MEETING POINTS - ll Quakers

Meeting Points September 2013

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Quakers in Milton Keynes

Quaker Centre Warden: Laura Weavers 1 Oakley Gardens Telephone: 01908 604673 Downhead Park Email: [email protected] Milton Keynes MK15 9BH http://www.miltonkeynesquakers.org.uk Clerk: Eva Barton, 2 Amherst Court, Duck Lane, Woburn, Bedfordshire, MK17 9PT Tel: 01525 290436 Email: [email protected] Meeting for Worship Sundays 10.30 – 11.30 am. Children welcome. Also on 1st & 3rd Weds. at 12.45 – 1.30 pm

Newsletter of Milton Keynes Quakers No 29 September 2013

MEETING POINTS

We had an unexpected visitor to the Meeting House garden one Sunday in August.

Trish Marshall was quick to capture the moment. This is a common blue butterfly.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.miltonkeynesquakers.org.uk/



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My Faith in Practice Volume 2

Did you miss any of the recent presentations in the 'My

Faith in Practice' series? Would you like to re-read any of

them - or read them for the first time? In this series of

spiritual autobiographies, Friends have shared with us

about their spiritual journeys and the life experiences

that have impinged upon them.

There will be some copies in the library to borrow but

you can have a free electronic copy or purchase a hard

copy for £10. See Don Rowe to order.

Editorial This edition of the newsletter comes out at the end of the summer holiday period and the

beginning of the autumn season. As the temperature drops, the leaves begin to fall and we look

forward to the evenings drawing in, the programme of events at the Meeting House gets under

way once again. Take a look at the dates for the diary section and you will see that there are

discussion meetings, book groups, a fund-raising evening, a retreat and much more. And on top of

that are the activities associated with National Quaker week when we try to break the habit of

centuries and explain something of ourselves to the outside world.

There is a range of activities going on - some inward-facing and some outward-facing. It occurs to

me that these two categories are replicated in ourselves. Some of us are naturally inward-facing

and perhaps we also naturally favour events of a meditative, or contemplative style which help us

in our inward journey. Others of us are possibly more out-going, more personally extrovert. Does

this mean we are likely to favour action-focused Quakerism? This is certainly far too simplistic

and, in any case, I'm sure it's the case that, whichever orientation comes most naturally to us, we

need to strive towards an integration of these different aspects of our true selves. They are

mutually dependent on each other, surely.

Beliefs and values are fundamental to our lives as Quakers. We feel the need to live them out and if

they are truly held, then actions will naturally flow from them. At the same time, our actions need

to be guided by our inner values and convictions - otherwise they will be inconsistent, shallow and

insincere. Ernest's piece in this newsletter, inspired by his reading of some Hindu scriptures,

reflects the fact that whilst we use head, heart and hands to experience the world and make sense

of it, (and individuals differ as to which of these they tend to favour), we will not achieve spiritual

maturity unless these three domains are integrated and mutually enriching.

My thanks as always to those who provided this rich array of news, information, reflection, story

and poetry.

Don Rowe, editor

New w

Don Rowe

Editor


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Dear Friends,

This is an opportunity for me to

pass on information about the

Meeting House and share a

glimpse of the day-to-day

happenings. First of all, I

wanted to mention the MK

Food Bank. I received an email

on 1st July from John Marshall,

the Project Manager, which I

would like to share with you.

Dear Laura,

We collected the donations on

Friday and I just wanted to pass on our thanks for an

excellent supply of food items. It is a time of year when

our supply starts to dry up as the summer weather and

school holiday seasons approach. So, we very much

appreciate the supply we get from our regular donors.

Thank you for all your support.

John Marshall.

I’m really pleased with how successful our

collection scheme has been so far. I am aware of

several of the regular hirers making donations on

a weekly basis and it’s particularly rewarding to

see a toddler from the pre-school carefully placing

a contribution in the box. I was also told recently

that a client of the Well Being Therapy Group

decided to volunteer at the Food Bank and it has

turned out to be a very positive experience for that

individual. So it’s not just about donating the food,

as with many things, there can be additional

positive spin- offs.

August has been an

interesting contrast of peace

and disruption. Naturally, the

hirings were fewer during

the summer holidays so

things tended to quieten

down. However, it’s also an

opportunity to get jobs done

around the building. This

year the conversion of the old

FGC office took place (which

was the disruptive, but

necessary element). A

partition wall has now

provided the Well Being

Therapy Group with a comfortable space to work

in and it has given our Meeting much needed

storage space, which I am very pleased with. The

pre-school room also got a fresh coat of paint and

a variety of odd jobs involving members of

Finance and Property, electricians and plumbers

were seen to. So, it has been a productive time.

Our new Hirings Policy came into effect on 1st

August. This has meant that a few groups are no

longer able to use our premises. However,

bookings are remaining consistent and healthy

and the purpose of the new policy appears to be

achieving its aims, so far.

Finally, I just wanted to say a big thank you to

those Friends who were able to help with cover

during my leave at the beginning of August. It’s

always a relief when the rota of tasks, from

cleaning to locking and unlocking, gets filled in

and I can go away and not worry about the place

(or at least try not to).

News and Reports

Warden's Waffle Laura Weavers


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For many in our Meeting and in the Area

Meeting, the Summer Camp is an important

time, spiritually and socially. This year's camp

was a particularly poignant experience

following the recent death of one of its regular

members. Here is the camp epistle.

Dear Friends everywhere,

‘ there is a field beyond dark and light; I will

meet you there’

(amended from Rumi, twelth century Sufi

poet)

Over a hundred campers, from four

months to over eighty years, lived

together at Luton and Leighton Area

Meeting Quaker camp this summer, in a

field in the Severn floodplain, close to

Upton on Severn, below the beautiful

Malvern hills.

Many of us came to camp with a heavy

heart, grieving for the loss of our Friend,

Aelfi Morris.

How would camp be?

Our theme of ‘Dark and Light’, chosen at

our early June planning meeting,

promised exploration of deep but tough

themes.

The make-up of the camp community

shifts over the years. This year, we were

again blessed with many young children

(including three babies) although we

missed many of our teenagers. Camp has

been enriched by more young adults,

several returning with partners and

growing families. We were glad to

welcome three of the 2010 Youth

Pilgrims.

Many of us sought and received strength

from our beautiful surroundings: tall

trees, ripening grain fields, the Malvern

hills, and from the ministry of birds,

butterflies, dragonflies and even wasps

(for some). We experienced light-filled

sunny days, scudding clouds, thunder,

lightning and stormy rain – and an

enchanting grey mist moving towards our

camp at sunset one evening, and

enveloping us during the night.

There is always a rhythm to our camp –

this year, the first week laid a very firm

foundation of love and depth of worship

before our Saturday evening Meeting for

Worship to celebrate the grace of God in

the life of our dear Aelfi. About a hundred

of us, including visitors, gathered in the

serene Quiet Space we had created: some

prepared ministry opened the way for

ministries showing the deep love and

respect for Aelfi and his family, and our

collective acknowledgement of the loss of

a member of our ‘tribe’. After Meeting for

Worship, lanterns led a way to a

humunguous blazing bonfire, as a rainbow

appeared in the eastern evening sky.

We acknowledge with gratitude the

immense loving work in preparation for

camp. The deep commitment to our

community upheld us during our twelve

days together. Many offered service in all

sorts of ways to enrich our time together:

music, craft, volleyball, study groups, a

Godly play.... We were nourished by

delicious imaginative meals.

Luton and Leighton Area Meeting Camp


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There was a sense of lightly worn but

disciplined ‘right-ordering’ of tasks: joyful

and willingly offered service. Meetings for

Worship for all ages were gathered and

strong.

We know that our camp this year has

been upheld by many not at camp.

We have felt blessed.

At our last evening Meeting for

Worship, we were reminded of the

African saying: ‘if you want to travel fast, go

alone. If you want to journey far, go with

friends’. We have indeed travelled far

together.

In 1647, George Fox wrote the following

words which retain deep resonance for

our time together, and our life beyond

camp:

‘....in this, I saw the infinite love of God. I saw

also that there was an ocean of darkness and

death, but an infinite ocean of light and love,

which flowed over the ocean of darkness. And

in that also, I saw the great love of God and I

had great openings.’ (Quaker Faith and

Practice, 19.03)

Signed by the Thursday/Friday clerks, Nessa

Grimes and Rhona French

Camp is open to all members and attenders of Luton and Leighton Area Meeting. It is truly all-age

and welcomes everyone from infants with families, to young people, to octogenarian singles.


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We are delighted to announce that Tom Bulman

has been appointed as Community Organiser for

Citizens MK. Tom took up his two-days-per-

week position on Monday 2nd September and has

already been very active having one-to-ones with

members of the Organising Committee. He

brings a lot of experience with him to the role

and describes himself as being ‘creative, adaptable

and values-driven'.

We would also like to mention that there are

many planned events for the next six months and

beyond. We start with a Church Leaders lunch

that we are hosting at the Quaker Centre on

Wednesday 11th September between 12pm and

2pm.

The next event will be a training session for the

new listening campaign lead by Matthew Bolton.

This will be held on Wednesday 18th September

between 6pm and 7.45pm at the Quaker Centre.

Please let us know if you would like to attend.

Debbie Wilson

Are you involved as an individual or with

others in taking action regarding the Israel /

Palestine issue? If so, please let me know

what action you are taking.

I will attend Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) at

Friends House on 5 October in my role as

Alternate Representative at MfS for Area

Meeting. (David Connal from Watford Local

Meeting usually attends but I am there to

take his place when he is ‘prevented’). At the

October meeting the Israel / Palestine issue

will be discussed.

MfS wishes to hear of any actions Friends are

involved in. I would like to have an overview of

the involvement of actions being taken in Luton

and Leighton Area Meeting.

In April 2011, MfS suggested that Friends

boycott illegal settlement goods, but not to

boycott Israel. Since then there has been a

deterioration in the living conditions in the

occupied Palestinian Territories, and an increase

in illegal settlement building supported by the

Government of Israel. It is hard to know how

effective the boycott has been. Some Friends

have set up a dialogue with Jewish groups. Is

dialogue bringing change? Does change come

from within – sometimes painfully, over a long

period of time, and indeed is it easily set back by

confrontational action?

Friends have no doubt that wrongs are being

perpetrated against Palestinians, and know that

many Jewish Israelis hold this view too. MfS

wants Quaker actions and words to bring people

together and not drive them further apart.

So far, the Ecumenical Accompaniment

Action concerning the Israel/Palestine Situation

Gloria Dobbin


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Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) has

not been undermined and its principled

impartiality is respected so that its advocacy is

extending. It is ‘speaking truth to power’. Other

examples of the advocacy that Quakers are

involved in include: Quaker Peace & Social

Witness (QPSW), through its Economics Issues

programme has focused on trade justice; the

Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA)

sends out requests called ‘Action Alerts’ for

emails to be sent to Members of the European

Parliament when particular issues are due to

come up for discussion regarding

Palestine/Israel, and which, if passed, could

contravene International Law.

MfS encourages Friends to be active in different

ways, working locally with other groups,

entering into dialogue, visiting the occupied

Palestinian Territories and Israel, and inviting

returned Ecumenical Accompaniers to speak.

So what I am asking you is – is this is an issue

that you yourself are involved in and, if so, in

what way? I welcome your responses by the end

of September via email or a note in my sling.

Many thanks.

Gloria Dobbin

Email: [email protected]

Our Third Age Co-housing (TAC) MK - soon to

be rebranded `Still Green’, continues to gather

momentum and evolve. Its second AGM took

place on 13th July last. There are now 21

members and a potential 15 others will have

participated in an Introductory Day on 14th

September. New members are still sought,

however, as not everyone will be able to move in

when the dwellings are built. Also, because a

good spread of ages is desirable.

Co-housing can be described as an intentional

neighbourhood designed with - rather than for -

its occupants. It is a way of ensuring a secure and

supportive environment for the second half of life.

Our vision is of around 30 sustainable homes for

members aged 50 and upwards, somewhere

within Milton Keynes. It would include units for

rent as well as for sale. The ethos is of doing

things for ourselves rather than allowing them to

be done for us. The aim is to remain in charge of

decision-making while able to do so, without

having to involve large and perhaps expensive

institutions, and to make our decisions in as

Quakerly a way as possible.

Rob Paton, Denise Rowe or Ines Russell would

be happy to hear from anyone wanting to find out

more. Another Introductory Day will be held at

The Quaker Centre on Saturday 16th November.

Ines Russell

Still Green - the new name for the MK Quaker

Co-housing project

Sue and Colin George have been on the move...

The new address for Sue and Colin George: 5 Ford House, 149 Leicester Road,

Barnet. London EN5 5DY. email addresses remain the same.



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For the diary

Fancy a Good Read? Book Group meets on the third Thursday of each month to discuss a range of fiction and non-fiction titles. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you've read the book! We have no confirmed books yet so come along to the first session and help choose which books we read. All meetings begin at 7.30 pm.

Thursday September 19 - Setting the programme Thursday October 17 Thursday November 21 Thursday December 12

Alternative Book Group

On Tuesday, 24th September at 7.30 pm the

Alternative Book Group will be reading

Falling Upwards by Richard Rohr

Everyone is welcome.

Bible Book Group

After the summer break, the Bible Book will meet again after the summer on:

20th September; 18th October; 15th November; 20th December

Meetings take place at 5.00 pm . All are very welcome

Area Meeting Link and 'Little Link' Groups

Big Link ...

The date for the next Link Group is 26-29th October. Link is for all those of secondary school age in our

Area Meeting, and it is likely that we will be staying in London.

Little Link ...

The next Little Link will be held on Sunday 17th November. 'Little Link' or 'Junior Link' is for pre- and

primary school children and parents in our area meeting and it is an opportunity for families to meet and

worship together on a Sunday morning. The next Junior link will be held at MK meeting. We begin with

breakfast from 9.00 - 10.00 of coffee and croissants (this is purely optional). There will be enjoyable all-age

activities from 10 am, including a short all-age meeting for worship. There will be a bring and share lunch

afterwards if you wish to stay. For more details contact Lee Taylor.

DO WE NEED TO REVISE OUR BOOK OF DISCIPLINE?

Please come along to a meeting to discuss a possible

revision of Quaker Faith and Practice. Britain Yearly

Meeting needs to know what Friends think.

Thursday 26th September, 7.30 pm

Quaker Annual Winter Retreat

Friday 29th November (7.30-9.00 pm) and

Saturday 30th November (10.00-4.30pm).

Held at the meeting house.

Fund-raising evening

for the Children of Samathonga School

at Hlekweni

MEAL AND AUCTION OF PROMISES

Sat 23rd November 7.00 for 7.30pm


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MILTON KEYNES IS VISITING 1652 COUNTRY IN MAY 2014

1652 Country is where Quakerism first had its roots and

we’re planning a visit to the area to visit some of the

historically important places between 19 May and 24 May

2014. We’ll be giving more information about our visit, the

speakers we hope to have and our ‘base accommodation’

after Meeting on September 22nd September. We

anticipate that many of us will want to book local Bed and

Breakfast accommodation and we hope to be able to

provide details of nearby accommodation together with

some indication of costs. Please note that this is intended

as an information session and you’re not being asked to

make any firm commitment at this stage.

If you’re not able to make 22nd September, then please see

Michael Grabowski or Denise Rowe who are involved in

the planning and who have been on previous visits. There

are photograph albums of our two previous visits in the

library for you to look at. Pictured below is our last visit to

Briggflats Meeting House, one of the earliest built.

Bring a Friend to Meeting for Quaker Week 2014 This year our Quaker outreach takes the form of a specially visitor-friendly Meeting for Worship

followed by an opportunity to talk and ask questions.

Quaker Quiet Day at The Well

On Saturday 5th October, 10.00am - 4.00 pm, there will be a day of guided meditation on sources of

spiritual growth, drawing on Quaker, Buddhist and Hindu texts which have universal application.

£15 for the day including lunch. To book please go to www.thewellatwillen.org.uk

All-age worship SUNDAY 13th OCTOBER

Meeting will take place as normal and after

11.00am we shall be joined by the children to think

about creation, our responsibility to it and the

duty to share it more equitably


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And other stuff...

In early April I arrived at St. Petersburg airport

to a very small arrivals room. No one held a sign

marked “Camphill”, so I collected my luggage and

waited. After a little while Sarah – who looks

very much like her parents whom I had met

almost 20 years ago in the Gloucester area –

came up and welcomed me warmly. I asked how

she knew “it was me”, and she chuckled and said

it was obvious. I was in rural Camphill style of

walking boots and scarf and most everyone else

had departed, so I guess it was obvious!

Two villagers had come with her, stopping to ice

skate at IKEA earlier, so we all got in the farm

van and set off on the 2 hour drive to Svetlana.

Snow and ice were by the roadside and the

temperature below zero. When we were about ¾

of the way home, the switch which controls the

headlights came off. Sarah seized pliers which

were obviously on hand for repairing whatever

went wrong with the van and tried to move the

switch but the plastic nib snapped off. As we sat

pondering what to do a policeman stopped and

advised us to drive to the next service station

holding on the high beams manually. As we set

off Sarah repeated several times that that was the

only time the police have been helpful in her

experience. After leaving the main road between

St. Petersburg and Marmunsk, my teeth nearly

clacked together as the van rattled over the many

potholes created by the extremes of cold and

melting water. Sarah pointed out the huge

mounds of earth and gravel which would be used

to repair the road after the snow melted. As we

turned into the outskirts of the village near

Svetlana, policemen stopped us to see if anyone

had been driving after drinking. Finally we

turned onto the snow packed - and therefore

smoother - dirt road to Svetlana.

Seraphim House was my home for the next 2

weeks, one of the 2 smaller houses of the total of

4. The immediate impression on arriving inside

the house was of a Waldorf environment –

colourful geometric paper stars on the windows, a

candle, shells and stones on the round dining

table, an upright piano, a basket of recorders,

sheet music, a fireplace built into a brick

surround, a sofa and comfortable, wide chairs

around the room. The warmth of wood is present

in all the houses. Colourful and quite attractive

hand painted copies of ikons of saints and angels,

a project which had been done with community

members during a festival time, were on the wall

near the dining table.

I was very glad to be led immediately to my room

and bed as I had started out at 3:20 am by taxi

and bus to Heathrow to fly to Moscow and then

St. Petersburg and on to Svetlana. It was a very

comfortable bed in the room of one of the

villagers who was on an extended home stay.

One of the first things, though, was figuring out

how the toilet worked. A shower and toilet were

located right next to my room. As I gazed down

a black hole, I realized it was a bit like having an

outhouse in the house – no water flush. Great for

water preservation, I thought! And there was a

refreshing steady stream of air from a ventilator

at seating level to help matters. Later when I

asked how it worked, I was informed that the

long drop pipe went down to the cellars into bins

Russian Impressions Joan Harris


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which were periodically taken by tractor and

dumped in the woods. With no municipal

collection there really is no other option, and

over the years it becomes composted.

Fortunately, there are wide fields and forests

about, and the community has its own deep well

of delicious water. Later I heard that these are

composting toilets installed with help from

Norway.

The first few days there seemed to be a problem,

and the bathroom had a quite strong ammonia

haze especially since an electric heater was right

next to the toilet, but eventually this was cleared

up. I felt for the co-worker - who I later realized

was always so quiet, shy, and working in realms

of administration and practical things – as he

came in with red and scraped hands from the

subzero weather as he tried to fix the system.

That is generally how things work there – if

something goes wrong, the people who live there

generally find a way to fix it.

Sveta – whose name means “light” – the

housemother, was in St. Petersburg attending a

course but returned soon to her household which

included her 12-year-old daughter (Alisa), a

villager (Ochsana), a Romanian co-worker (Vlad),

and myself. Sveta’s 13 or 14 year-old son (Nikita)

slept in another house, but came in now and then

to eat and visit. Everyone loves Sveta who is

slender and gentle but a strong soul who is

“Mama” for various villagers, too. A widow with

2 children, she has a bit of income from having, in

another town, an apartment which she rents out –

which seemingly is what quite a few people do in

Russia after people were allowed to apply for

private housing. One of her chief concerns,

though, is for the further education of her

children. For the last 5 years they have been

home-schooled with another boy by Irina, a state-

and Waldorf-trained teacher, who is one of the

co-workers in Svetlana. She is currently doing a

painting therapy training course in monthly

sessions in St. Petersburg. Sveta and another co-

worker have done a 2-year Bothmer gymnastics

training. Nikita was currently in the local village

school, though, and after I left I heard the good

news that he had passed the first exam to attend a

school for gifted children in Moscow. If he

passed the second exam, the state would pay for

his education there. (He passed.)

Vlad was a delightful and much needed translator

as no one else in the house spoke much English.

A young generation Eastern European, very

computer literate, interested in human rights and

knowing very well how to hitch, couchsurf, and

work the system for getting about where he set

his goal. He was a lively conversationalist who

had the interesting perspective that Putin was

actually acting positively in trying to keep Russia

from being swamped by Western commercialism

and culture.

Breakfasts usually entailed a cooked grain –

semolina, polenta, rice, or buckwheat with milk

straight from the cows, homemade butter and

sour cream, Svetlana’s own herb tea mixture or

English black tea, homemade jams and always the

community’s bakery bread (at every meal). Not a

boxed cereal in sight! Every meal began with a

lighted candle and a short time to collect

ourselves and then the Lord’s prayer or a grace.

The next day, a Sunday there was a gathering at

11am where Sarah played, from memory, tenor

recorder pieces, a Camphill reading selection of

the Bible was read, and (I think) part of the

Foundation Stone. Since the Russian Orthodox

Easter was May 5th, the readings were arranged

to reflect that.

A regular Sunday event is the traditional

banya/sauna. I managed to miss that both

Sundays, but all those who go value it as one of

the highlights of the week.

Later in the day I was invited for a walk, found a

pair of suitable boots I could borrow, set off with

some co-workers and villagers across the snowy

fields, plunged, occasionally, nearly up to my

knees in the snow, marched over the frozen Neva

River, was given a hand up the bank and then

watched as people swayed on a rope swing and

had a snowball fight. There were houses nearby

– some wooden and plank-clad on the outside and


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some with the logs notched and set together. I

later saw that many houses have double windows

– instead of double glazing.

Sarah and I met to discuss what my schedule

could be and give information about the

individuals and groups with whom it was hoped

I would work with eurythmy, music, and dance.

It was determined that I work daily with 3 of the

villagers, one of the children (13 years old), and

one of the co-workers in individual eurythmy

sessions in the morning. Then at 3-3:40pm to

meet with a group of villagers from the craft (felt

and slipper making) group, at 3:45-4:30pm a

group from farming, and, some days at 5pm, a

group wanting to do folk dancing and singing.

This all happened and, in addition, co-workers

singing was popular – lots of good voices - and

we met in houses in the evenings 3 times. It was a

full and busy and rewarding time!

One night we sat out under the stars in an area

outside near the houses in a clearing in the snow.

Mats and blankets were placed on the hip high

snow so people could sit around a fire singing to

the accompaniment of a guitar which was passed

around – everything from Beatles to Russian and

American pop and folk and then more

contemplative songs.

Within those 2 weeks Spring began to arrive in

rapid fashion, any sun instantly starting to melt

ice on the pathways, turning them to mud and

snow, melting perceptibly daily into meandering

rivulets down the driveways. Green shoots began

to appear and the temperatures warmed so that

the daily morning circle of the community

members could be outside. The seasonal change

in a single day was what would take a week in

England! The accustomed house shoes at the

entrance of all houses were even more necessary

to avoid tracking mud throughout the houses.

Three piglets arrived, the (delicious) cheese-

making continued with milk from 11 cows (one

bull). Plans were made for the chickens' arrival

(which since has happened), and the seedlings

growing on the window ledges could begin to be

put in the greenhouses.

There were various governmental inspections

while I was there – also reflecting the concern by

the government that NGOs receiving funds from

outside the country might be “foreign agents”.

However, also the Russian Forbes magazine staff

were there, taking pictures and writing about this

unique community and asking what monetary

needs they have. There are frequent visitors

interested and a bit unbelieving that some people

actually live and work with people with learning

difficulties and special needs. Meanwhile, a new

mini-bus has arrived for use.

In contrast to the friendly faces in the Camphill

Community, I noted (especially when after

departing Svetlana I stayed several days in St.

Petersburg with someone who works with the

Waldorf Teacher Training program) that people

do not readily smile at strangers. In conversation

with some people I began to realize that the many

state regulations and archaic laws can drive

people into deception and living by one’s wits. I

felt many people have a sense of acute frustration

with politics and yet a deep love for their country.

I was included on walks to a local village where

two chapels stood nearly side by side, one looking

like a plain wooden shed until you opened the

door and saw a lovingly maintained altar, icons,

and clothes, and plastic flowers. This was what

was hidden in the woods during the communist

era. Next to this was a modern wooden

gingerbread looking chapel which also had a

lovingly maintained interior. It had been built,

Sarah explained, by a local businessman who

thought every village is supposed to have a

chapel. Boris, Sarah’s husband, is, on request,

making an onion dome and cross to be placed on

a chapel in a neighbouring village.

We went one Sunday on an outing to an old

monastery and fortress. It was interesting that

one of the beautiful co-worker voices in the

community belonged to Yuri who had sung in an

Orthodox church choir for years in earlier years,

but had then withdrawn because he felt the

church was now too aligned with the

government.


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One of my abiding memories will be the dancing

at the party we had after the festive sharing of the

work our groups had been doing over the two

weeks. Such high energy, grace, and wild joy in

dancing – not much disco, actually, but folk and

inclusive group dancing!

Bible Evenings are held each Saturday evening,

gatherings each Sunday. The festivals are

celebrated, workshops are busy, households are

keeping going, and there is a piano in every

house! But only two vacuums in the entire

community. When I asked for one to clean my

room, I was pointed in the direction of a

traditional broom of a round bundle of straws.

It was a fascinating experience to be in such a

different environment and language. I have the

impression of a courageous group of people

working towards finding a way to “do the good”

in these challenging times on their particular spot

on the earth – which is what connects us all!

They are welcoming and appreciative of any who

are willing to come and teach/share talents and

experience with them. They would be glad for

example for an experienced bio-dynamic

farmer/gardener to come – even if briefly - to

work with them. Any offers?!

“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) This passage then goes on to exhort that these words should be treasured in the heart, taught to the children, spoken of in the house, thought of when about our daily business, thought of when we lie down and also when we rise up. They should be bound as a reminder on our hands and worn as frontlets between the eyes, also as a reminder. They should be written on the posts of our house and also on the gates. These words scream out: ‘cultivate the love of God.’ In the Hindu scripture ‘The Bhagavad Gita,’ three practices of yoga are presented. Each yoga (popularly defined as "union with the divine")1 appeals to a different human temperament. For the ‘active' temperament there is Karma Yoga. The ‘emotional’ temperament practises Bhakti Yoga, and the ‘intellectual’ has Jnana Yoga.

The busy, busy practitioner of Karma Yoga offers all actions as a sacrifice to God and forsakes the fruits of his/her actions. This is a form of mindfulness in which the practitioner is constantly reminded of God’s presence and all action must pass the test of being worthy of offering to God. As the bible puts it “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” The practitioner of Bhakti Yoga is constantly in praise of God driven by a devotional nature. His/her thoughts are effortlessly drawn to God by that invisible magnet we call Grace. In the bible, when the ‘active’ (Karma) Martha complains to Jesus about her (Bhakti) sister Mary, Jesus replies: “Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”2 The rational, scientifically minded, intellectual seeker after the knowledge of God follows the path of Jnana Yoga. This is the empirical path of investigation and experience.

The love of God Ernest Clinton


14

What is common to all three paths is the focus on God. Although presented as three separate paths, any one of which will lead ultimately to the experience of God’s presence, they are in fact different stages of one path and together they are referred to as Raja Yoga, the Royal Way. Starting out in the busy, busy world, too busy and preoccupied to concern oneself with spiritual matters, Karma Yoga presents a way to cultivate an acquaintance with and then a love for a personal sense of God by being mindful of a broader context in which our actions take place. A context which introduces God as the reason and the measure of our actions. So we find ourselves ‘Practising the Presence,’ ‘acknowledging Him in all our ways.’ This is the difficult bit that requires work on our part. The human personality will resist being superseded by another in our affection for fear of ‘dying daily’, of being ‘crucified,’ of being transformed. Hence: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”3

It was so much easier for the Hindus and the Jews who already had a cultural acceptance of gods and God. On the other hand it can be argued that a lot more people of western cultures are less imprisoned by outdated concepts of God (new wine cannot be placed in old wine skins). The words of Deuteronomy 6:4 - 9, to be constantly mindful of God, are in the spirit of Karma Yoga. The practice of Karma Yoga nurtures in our hearts Bhakti Yoga, the love of a personal sense of God as we bear witness to the fact that it actually ‘works’. Life’s challenges are met, the rough places appear to be made smoother, burdens become lighter, there is the strength to climb mountains in our lives. As the habit grows, as we learn to “acknowledge Him in all our ways”, we find that with less and less effort on our part we are constantly reminded that “We live and move and have our being in God.” The mind is effortlessly drawn to the heart’s treasures.

Drawn within in meditation by our growing love of God and by God’s love of us, we enter the third stage which is Jnana Yoga, the knowledge of God. Here, the personal sense of God may well give way to the experience of an impersonal God that is Light and Truth, Wisdom, Life and Love, equally bestowed on both saint and sinner. ‘Confirmation’ comes from within. The jealous, fearful personal God of the Old Testament of the Bible evolves into a loving personal Father figure in the New Testament and then evolves further into an impersonal Awareness, Consciousness, Being that we experience as Light and Truth, Wisdom, Life and as Love. The invitation to turn within, to enter the inner sanctuary, to explore the kingdom of heaven is greater now than ever before. This exploration starts with the body which houses the five senses by which we become aware of the objects of the senses (i.e. the world). Withdrawing the attention from the body and the world, they fade into the background of awareness. We then encounter products of the imagination, the intellect, memory, desires, passions and the emotions, as thoughts and feelings. Withdrawing attention from these, they also fade into the background and we are left with just awareness. Here, we wait, listen and watch, fully alert and expectant, for the confirmation which comes from within. We embark on this exploration in the firm conviction that God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, “closer than breathing and nearer than hands and feet,”4 and our one-ness with God is ‘as the wave is one with the ocean and as the sunbeam is one with the sun.’ 1. Definitions from Wikipedia: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali defines yoga as “the stilling of the changing states of the mind.”

2. Luke 10:38 - 42

3. Psalm 127

4. Alfred Tennyson


15

The cathedral was much too large and

open, Tina realised immediately, as she

stepped into the giant auditorium-like

space. The pale grey stone stretched

unimaginably high, and the figures in the

stained glass windows stared down

knowingly, judging her. A group of older

people and an equally elderly tour guide

in a blue robe passed, peering curiously at

her.

Standing here in the church it

struck her that yet again, when she least

wanted to, she stood out: a teenage girl in

the cathedral on a weekday. Until

recently, Tina had felt that she blended

into the background, having no

particularly interesting qualities. Her

hair was neither very short nor especially

long, and was that colour somewhere

between blonde and brown that did not

seem to catch the light at all. It hung

straight and neat enough, falling over her

face when she wished to hide her blue-

grey eyes. She was slim but not so skinny

as to attract attention, and she wore the

black trousers, white shirt and maroon

jumper that was the uniform of hundreds

of schools across the country. It must be

obvious that she was skipping school.

Why on earth had she come in here?

Only because it was the single place in

town she could think of where she could

not possibly bump into her mother. What

she now realised was that the same could

not be said for some of their neighbours.

Holding her hand to her face, she turned

away and pretended to take an interest in

an inscription on the wall.

Spying an opening to a small room

off to one side of the church, Tina slunk

inside away from the suspicious eyes of

the visitors. Containing just a dozen

chairs, the room was like a miniature

church hiding within the cathedral. A

worn metal rack with peeling black paint

held tiers of tealights in front of a wooden

rail, behind which was a small altar table

covered with a plain white cloth. A card

stuck onto the rack read,

‘For centuries Christians have lit

candles when offering prayers. Suggested

candle donation 20p’.

On the table was a picture of a

man with a long thin face and a beard. A

halo circled his head, which was painted

stylistically in brown and orange. His

eyes looked cross or maybe pained, Tina

was not sure which, and she felt

uncomfortable looking at his downturned

mouth.

Tina hunted in the pockets of her

trousers for a coin, eventually finding one

of an embarrassingly small denomination.

Although there was no one else in the

room, she glanced behind her to see that

no one had noticed before she dropped the

small coin into the metal box. Lighting

the little candle, she whispered,

‘Please get me out of this. Let me

wake up tomorrow with everything

different. Let me be normal.’

The man in the picture looked

increasingly annoyed and accusing and

she turned her face away from his fierce

gaze. Above her in a faded wall painting,

a grinning skeleton stood over a group of

thin pale people who crowded together,

holding up their hands in shock and

dismay. The skeleton’s grin reminded

her of Jemma’s leering face as she picked

Facing the Music Karen Trethewey


16

Tina out of the crowded classroom,

delighted by her dismay.

Tina had retreated backwards until she

was in the far corner of the room. There

was no way to get out without going past

Jemma.

‘Oh look, it’s Eppie Girl!’ shrieked

Jemma, ‘Hey Eppie Girl, are you going to

have an eppie fit?’.

Tina pretended to look for

something in her bag as she tried

desperately to ignore the taunts. Her

mother had said, ‘They’ll soon get bored,’

but that did not seem to be happening,

and now everyone in the room was

looking at Tina.

‘Oi Eppie, Eppitina, don’t ignore

me when I’m talking to you. Here, look

this is you.’

And Jemma stood shaking her

head violently, flailing her arms, and

pulling a hideous grimace.

Jemma’s friend, Anisha, gasped,

‘Jemma! You can’t do that!’ Her eyes

widened as if she was shocked at her

friend’s behaviour, but her broad smile

gave her true feelings away. Some of

their classmates jumped in to defend Tina.

‘Yeah Jemma, leave her alone’

‘It’s not Tina’s fault she’s ill’

‘Yeah, mentally ill’, Jemma

muttered, ‘So retarded she can’t even

speak.’ But the general sense of

disapproval in the group seemed to have

got through to her, and she turned to

leave.

‘Come on Anisha. See you later,

Eppie!’

Girls crowded round Tina.

‘Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine’, Tina forced out,

although she could feel her face was red

and she was failing to hold onto her tears.

Annoyed with herself, she wiped her eyes

with her sleeve and pushed through the

group of girls.

‘Jemma’s a bitch, you shouldn’t let

her get to you’.

‘I SAID I’M FINE!’ she shouted,

and ran, out of the room and out of the

school.

The memory brought the tears back and

Tina was relieved that at least she could

be alone here in the cathedral. She

searched in her bag for a tissue but found

only a screwed up leaflet, ‘Epilepsy and

You: Information for Young People’, that

the neurologist at the hospital had given

her. She shoved it back into her bag.

‘Stupid skeleton’, muttered Tina to the

mural, ‘And you’re no help either,’ she

said out loud to the painting of the

frowning man.

At that moment a loud trumpet-

like sound pealed out and Tina started out

of her seat. Peering out the door into the

main cathedral, she saw, high up in front

of her, the silvery-grey organ pipes,

arranged symmetrically in an arch, from

short to long and back again. Emerging

from the small room, she felt the vibration

of a long, low note through the floor

beneath her, and the scintillating sound of

a high note rising above her. It was not

obvious how the sound was being created;

there was no keyboard in evidence, and no

sign of anyone playing the instrument.

Tina walked slowly through the space

now alive with fluttering notes, looking

up at the pipes. The multi-coloured light

through the stained glass seemed to echo

the dazzling sound. Glancing ahead, she

noticed that a few dozen people had

congregated in the seats near the front

and she made her way towards them. One

of the blue-robed cathedral guides

approached Tina, smiling and handing her


17

a piece of paper, and ushering her to a

seat.

‘Lunchtime Concert Series – The

Cathedral Choir is delighted to welcome

visiting organist Matthias Witt’.

Tina looked all around at the pale

stone columns and dark wooden pews but

still could not see the organist known as

Matthias Witt. His music danced, now

delicate, now thunderous, carrying the

audience with it. Tina had stopped

looking for him and held herself

motionless, almost holding her breath, her

mouth unconsciously open. The silence

that followed the music seemed to pulse

with meaning, and she felt an almost

physical pain of disappointment in her

core when it was broken by the polite

applause and shuffling and coughing of

the people around her. Creaking wooden

footsteps were followed by the opening of

a hitherto unseen door in a pillar. A

young man with dark-rimmed glasses and

messy hair emerged and bowed silently,

acknowledging the applause. Just as

creakily, he disappeared back up the

staircase inside the pillar.

Now the choir stood to sing. Such

a pure, bright sound emerged that it

seemed to be alive, quite apart from the

people singing it. Tina couldn’t follow

the words, although the programme told

her that the piece was called ‘Deus in

adiutorium meum’. Even the English

translation was old-fashioned and hard to

understand, but phrases on the page in

front of her seemed to resonate with the

glowing sound. The choir appeared to be

singing directly to her:

‘Let them be ashamed and confounded

that seek after my soul: let them be turned

backward, and put to confusion, that desire my

hurt.’

‘But I am poor and needy: make haste

unto me, O God: thou art my help and my

deliverer’.

The performance continued and

time seemed to fall away unnoticed into

the flagstones. When the music ended the

sound lingered within Tina and she

remained seated, still listening, even

though others in the audience around her

clapped and started to leave their seats.

When she finally moved, she felt that the

world might crack open and reveal

something entirely new. She found, to her

surprise, that she was smiling.

The physical act of walking back

through the cathedral brought Tina back

to herself, but the light and sound

remained, quietly thrumming within her.

On an impulse, she returned to the small

room she had hidden in earlier. The

expression of the man in the painting now

seemed to be one of steely resolve, and

Tina nodded to herself, and to him.

Leaving the cathedral, she walked back to

school.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR THE CHILDREN’S MEETING

Would you like to spend time with the Meeting’s children on one Sunday every month or two? We are looking for a number of volunteers who would like to facilitate, or assist in facilitating, the under 7s or facilitate the over 7s group. During term time we have a suggested theme with guidelines as to stories and activities that the adults might wish to follow. Before starting, volunteers will need to have a Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS ) check, formerly called a CRB check. It is a simple procedure.

If you would like to volunteer that would be great. Please contact Lee Taylor, acting convenor, either directly or via her sling in the Meeting House if you have questions and/or would like to volunteer. Many thanks from the Children's Committee


18

If we do nothing

how do we tell our children

there is nothing for them,

no inheritance,

only desolation,

and how do we look them

in the eye when telling them,

or when they find it out

and then accuse us?

If we try but fail

how can we make them

understand we did our best

but that our best was not enough?

Believing themselves gods

they’ll think us lesser men,

and despise and doubt

our protestations.

If we succeed

how do we teach our children

the value of the prize we give them

that they may treasure it?

Convincing them of the necessity

for that may prove the hardest part of all.

If we do nothing by Jane Street


19

CALENDAR OF EVENTS September -November 2013

All are welcome at meetings below. Meetings for Worship on Sunday are not included.

Month Date Time Event

September Weds 18th 12.45-1.30pm Midweek Meeting for Worship - Committee Room

Thurs 19th 7.30-9.30pm Book group – Meet in Library

Fri 20th 5 – 6.30pm Bible Book Group - Committee Room

Tues 24th 2 - 4pm Craft Group – Meet in Library

Thurs 26th 7.30-9.30pm Proposed revision of Quaker Faith & Practice - Discussion

Sun 29th

10.30-11.30am

12-1pm

National Quaker Week - 'Bring a friend to Meeting for Worship'

Enquirers gathering - Committee Room.

October Weds 2nd 12.45-1.30pm Midweek Meeting for Worship - Committee Room

Sun 6th 12-1pm Business Meeting

Tues 8th 2-4pm Craft Group – Meet in Library

Sun 13th 10.30 -11.30am

2.00-5.00 pm

Meeting with All-Age Worship

Meeting for Worship will begin at 10.30am as usual and the children will join Meeting from about 11.00 until 11.30am

Area Meeting at Watford MH will be a discussion and workshop on

Poverty in the UK Today. All welcome.

Weds 16th 12:45-1:30pm Midweek Meeting for Worship - Committee Room

Thurs 17th 7.30pm Book Group – Meet in Library

Fri 18th 5-6.30pm Bible Book Group – Committee Room.

Sun 20th 9.30 - 10.15 am Guided Meditation - Committee Room

Tues 22nd 2-4pm Craft Group - Meet in Library

Sun 27th 12-1pm Enquirers gathering - Committee Room

November

Sun 3rd 9.30 - 10.15 am

12-1pm

Rehearsal for 24 hr singing for Peace

Business Meeting


20

Tues 5th 2-4pm Craft Group - Meet in Library

Weds 6th 12.45-1.30pm Midweek Meeting for Worship - Committee Room

Sun 10th 9.30 - 10.15 am

2.00 pm

Rehearsal for 24 hr singing for Peace

Area Meeting at Leighton Buzzard

Fri 15th 5.00 -6.30pm Bible Book Group – Committee Room.

Sun 17th 9.30am-1pm “Little Link”- Young friends visiting from Area Meeting.

Shared lunch from 12-1pm, all welcome.

Tues 19th 2-4pm Craft Group - Meet in Library

Weds 20th 12.45-1.30pm Midweek Meeting for Worship - Committee Room.

Thurs 21st 7.30-9.30pm Book Group – Meet in Library.

Sat 23rd 7.00 for 7.30 pm Auction of Promises & Meal – Hlekweni Fundraising event.

Sun 24th 12pm – 1pm Enquirers gathering - Committee Room.

Fri 29th – Sun 1st December

Winter Retreat Weekend.

Knit your Peace

Alex, Di and Eva's brother Jaap give a fine example of

international co-operation as they knit for peace. It's just

part of a SUPER LONG knitted Peace Scarf to run between

the Women’s Peace Camp at Aldermaston and Burghfield

(the other Nuclear Weapons Establishment site) in Berkshire.

It will be one big old woolly protest against the UK’s ongoing

involvement with nuclear weapons. For more information go

to http://www.woolagainstweapons.co.uk/

CUSHION STUFFING FOR HLEKWENI

Does anyone have any cushion

stuffing to spare? It could be from an

unwanted sofa cushion or some such.

It will be lovingly washed and used to

stuff the pads inside the designer

patchworked cushions with

Zimbabwean batik on them that Dru

Ellis makes to raise funds for

Hlekweni.

Please let Dru know if you can help.

http://www.aldermaston.net/camp/visit

http://www.woolagainstweapons.co.uk/

Documents

MEETING POINTS - ll Quakers