I can can get pretty depressed over such problems as advancing old age, a disrespectful, untidy younger generation, and what I fear as being the decline of my beloved Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) – morphing into merely a “Spiritual Society…”. For instance today I was told my Meeting’s two Elders reject the Bideford statement, despite AM Elders having endorsed it! Another ‘post-holder’ had seen fit to censor it off our notice-board. (See it below)
But I’ve been immensely cheered recently. Yearly Meeting last weekend as usual revived my faith on our Society as religious. There were several reminders that we are part of the Christian community, at least at national level. Two eminent visitors to YM, an Anglican bishop and an RC one. Quotations from Isaiah and even St Paul, and one of the two main speakers saying Jesus was her model. An an eminent Friend went a long way in convincing me our Society is safe.
Then there has been the success of our campaigning in Bristol resulting in more than twice as many Green Party Councillors – from 6 to 13. Then followed my birthday with many delightful, loving cards and messages from far (Australia, Canada) and near. A fantastic party yesterday with me providing excellent claret and the guests bringing whatever they regarded as the most delicious food.
Now with all that hectic activity behind me (the minutes of our LM business meeting today written and sent out) and with the house to myself, I hope to have a week almost entirely devoted to gardening – plus tending the cat, hens and ducks. No time to be depressed!
Steve Petter, 78. 10 May 2015.
Below: The Bideford Statement
“The Bideford Statement”
re-issued by Bristol AM Elders
A Quaker Concern
It seems to us that Quakers in Britain are in danger of losing sight of what is essential to being ‘A Quaker’.
We have attempted to set out below what we understand to be at the heart of what Quakerism is all about in Britain Yearly Meeting. We have followed this with our own analysis of some of the reasons why we feel that we, as a Society, are losing sight of this vision, and then an outline of our concern.
THE ESSENTIAL BASIS OF QUAKERISM
Quakers use the word ‘God’ interchangeably with words such as ‘Light’, or ‘Spirit’ as do we in the following paragraphs
The fundamental basis of Quakerism: our teaching and leadings come from a direct experience of oneness with God. Although modern Quakers, in describing that experience, will use words different from those of George Fox, his recognition that “There is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to thy condition.” is as true to us today as it was to George Fox and to the early Quakers back in the 1650s,
Our Experience still leads us to believe that everyone has this capacity for experiencing oneness with the Spirit.
Our Experience of the Divine teaches us that the ‘things which are eternal’ cannot be fully encapsulated in language, and that attempts to do so can divert us from an openness to the Light; hence no creed.
We discover that this ‘Christ Within’ is our teacher and guide.
Quaker testimonies and methods arise from our corporate spiritual leading. They are not so much rules to be followed as promptings from the Light within us.
The Quaker experience is that the worshipping group is the supreme instrument for discerning leadings and engaging with Truth.
In Meeting for Worship, and Meeting for Worship for Business, we seek to share a common experience of oneness with God and respond to the promptings which arise from this.
WAYS IN WHICH WE LOSE SIGHT OF THESE ESSENTIALS
Some find it easier to dispense with the Spiritual dimension and instead view Quakers in the light of the testimonies; indeed, motivation to apply for membership can be based on admiration for the testimonies and the achievements of the Religious Society of Friends, taking no account of the Spiritual dimension which gives rise to them.
We indulge in intellectual distractions and debates – intellectualising what is beyond the intellect. In particular, Friends will be aware of an ongoing ‘debate’ relating to the ‘notion’ of God: whether or not ‘there is one’ (without first defining what we mean by that word). We thus, currently, have Friends who label themselves as atheists, others as nontheists, or humanists, or pagans, and who define their Quakerism in these terms. Each “ism” is expressed, using Quakerism as a platform for it. George Fox used to refer to such intellectual diversions as “notions” – and was very disparaging about them.
OUR CONCERN
We have, we hope established that what is essential to Quakerism is that we are, since our beginnings, a Spirit-led community, seeking in our Meetings oneness with the Light and guidance from it.
There is, consequently, an underlying recognition in all of Quaker Faith and Practice and Advices and Queries, that there is an Ultimate Reality, with which we have the capacity to relate. A Reality, furthermore, which/who may change us/transform us, guide us and teach us.
Quakerism has never been about the philosophical endeavour of arguing the pros and cons of the existence of such a Reality, which we may call, variously, God/Light/Spirit, and certainly not about taking unto ourselves labels identifying ourselves by our philosophical position.
Our concern is that we detect a trend to engage with just such a process which, if it goes unchecked, has the potential to change the essential nature of ‘who we are’, that is a community whose raison d’être is to seek guidance from this Ultimate Reality and live in the light of that guidance.
A further and related concern is that the resulting emergence of groupings within Quakers, defining themselves according to their beliefs (whether they be beliefs about the existence of God or about the characteristics of this Ultimate Reality), is inevitably divisive, lacks coherence and undermines the purpose of our existence as a Spiritual Community.
We therefore hope for a renewed recognition among Friends of the centrality of the Spirit to our worship, our business, our lives and our testimony to the world.
Jacqui Poole, John Ward
Elders of Bideford Quaker Local Meeting January 2013
We thank Barnstaple Friends, and David and Margaret Heathfield of Hampshire and The Islands Area Meeting for their feedback and advice.
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