D is for decamping on December 31st.

This is our old building.  We are to get a new one and the builders are moving in on January 1st.  In the meantime we are holding Meetings at the Temple Methodist Church, Wellington Road, Taunton. 10.30 a.m.

D is Director for a feature film featuring Quakerism wanted

A film producer in America is very interested in producing a feature film that features Quakerism.

It is not intended as a film for Quakers but for non Quakers who may have an interest in Quakerism.  Also the film has to have an international appeal.

He has agreed to make a romantic comedy called "Romance Times Two".

The screenplay is written and if there is a film director that would be interested in reading the screenplay with a view to directing, please contact:

Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg tel. 01823 275424 -   zoe.ainsworth@ymail.com

Celebration of Light 2014

We are now in our seventh year
Celebration of Light

 

This is the seventh year that Quakers have organised this event for the people in Wellington and beyond. It is intended as a secular event.  The Peace garden which is used as a quiet place to sit and reflect in The Quaker Meeting House Wellington ( next door to the One Shop), is transformed by greenery and hundreds of tiny candlelit lanterns. People who know about it come back year on year.  We intend it as an alternative Christmas Celebration, that of appreciating light in the darkness and the silence. ( there is little light pollution in the Quaker Peace Garden ).  Children are often overawed by the experience. We invite peopled to come and look on the same day the lights are switched on in Wellington , Nov 22. The lit garden is open on three more dates Nov 26 Dec 3 and Dec 10th Children are particularly welcome One of the features is to walk the spiral of light and perhaps reflect on the non commercial meaning of Christmas and our love for one another and all living things including our own planet.

This year Jan Copley gave a storytelling session of "The Snow Queen".  With music session from Gibby Swain.  Here are some photos:

Free book featuring Quaker beliefs

For a free ebook "Christmas and Miss Flimp"
https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=zoe+ainsworth-grigg

C is for Christmas and the Celebration of Light

Yes it's November and I am talking about Christmas.   the Quaker commitment to our event The Celebration of Light.

If you have never experienced or helped with this event yet, please consider coming

There is :experience the Peace garden lit with hundreds of small candles
                same with craft for children
                the same with storytelling and music making for the children
                the same with craft for the children

There is also refreshments for adults and children

This event is entirely free and supported by Wellington Quaker Meeting and the Area Meeting Members

Take a look at last year's preparations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3NuWgY8EQw

Celebration of Light

 

Quakers have organised this event for the people in Wellington and beyond. It is intended as a secular event.  The Peace garden which is used as a quiet place to sit and reflect in The Quaker Meeting House Wellington ( next door to the One Shop), is transformed by greenery and hundreds of tiny candlelit lanterns. People who know about it come back year on year.  We intend it as an alternative Christmas Celebration, that of appreciating light in the darkness and the silence. ( there is little light pollution in the Quaker Peace Garden ).  Children are often overawed by the experience. We invite peopled to come and look on the same day the lights are switched on in Wellington ,  Children are particularly welcome One of the features is to walk the spiral of light and perhaps reflect on the non commercial meaning of Christmas and our love for one another and all living things including our own planet.

 

Children and the Celebration of Light

 

We have various things to interest the children

Nov 26th there will be craft and free coffee and tea for parents.  Craft will be making Christmas decorations using mirror card.

 

Dec 3rd there is storytelling and music which the children are invited to join in the music making. This year the story is Hans Christian Anderson's" the Snow Queen." Many children are familiar with the film Frozen. Frozen was derived from this story and it is a lovely story. HCA wrote stories of hope and love.

 

I shall also be reading my story available on my website, www.zoe ainworthgriggbooks.com It will be about "The Fabulous Miss Flimp" with free illustrations by Sue Hammond Lovatt to colour  of Miss Flimp in a fairy  dress.

For a free ebook "Christmas and Miss Flimp"
https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=zoe+ainsworth-grigg
 

B for Bread and butter pudding,burgers,bangers,BBQ's and banquets

One of the most pleasurable things that we can do as Quakers is to offer our F/friendship and hospitality.

" Do you recognise the needs and gifts of each member of your family and household, not forgetting your own? Try to make your home a place of loving friendship and enjoyment, where all who live or visit may find the peace and refreshment of God's presence." A&Q 26

Now we have an opportunity to raise money for our new Meeting House in Taunton

 (http://youtu.be/7yEq7hmx6Ts)

through the enterprising site with the link below, and have an enjoyable social experience as well. Do join us by inviting people to dine, breakfast or lunch and sending them the site link.  There are recipes on the site too. Why not throw a Christmas or New Year Party?

http://www.dinner4good.com/WestSomersetQuakers

All money raised at this crucial time will be warmly received .  We have money towards the project of £750,000 plus to datea nd we need the last £25,000 to make our vision for the future become a reality.

A is for Action

How do Quakers take action to increase our decreasing numbers? Here in Somerset we have problems of declining numbers and our Meetings are getting statistically older.

We have embarked on a very ambitious project.  We want to refashion Taunton Meeting House so that it is an example of sustainability within the community.  We also want to encourage young people to use our facilities as well as welcoming our established friends who already use our building.

We are nearly at the threshold of this exciting adventure and we need the last £25,000. We already have raised £500,000 plus and have more money pledged.We urgently need this money to go ahead after three years of fundraising. Can you help by donating just a little?

https://www.fundsurfer.com/project/QuakerMeetingHouse

Take a look at our plans as I am sure you will be impressed.

http://youtu.be/7yEq7hmx6Ts

Z is for Zen

“I'm simply saying that there is a way to be sane. I'm saying that you can get rid of all this insanity created by the past in you. Just by being a simple witness of your thought processes.

It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness. The moment you say “this is good, this is bad,” you have already jumped onto the thought process.

It takes a little time to create a gap between the witness and the mind. Once the gap is there, you are in for a great surprise, that you are not the mind, that you are the witness, a watcher.

And this process of watching is the very alchemy of real religion. Because as you become more and more deeply rooted in witnessing, thoughts start disappearing. You are, but the mind is utterly empty.

That’s the moment of enlightenment. That is the moment that you become for the first time an unconditioned, sane, really free human being.”
― Osho

Of course in Zen Buddhism there is no God, only the space of the Universe. But I am very grateful for having been taught how to meditate by Zen Buddhists.

To be in the Quaker Meeting and be a silent witness and to watch thought is to be open to God. It is through this discipline that I have found God.

I am also grateful to Felicity Kaal who talked about mother religious language. Mine is Christianity.  I do not want to become a Buddhist, I am beginning to accept my Christianity. I don't think I will be ever comfortable with the word Christ but I have joined the Contemplative Christian website and get a daily devotional text. I am becoming whole.

I include an example of my meditation text for today.

I greet this final day of September with the wish to be filled with Grace that leads to miracles of love.

In recognizing I am an embodied vessel of Spirit, I discover joy in the giving and gratitude in the receiving.

Amen

Y for Young People's Meeting at Taunton

These are some of our children at a breakfast party building a bug hotel which was their idea. The two boys from the left have been coming to Taunton since they were babes in arms.

Do not think if you are a Meeting which is elderly that you cannot engage with children.

We had two families who had baby boys.  So I persuaded the Meeting to start a children's meeting.  The parents and babies came and lay on a blanket and looked at one another and gradually started to play with one another and the babies came into the Meeting for ten minutes. The parents also gained friendship. The boys are now six years old and the children's meeting has between two and six attenders who come when and if they can.

Do not be down hearted.  Modern families have many stresses and we as grandparents can be there for them.

Another way to engage was through holding a Peace Party at Quaker Week and inviting shopping families to take a break with free coffee, tea and juice and activities.

We made white doves, planted bulbs, decorated cup cakes and had a good time.  Who knows where these efforts will percolate to. And as Grandparents we thoroughly enjoyed our time with the children in Taunton.

Another outreach idea was to raise a collection at Meeting in order to give a "Conscience" or "Conviction" packs Commemorating WW1 from QPSW Friends House to all schools in our area totaling £180.  Some of the retired teachers in our Meeting introduced them personally to the schools. Again we shall not really know the influence, if at all, of this initiative.  However we feel that we need to engage with young people in any way possible for the future.

For more about our Meeting go to

 www.westsomersetquakers.org.uk

X for Excerpt

The  Meeting for Clearness

Charlotte took two deep breaths and entered the room.

They all sat in a small circle and started with a silence that lasted 10-15 minutes.  Then Charlotte said how upset she had been to witness the scene of Sean with another woman not suspecting such a thing could happen in their relationship.

As she sat in the group and felt the agitation gradually receding, she was after all among Friends. Sean was his most agreeable, charming self as though nothing had occurred of any significance.  It was only she who had this tumult of emotions, these angry feelings which possessed her like a cruel joke.

Everyone was invited to speak.  How had she become so embroiled in this conflict situation?

She explained how she had thought she was in a committed relationship with Sean, that as a couple she expected him to be respectful with her and not be intimate with other women.  Sean said that he had lots of women friends, that he was very fond of Charlotte and had always tried to be supportive.

“I never lied Charlotte.  You would like Cindy.  She has had such a bad time.  Her father is such a bully and violent.”

Charlotte looked at him. Good Grief! How could he say such a thing? He hadn’t a clue had he?

For charlotte the waking up to the real situation was painful.  She realised that it was she who had made assumptions about her relationship with Sean.  He was, is now, a nice man but not for her. She wanted permanence for herself and her son. Sean just couldn’t adhere to that.  It was not in his nature. He breezed through life, not putting down roots.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care, he certainly did, but commitment to one situation or person was an alien concept.

In the silence she suddenly saw him, he didn’t have the same code of conduct that she had. He was a supportive man.  Then she had another thought. Were her expectations too high? Had she projected onto him a relationship that was her fantasy? With her own realisation came a clarity of mind, and a release not just for her but for him.

She looked at him and in a spirit of Loving Kindness she hoped he would meet a woman that would blow him away and fulfil him, so that his need to be needed wasn’t a problem in his life.

And as gradually Charlotte’s mind gained clarity, she was calm.  “So this is being in the Light” she thought. Quietly she said,

“Sean, I understand.  I wish you well, and I hope we can be friends from now on.”

Sean looked relieved. There was a collective sigh.

There was an intense silence as the group of Friends listened to this ministry and were together in Spirit. After a while, the Elder shook hands and everyone shook hands and the Meeting closed.

“So this is Peace,” Charlotte thought.

It wasn’t exciting or mind blowing or any kind of revelation.  It was a sense of belonging, of being held and contentment and a feeling of being able to carry on.  There was a sense of freedom, of being enabled.  Was this God, was God present?  She still didn’t know.  But she knew she was a Quaker and she was willing to serve if they needed her.

  read this fascinating love story and be prepared for tears.

"Romance Times Two"  at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N366TBC/

W is for Worship and Prayer

I have always appreciated Quaker Meeting for Worship and as I grew into the silence I began to discover the "inner light" and what that phrase meant for me. It meant a familiar knowingness and companionship.

Then recently I have been to a Christian Anglican church service and talked to the Minister there. It is very high church and not a modern evangelical church.  She is happy for me to go to a church service once per month and hopes that the experience will deepen my communion with God. She herself pratices silence.Having been a Quaker for over twenty five years I suddenly discovered I at last understood the words of the traditional hymns. She talked to me about the Christian tradition of contemplative prayer.

Being interested I bought a book about the subject.  There are, for me some helpful comments in the book.

• That payer is like being in a dark room with someone you love and knowing they are there but not being able to see them.
• That often we talk about climbing a mountain to find God.  Instead the author thinks it is more about descending to a place of humility.  It is in this place that we can effect change in ourselves.
• That we don't have to do anything for God to help us to change. God is always working with us in prayer.

I hope that the new spiritual path I am undertaking will bring about the change I am seeking.

I am very grateful to the F/friends I do have, who reach out to me.

I am now adding to this blog which was written some time ago.

I struggled with my path not finding anyone in Somerset that wqas on my "wavelength",  Not Fiends for instance.  I tried two Quaker Meetings and found predjudice, snobbishness and ignorance.

I hacve also struggled with the emphasis on Christianity, although I delved into trying to conform, I always thought that all religions were lead to God,

I now worship at the Unitarian Church, and occasionally go to drop intio silence to meditate

Here is a utube video about Unitarians.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lchmd73orpM

U for Unity Chapter Two

Area Meeting

Well, I went with my heavy heart and someone spoke to my condition.  Her name was Felicity Kaal and she came to give a workshop on using language to decribe our Quaker experience.

Quotation

"We Quakers call ourselves an experience-based religion.  Our central source of guidance is our direct experience as practiced in meeting for worship and meeting fr worship for business, where we step aside from our personal egos and connect with something greater. We all have our own conception of something greater. "

I use the term " Inward Light"

We all experience the inward light differently

The Witness, higher self, soul - immanent
The Diving Thou to whom I must surrender - transcendent
The Web of Life = the great perfection of existence itself nature - manifest.


If we as Quakers try to learn these descriptions of our experience of being a Quaker then perhaps we can unify a mode of language which we can use when we talk to each other and to those outside the society without hurting each others deeply held convictions.  In this way we may have a way of surviving in the modern world.

It is said that trying to inform Quakers is like herding cats. I pray that we can take this workshop on board and not hurt each other and find tolerance that our spiritual lives are not all experienced in the same way and while we may have an individual mother spiritual language, we do not try to convert each other to our own way of thinking, feeling and experiencing. Or try to use Meetings as power play over other people.

Unity

I am getting ready to go to Area Meeting with a heavy heart. I do not want to go, I do not like many of the Quakers there.My true friends are elsewhere.  However I am a committed Quaker and I take the Advice and Query which extols us to go to Meeting whatever our condition.

I posted on Facebook that Quakers are a collection of colourful, individuals striving for Unity, knowing that we all strive for unity.

Whether that unity is with a Loving God who is all seeing and all accepting of all our faults, or whether we strive for psychological peace believing in Karl Jung's alchemy of the human spirit. It is our life's goal before the final closing of our striving. Maybe these two ideas are very similar. We long for that unity which will take away suffering.

We as humans long for peace and for unity with our enemies. We long for a reconciliation where we ourselves are understood, seen and recognised. It means giving up something, which is painful.

I shall go to Area Meeting with a spirit of reconciliation and a loving disposition and live in hope.

Area Meeting

Well, I went with my heavy heart and someone spoke to my condition.  Her name was Felicity Kaal and she came to give a workshop on using language to decribe our Quaker experience.

Quotation

"We Quakers call ourselves an experience-based religion.  Our central source of guidance is our direct experience as practiced in meeting for worship and meeting fr worship for business, where we step aside from our personal egos and connect with something greater. We all have our own conception of something greater. "

I use the term " Inward Light"

We all experience the inward light differently

The Witness, higher self, soul - immanent
The Diving Thou to whom I must surrender - transcendent
The Web of Life = the great perfection of existence itself nature - manifest.


If we as Quakers try to learn these descriptions of our experience of being a Quaker then perhaps we can unify a mode of language which we can use when we talk to each other and to those outside the society without hurting each others deeply held convictions.  In this way we may have a way of surviving in the modern world.

It is said that trying to inform Quakers is like herding cats. I pray that we can take this workshop on board and not hurt each other and find tolerance that our spiritual lives are not all experienced in the same way and while we may have an individual mother spiritual language, we do not try to convert each other to our own way of thinking, feeling and experiencing.

T is for thinking things through

One of the reasons that I became a Quaker is that I really felt listened to by my Quaker Meeting.  That is a gift that we Quakers have; to really listen and accept other people in times of trouble or indeed to their quite different spiritual journeys.

Our Quaker Meeting House in Bridgwater Somerset has been sold and the buyers are the Muslim Community.

Perhaps we have a duty to listen when UKIP became so popular that it reflected deep seated fears of a divided society by our secular white brothers and sisters.  Perhaps we should listen to the fear of the Muslim community when their sons and daughters are being recruited for ISIS.

Isn't there a role for Quakers here?  Perhaps we can build bridges towards our black citizens and build a communication that will heal these problems. Are we ready to listen to the Muslim religion and welcome them in our Meeting?  I am sure we are, but  the Christian religion is perceived as insular and elitist. Is it a question of each to their own? How do we put our hands out towards the divided? I hope we can open channels of communication.  Then perhaps it will not be a question of Christians Together, but indeed All Religions and Faiths Together.

S is for sanctimonious

 I have been watching a retransmission of the 1970's series " The Pallisers" taken from the novel by Anthony Trollope.

I suppose one of the attractions was the wonderful creations made by the costumers of the BBC. The details, materials, and embroidery used was just fantastic to observe.

The second interest was the politics of liberal morality and its decline and how that impacted on personal morality.

Set in the 18th century one of the phrases used was,

" By Gad Sir, you are as sanctimonious as a Quaker"

Sanctimonious is a twist on the words sanctity and sacred, which mean holy or religious. A sanctimonious person might think he's holy, but their attitude comes across more like "holier-than-thou." Though sanctimonious people might try to act like saints, their actions are far from pure or holy, which just makes them sound like hypocrites.

This made me reflect on how Quakers are perceived by others. We think that we are allowing our live to speak, however I have many short comings. For instance I love to have fun and enjoy life.

While I do believe in our descernment process I do not think God has a Will.  I think that I can be guided in the essence of my being by being still and being open to others. And when discernment has taken place what then?

Decisions may be the right way forward for Quakers but perhaps may or may not be the right way forward for other people.  Have we perhaps inherited this particular sanctimonious trait?  Have we lost sight in how others perceive us? Are we in fact not letting our lives speak but are in fact sanctimonious?

Reflections on Bible study at Taunton Meeting

For our study group it was suggested that we consider St John's Gospel

It has been said that John was written about the same time of Luke, sometime after 93CE. The early Christian church promoted this as the actual writing of the apostle John, the brother of James who was the son of Zebedee. John was killed, however, by Herod Agrippa in 44CE, and therefore, the author was writing under an assumed name (some call it flattery, others call it forgery), leaving the original author anonymous, although we do know that he was from Ephesus (in Asia Minor). The oldest surviving fragment of John is from 125CE, and the earliest versions of John did not contain the final chapter, which describes Jesus Christ appearing to his disciples after rising from the dead. John did not quote as much of Mark as the others did.
The Gospel of John is an interpretation of events in Jesus life that the author had heard about, but, with no parables and instead, some plays on words and figurative, symbolic and abstract speech. Jesus talks for long periods in this gospel rather than briefly, and, historians are deeply suspect about any history where descriptions get more detailed as time moves on from the events described. And some miracles and events were, apparently, only ever seen by the author of John as no-one else wrote about them. This Gospel seems to have little direct knowledge of It is best to be considered imaginative fiction or spiritual encouragement depending on your point of view, but, should not be considered authoritive or factual.

Taunton Meeting

It was decided by the group in our last session, that given the evidence,  we only know for certain that Jesus lived and then died. Any other evidence is perhaps fiction and not historical fact.

The study has elicited a lot of fellowship, controversy and conversation.

One view put forward was that ~St John was writing to promote Christianity in order to convert the Roman Empire and contributed to the persecution of the Jews.

Another view put forward was that to meditate on the text would reveal a spiritual reality.

 Another view is that we all have our own visions of the truth.

Certainly St John whoever he was , was a publicist. My own view is that he was a clever  spin doctor of two centuries ago. And whatever reality of Jesus exists is corrupted with time. Nevertheless I have a faith in God, and I respect the message that the greatest of human capacity is that of LOVE.

Query - Are you a writer?

WRITING COMPETITION

The Quaker Meeting in Taunton, is making great plans to enhance and improve the Quaker Meeting House at 13 Bath Place, Taunton.TA1 4EP.  We are raising funds for this large scale improvement.  Currently we are doing very well, having nearly raised two thirds of the money.  We need your help. So with the help of Brendon Books we are launching a Writing Competition; see the application form below for details or alternatively you can access an application form on our website,   www.westsomersetquakers.org.uk where you can also see the architect’s plans.

Brendon Books are going to recommend a published author to judge the competition and there will be a Christmas Hamper, a Christmas Cake, and a Book Token as prizes.

We will announce the winner at an event at the Meeting House. (Date to be announced.)  We hope then to read out the short stories or poems that have won.

WRITING COMPETITION

IN AID OF THE QUAKER MEETING HOUSE REBUILDING PROGRAMME

ADULTS:  SHORT STORY OR POEM /   FEE - £4

CHILDREN 13 AND UNDER: SHORT STORY OR POEM/ FEE £1

The winning entry will be published on our website www.westsomersetquakers.org.uk

SEND APPLICATION FORM ( ON REAR OF THIS LEAFLET)  AND FEE TO:

GILLIAN COE, 34 GEORGE STREET,TAUNTON,TA2 7DE

TOGETHER WITH YOUR ENTRY-YOUR ENTRY MUST HAVE A TITLE BUT  NOT YOUR NAME

CLOSING DATE November 30^th 2014

PRIZES SHORT STORY ADULTS – CHRISTMAS HAMPER

POEM ADULTS- CHRISTMAS CAKE

CHILDREN POEM OR SHORT STORY - £15 BOOK TOKEN.

TITLE OF ENTRY

.......................................................................................................

NAME AND ADDRESS

EMAIL ADDRESS

.............................................................................................................

TEL.......................................................................................................

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PLEASE TICK IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE INFORMED OF FURTHER EVENTS AT THE QUAKER MEETING HOUSE