Tokens

[poliphilo]

 "So," I said to the Universe (Universe? Multiverse? It's both, innit?) "I'm willing to participate more in society, but please can you suggest some openings to me?"

And the Universe mulled things over for a while and said. "You should try the Society of Friends. After all, you are descended from a long line of Quaker aristocrats. You keep bragging about it; so how about making the connection?"

"Thank you, Universe. You're a brick."

I did some research and found the nearest Meeting House is within walking distance. Just off Memorial Place and within a spit of The Devonshire Park Tennis facility.

I walked it yesterday morning to see how long it would take. 

It took exactly half an hour.

The Meeting Room was closed but I was expecting it to be. It'll be open at 10.30 on Sunday for whatever the Quakers call their services. On the road outside the building I found a bright, shiny five pence piece- a rare find these days when few people carry cash. I took it as a little token of approval from the Universe. "Well done, you, for acting so promptly."

I walked back by the scenic route, along the coast, dropping in at the Crown and Anchor for a half of Harvey's. It was a very hot day.

I got home, sat down in my chair at the kitchen table and there at my feet was another bright, shiny five pence piece. It had absolutely no business being there, so it had to be an apport- and the Universe's way of saying, "Just so you know that that earlier token was no accident."

Comments

[cmcmck]

We call it Meeting for Worship (everything we do is a meeting) and it's usually pretty relaxing and a good time to meditate. It may be silent but occasionally the spirit may move someone to speak. No formal prayer, hymns or psalms and no communion. The Meeting IS the communion. No great emphasis on things biblical- there may not even be a Bible in the Meeting room although there may be a source of light (we do place a great emphasis on light- 'the light within' and all that) from candles or perhaps some growing thing or flowers.

Very different to the Anglicanism you and I grew up with.

I'm what they call 'A Quaker by convincement' as I wasn't born to it.

You'll also find no one will put any pressure on you although they'll be friendly- we are 'friends' after all! :o)

Hope you find it a positive experience! :o)

[poliphilo]

I've thought for a while that the Quakers were the established group whose spirituality was most in tune with my own. I have no use for hymns and set prayers and very little for any kind of demonstrative ritual. Been there, done that, bought the surplice.

I notice that the Eastbourne Friends hire out their room to a the local Buddhists. Now those are my kind of Christians!

[cmcmck]

When we lived in London the Southall Gurudawara loaned out their temple one day a week to Southall Quakers who were new and had no Meeting house of their own. Sikhs and Quakers tend to get on- similar experiences of being new and running into hatreds from other (or even the same) faiths. :o)

We dealt with that by ceasing to be militant and military and becoming quietist and pacifist while the Sikhs moved in the other direction!

I'm also unitarian and universalist but not all Quakers are- the advantage of no hard and fast set rules.

[poliphilo]

The fewer rules the better....

[heleninwales]

You don't have to be a Christian to be a Quaker. Though Quakerism originally had it's roots in Protestant Christianity, it was a Jewish Quaker I know who made me realise that I could be a Buddhist Quaker. You don't even need to believe in a God is you don't want to.

[poliphilo]

I thought that was probably true...

I don't identify as a Christian- or anything else in particular. I believe in God- though I have bad associations with the word and use it as little as possible.

[cmcmck]

Small world- it was a Jewish Quaker, Harvey Gillman, who showed me the way.