With the Greenbelt Festival, our ‘Purposeful Adventure’ reached its conclusion. Our travelling amongst intentional communities has ended (at least for now) and we’re settling into our new home in the West Midlands. After all the unpacking and associated life admin, I’ll eventually get to reflecting on the whole experience, but first our time at the… Continue reading Othona Bradwell: Messy and Glorious
Author: Mark Russ
No Children Without Advance Notice
I am delighted to welcome Michael Wood as a guest blogger on Jolly Quaker. Michael has around eight years experience of Quaker youth work, and is currently co-ordinator of Friends Southern Summer Events (FSSE) Junior Gathering and Clerk of London Link Group. All views expressed here are Michael’s own, and not necessarily those of FSSE… Continue reading No Children Without Advance Notice
Latest news from Jolly Quaker
Since moving to the Othona Community, my blog activity has, for many reasons, slowed somewhat. For all much-appreciated followers of the Jolly Quaker blog, here's a brief update on what's been going on over the last couple of months, and some news on what I plan to do with the blog in the near future.… Continue reading Latest news from Jolly Quaker
Reflections on the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture. Part 3 – Cheap Quakerism and Living Tradition
Here’s part three of a series of posts reflecting on Ben Pink Dandelion’s Swarthmore Lecture – ‘Open for transformation: being Quaker’. In part one, I reflected on Ben’s call for clarity and his description of Quakerism as a journey of individual and communal transformation. In part two I wrote about the theological pluralism of contemporary… Continue reading Reflections on the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture. Part 3 – Cheap Quakerism and Living Tradition
Reflections on the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture. Part 2 – Being honest about the stories we tell
Here’s part two of a series of posts reflecting on the book of Ben Pink Dandelion’s Swarthmore Lecture - ‘Open for transformation: being Quaker’. You can find part one here. A sentiment I have often heard is that Quakers don’t do, or need, theology. It’s true that you don’t need a degree in theology to… Continue reading Reflections on the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture. Part 2 – Being honest about the stories we tell
Reflections on the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture. Part 1 – Seeking clarity on being Quaker
Last August, whilst travelling among Friends in the US, I listened online to Ben Pink Dandelion’s Swarthmore Lecture, delivered to a crowd of Quakers at (British) Yearly Meeting Gathering. As with the previous year’s lecture by Gerald Hewitson, I felt strongly affirmed in my individual Quaker identity, and challenged in my commitment to Quakerism as… Continue reading Reflections on the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture. Part 1 – Seeking clarity on being Quaker
Arriving at Othona, Bradwell
In the north-eastern corner of the Dengie peninsula, bordered by the Blackwater and Crouch estuaries in the county of Essex, is the village of Bradwell-on-Sea. Go a little further east from the village and you will reach Othona. This is where I’m living and working for the next seven months, the final stop of our… Continue reading Arriving at Othona, Bradwell
Guest blogger: Adrian answers a practical question
Happy New Year blog-readers! After the busy mania of the festive season, and a wonderful holiday on the Norfolk coast (with no internet), our purposeful adventure continues. We've arrived safe and sound in Essex, and we're into our first week on the core team at Othona, Bradwell-on-sea. There's a lot to do. Once we've found… Continue reading Guest blogger: Adrian answers a practical question
A Meeting for Worship for Renewal
This Saturday (or 7th day) past, six of us met at the Priory Rooms in central Birmingham to have a ‘Meeting for Worship for Renewal’. This occasion sprang from the Quaker Renewal UK Facebook group set up to discuss issues raised by Ben Pink Dandelion’s recent Swarthmore lecture. Prompted by my assertion that renewal must… Continue reading A Meeting for Worship for Renewal
The importance of support
What has become clear to us through our visits to intentional communities, is that pastoral support, both individual and cooperate, is vital. Visits to personal spiritual directors and counsellors are common, and sometimes a requirement of community membership. Regular scheduled ‘check-in’ sessions, where people can share their struggles and triumphs, is a healthy rhythm to… Continue reading The importance of support
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