11-03T09:19:00.000+00:002014-11-03T09:19:11.688+00:00 SacramentThere are events and activities in our lives when the divine intrudes more strongly and fully into our experience; when our sense of relatedness to the whole of live, or God as some call it, is more acute. It is the purpose of religious ritual and spiritual practice to make us more aware of the divine presences at these times. These are called sacraments – 'an outward sign of an inward grace', and in the fullest Christian tradition, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrament" target="_blank">seven are recognised</a>. These events and activities are (with the common sacrament name in brackets): birth (baptism), coming of age (confirmation), marriage (matrimony), death (last rites or anointing of the sick), giving and receiving forgiveness (penance or confession), sharing food (communion) and ministry (holy orders).<br /><br />Quakers are right to say that the whole of live is sacramental, and to recognise that separate religious rituals can detach us from the reality of our experience. This is especially problematical when society and culture change rapidly and the naturally conservative forces of religion make the rituals less and less relevant to the way we live now. Furthermore the patriarchal hierarchical church often usurps these rituals to force conformity on us. <br /><br />Baptism is used to tie us to the church, with the sanction of hell for those who are not baptised in time, coupled with the subordination of the women who gives birth through rituals like '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churching_of_women" target="_blank">churching</a>'. <br /><br />Confirmation replaces the full expression of adulthood and the exploration of identity with conformity to the <a href="http://www.lectionarystudies.com/confirmation.html" target="_blank">catechism</a>. <br /><br />Marriage is denied those who seek long term committed relationships but are not heterosexual, and then linked to having children imposed almost as a necessity, whilst denying sexual expression to those outside marriage.<br /><br />Death is used to make us conform through the fear of eternal damnation. As Thomas Paine put it: 'Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind (sic), tyranny in religion is the worst; every other tyranny is limited to the world we live in; but this attempts to stride beyond the grave and seeks to pursue us into eternity'(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Reason" target="_blank">Age of Reason</a>).<br /><br />The personal interaction of giving and receiving forgiveness is replaced by confession before the priest with yet more fear of sin and damnation.<br /><br />The everyday sharing of food is completely detached from reality with administration of barely edible wafer and the tiniest sip. <br /><br />And finally ministry is only to be given by those sanctioned by the hierarchy to be priests over us.<br /><br />In the protestant tradition, only communion and baptism are recognised, with the result that what should be celebrations of our lives together in community become privatised and individualised. We come to the front before the minister to receive communion instead of sitting round the table sharing a meal. In the baptist tradition, baptism is decoupled entirely from
birth and even coming of age to be turned into an almost cultish
initiation rite into the externally imposed church. Forgiveness is reduced to the working out of contractual obligations between determined individualists. <br /><br />However, we still need these sacraments. The divine always intrudes, but we do no necessarily pay attention. We easily succumb to the spirit of the age where these events and activities are seen through the lenses of Darwinian evolution and biological determinism. All seven occur everywhere, to varying degrees, throughout the animal world, and we too are animals. But we are also self aware – we are persons – we have been given the gift of being able to perceive the divine, of knowing that we are related to all of life and can participate knowingly in life to an infinitely greater degree than any other animal. <br /><br />The Quaker philosopher John Macmurray wrote: 'when an animal is hungry it goes in search of food; but when a man (sic) is hungry he looks at his watch to see how long it will be before his next meal' (<a href="http://johnmacmurray.org/reviews/persons-in-relation-vol-ii-of-the-form-of-the-personal" target="_blank">Persons in Relation, 1961, p44</a>). When he will join with his family and friends to share food together, round the table, passing the bread and wine to each other, in communion.<br /><br />As Quakers, we are required to see the whole world as sacramental, but this is not an idea in our heads. It is incumbent upon us to devise religious rituals and spiritual practices that heighten that sense of divine awareness - that recognition of inward grace - as we go through the major events of life, and often seemingly mundane day to day activities; rituals and practices that make sense in today's culture, that work in a post-modern industrialised and urbanised environment, that will be a witness not just to ourselves but to all around us as they see how much we love one another.<br /><br />The judgement that awaits us is not that we have sinned, for our sins are forgiven, but that God spoke to us and we were not listening.<br />Gordon Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021696929176035226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-35188161725480909232014-11-01T16:23:00.001+00:002014-11-01T16:23:17.997+00:00Listen-Trust-Act<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
<i>This post is from the new Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/QuakerRenewalUK/" target="_blank">Quaker Renewal UK</a>, and is published here with permission.</i><br />
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I have been reflecting on Craig Barnett’s blog <a href="http://sheffieldquakers.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/quaker-space-or-quaker-way_23.html" target="_blank">Quaker Space or Quaker Way</a> and in Meeting for Worship last night I realised how unifying this is compared to
the disparate beliefs we hold. Our challenge for Quaker Renewal is to
explain very clearly and very simply the key aspects of the Quaker Way
and then to support people in following this path. We need to remember
the clarity of the Quaker Way as a spiritual practice.<br />
<br />
Advice and
Queries 1: <i>Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth
in your hearts. Trust them as the leadings of God whose Light shows us
our darkness and brings us to new life.</i><br />
This advice is first for a
reason. It is the core of the Quaker Way. Meditating on this message,
we can notice that this is not about ideology it is a call to action.<br />
<br />
The Quaker Way is to LISTEN to the promptings of love and truth in our
hearts. The only thing that matters in Quakerism is whether we live a
spirit-led life. We want everyone to pay attention to these promptings
and for our Meetings to be places where this is encouraged and nurtured.
We will show you how you can be more and more open to these leadings.<br />
<br />
The Quaker Way is to TRUST these as the leadings of God as we become
increasingly aware of our own darkness and limitations. We recognise
that learning to trust the promptings of our hearts can be challenging.
They may be urging us to make radical changes to our life and priorities
and we need to be able to discern whether they are of love and truth.
We don’t want people to be isolated in this experience and have
established Quaker ways of helping people discern what is based in love
and truth. We can help you test your own leadings within the security of
a loving spiritual community.<br />
<br />
The Quaker Way is to ACT in
response to the possibilities for new life that are shown to us. Our
spiritual experience results in action: we begin to change the way we
see the world. Over the years, from this spiritual experience, Quakers
have developed testimonies to peace, simplicity, equality and truth. We
want to develop spiritual communities where everyone feels they have
support from kindred spirits in responding to this life-changing
experience. Within any Quaker meeting, there will be variety of types of
action already happening and we can help you discern the path that you
feel called to and support you as you make your way.<br />
<br />
Notice the
structure that is offered. Notice that we already speak very clearly
about what the way involves and that we have elders and long-standing
friends with plenty of experience to share. I suggest that new attenders
will be pleased and reassured to hear us speak in this way compared to
simply stating that Quaker believe different things. Of course, new
attenders themselves will also bring their insights and spiritual
experiences which will, in turn, deepen our practice. Let’s energise a
Quaker Renewal by being more confident about what we can offer people
seeking a different spiritual path. Starting from a common love of
A&Q 1, let’s deliver a unified expression of the Quaker Way.<br />
<br />
<b>Emma Roberts </b></div>
Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-77414418601176962692014-08-22T16:38:00.000+01:002014-08-22T16:39:53.966+01:00Swarthmore Lecture VideoThis is the video of Ben Pink Dandelion's Swarthmore Lecture, delivered at Yearly Meeting Gathering recently. There is a brief discussion of some of the issues raised in the lecture over at <a href="http://transitionquaker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/some-thoughts-on-swarthmore-lecture_6.html" target="_blank">Transition Quaker</a>. The book of the lecture is called 'Open for Transformation: Being Quaker', and a couple of copies are available in the Sheffield Central Quaker Meeting library.<br />
It would be great to know what Friends think of the lecture, please share your thoughts in the comments below. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oRO-lGD9emM?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>Craig Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16201061939693242954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757790087474609097.post-16542905607910286722014-08-19T12:04:00.000+01:002014-08-19T12:04:24.850+01:00Do It Yourself
<br>
We all know we are going to die. Well, technically. There’s a strong rumour going around that everyone dies. Most of us have no intention of actually doing so. (Most people don’t make a will. A will is something which you can’t do after you’re gone. It’s a sort of letter from the person who is now dead to those who are not yet dead, saying what he wants done with his body and other earthly stuff. Most people never write that letter, so most people don’t think it will ever happen to them.)
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Many people believe that there is somewhere else you go to after you die on this Earth. (Many people do not.) They say, “You can’t take it with you.” Assuming just for a minute that there is somewhere or some dimension you go to when you die, is there anything that you can take with you? The ancient Egyptians seemed to think so, because they put a lot of good stuff (including food and beer) into the graves of the dead. We now realise that you can’t take your body and all the other earthly stuff you have accumulated. Money, house, garden, car, clothes? No. All those stamps or china souvenirs or Man Utd programmes you assiduously collected over the years? No.
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Anything? Well, if you can take anything with you, it won’t be anything physical, which doubtless won’t make the cut. Possibly your memories, experience, wisdom. Possibly those. Many cultures (again, at least from the ancient Egyptians on) have believed that you take with you a sort of personal CV, a record of all the good deeds and bad deeds you did – as well as the good deeds you could have done but didn’t. Before you die, or even as soon as you are born, some cultures get you working for a Lifetime Achievement Award – salvation, sainthood, martyrdom. Other cultures say, “Live now. Now is all we get.”
<br>
I can not prove any of this stuff, but I suspect that Now is not all we get, but that we also get And Now for This Bit (even And Now for Something Completely Different). I have no idea what it will be like for me (who am still alive) or is being like for those who have already died. They know (or they don’t, if there isn’t) but I have yet to find out (or not, as the case may be).
<br>
On the other hand, I don’t agree with not living Now but saving up all the expectation of the good bits for the World to Come. If I was one of Them Up There (however you define them, up and there) would I be eager to greet someone who has been waiting all his life to get Up There with Us, and so hasn’t really lived Down There? I don’t think so. I might have to meet a lot of people who will be wandering around saying, “Blimy! I didn’t know all this. I mean, I’d heard people talking, but . . .” But I think I would rather greet someone to whom I could say, “You have lived x days or years on the Earth – tell us about it. What can you say?”
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There was a time when, if you wanted something, you just plucked it off the tree or picked it up off the ground. Many of our nearest relatives in the animal kingdom still do that. Then we (and some of our relatives) learned a new trick: If you want some-thing, make it – you can make it yourself. We already stood and walked on only two of our four limbs, leaving the two handy ones to carry stuff. Then we got to the point where someone invented bags, so that we could carry a great deal more than just what we could hold in our two hands. That was extremely useful, because (since they could hardly walk for themselves) we had to carry our little ones.
<br>
But then we got to where the things we wanted to own became so complex that no one person could make all they needed for themselves. This is where the division of labour came in: “You’re good at knapping flints, so you knap the flints. I’m good at hunting – I’ll hunt. She’s good at cooking, so maybe she’ll cook for us.” This was rapidly followed by barter, coin of the realm, paper money, mortgage rates and the rest.
<br>
We now have an economy, in the developed countries, where most people don’t make anything, but do a lot of buying and selling of what some other people make. That may be OK when it comes to farmers growing food, builders building, or factories making clothes. It may also be OK to let other people write stories for you, furnish your house, write the messages in your greetings cards, make you laugh, and so on. But are you really going to rely on others for your memories, experience and wisdom?
<br>
Are you really intending, when you get Up There (if there is an Up There) and when They say (if there are They), “You have lived on the Earth – tell us about it,” to say, “Well. . . I did a lot of shopping”?
Paul Hunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01056101206436352298noreply@blogger.com2