The Week, those 7 days in which a world can be created or recreated
Quaker meetings, Discussion group, Coffee dates, Consumer issues, Jared Diamond, Julian Barnes
Was it in the second half of the hour during ‘Meeting’ ( Quaker colloquialism for church) that the words came to me, “Come unto me all who are weak and heavy-laden and I will give them rest for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The body has absorbed so much since its conception that it needs time to wander and find what is important. I find it curious what mine chooses to remember. I have observed that the body uses the hour of silence to rest to lightly exercise itself. It is as if as the silence pays attention to it, it begins to rest. It almost switches off, I fight at times to remain conscious.
It felt very peaceful and then these words came as if to describe the experience. The words are attributed to, ‘The teacher’ ( Jesus). I responded inwardly with, “ Yes I can do with that. Why would I want to unnecessarily burden myself? ”
But what is his yoke and his burdens? I can tell you what I understand them to be after almost half a century of following him. It is easy because he shoulders it with you. The image in today’s world that comes is that of a pallbearer, one who carries with others the coffin in which the deceased is laid. For those who follow Jesus, death has already come so there is only life so no dead bodies to carry.
When I say death has already come I mean the illusions of what we think is life. So what is life? Life is living to the full. Living to the full is living free of worry about illusions, what clothes you would wear, what you should eat, car to drive, holidays to go on, person to live with, friends to be with, money to have.
Sunday afternoon was still feeling the effects of Storm Dennis coupled with engineering works on the St Albans to Bedford train meant reluctantly I drove to Bedford for the Area Meeting (AM). AM is where all the Quakers meet who are in the area. St Albans is in Leighton Luton Area Meeting along with another 8 local meetings. I got there late which always provides an opportunity to experience how a latecomer is received. The person who greeted me immediately put me at ease which was a good welcome.
These meetings can go on for near on 3 hours. They are not silent meetings as they deal with the business. Put simply, matters of significance which are prompting and leading Quakers in their lives and perhaps in their meetings will make its way to an AM and quite possibly the national body Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM). These are matters that affect us at regional and often at a national level. Together Quakers discern the way forward. Friends who are led speak but no vote is taken. The Quaker way is that the meeting will reach its own sense of the way forward or not.
I particularly enjoy listening to the faith story of a friend, the concerns of the gathered and enjoying a cup of tea and sandwich afterwards. The Bedford Friends were generous in giving me what was left. It saw me through the week.
I do believe I benefit from the rest of the weekend before commencing another week. I try to live as mentioned previously with an easy yoke and light. The test of any teaching or belief is in how we live it and therein lies the necessary tension.
I met a friend in the early evening for a coffee and talk for as long as the coffee lasts. The gift of friendship brings honest perspective to life.
On 3rd Monday of the month, we have a Quaker discussion group. We take an article and share our thoughts. The link below is the article on which we based our discussion.
Quakers, certainly in my part of the world, have as wide range of views of God and no God that you could get. Not so long ago I would have been nervous around such a gathering preferring to have a faith of certainty and be with those who were equally certain. Life changed that and made me more adventurous after all my faith is my faith as is my life why would what another believes reduce my experience. Indeed I am given to believe that my faith flourishes in such a gathering as there is no need to conform hence I can be more honest and personal.
One of my many maxims in life is, “ Don’t just moan do something”. This does at times get me into trouble as it seems some would prefer not to hear what I have to say. The other week I came across a hard object in my Jamaican Patty. Now vegetable Jamaican patties are a staple diet for me, I eat at least five a week. I wrote to the company, they analysed the object and found it to be ‘woody root of carrot’. I was relieved and appreciated the £10 gift card they sent me this week for my inconvenience.
By Wednesday I was ready for another chat with coffee. This friend prefers lunchtime. So many emotions can rumble in a day never mind a week that it is good to check in with another. Most of us are part of other lives in which we share the emotions that they are experiencing. When it is good it is good when it’s tough it is tough. Bouncing ideas over coffee again gives perspective.
My TV finds programmes I am interested in and stores them. One of them was by Jared Diamon. Curiously as I was reading through my notebook over the last 3 months I noticed that I came across an article in which he was mentioned and had noted his name. It made me think again how the brain picks up a theme and develops it without us being consciously aware.
I did fall asleep 3 times while watching this during the week ( only due to tiredness) but finally watched it through today. In 30 minutes he covers a lot.
I was reminded by Thursday that there is a magic at work amongst our living. I often find myself wondering will I meet this deadline or what happened to that person who had an appointment with me and failed to show. Somehow something happens and what seemed impossible gets sorted for which I am thankful.
The Book Group meets in two weeks and I have hardly touched the book so today and yesterday evening amongst the household tasks I have been trying to ‘get it read’.
I have just read the above link and think it is will work well as a bluffer’s guide in the event that I don’t finish it.
My eyebrows raised at the American headline. Perhaps it is English and maybe British to write in books about our feelings we never speak openly about other than we those we share coffee. It amuses me when I sit in the Bookgroup with people older than I discussing a book that spends at least the first 20 odd pages ( as far as I have got) talking about the sexual exploits of a male teenager. I mean whenever do we talk about masturbation yet in twenty pages it is mentioned at least 10 times. I’ll let you know, maybe.
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