Anticipating Britain's Quakers Yearly Meeting
Friends’ House, London Friday 27th to Monday 30th May 2022
Today Quakers in Britain began their ‘Yearly Meeting’. As the name suggests it is an annual event. From all over Scotland, England and Wales Friends (my preferred name for Quakers) will meet at Friends’ House, London.
It lasts until Monday. In usual times it would be during what we call in the UK ‘a Bank Holiday weekend’ but this year with Elizabeth being on her throne for 70 years the UK Government decided that they would forget the usual Monday and have two days' on Thursday and Friday. I reckon a lot of us are confused this year.
This will be the first in-person Yearly Meeting for 3 years. Covid brought changes one of which was video conferencing so it will also have Friends online.
The website reads,
“The theme will be ‘faith, community and action’ and will address three big questions:
Faith: How do we experience worship, community and witness?
Community: How can we build Quaker communities that respond to challenges and put faith into action?
Action: How can we transform thinking and action in Quaker communities and wider society?”
Tonight I have that feeling that I get when I am enthusiastically anticipating something. It is gathering together from across the countries as well as the world with visiting International Friends. Can you imagine all that energy of people coming to one place bringing with them their anticipation? Can you imagine may be up to 1000 Friends in one room waiting in silence?
It reminds me of travel in that we will journey to Yearly Meeting and as it happens we will build something along the way. We don’t know what that will be but we know that will be.
If you feel prompted to enquire we will be meeting online as part of the Europe and the Middle East section of Friends at 9 pm London time ( just click below and it will bring you there)
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