Timeline - Sunday 25th August 2013 - A time to celebate, a time to remember

Most of today was spent at the Quakers in Manchester. 

There were nearly 75 of us in meeting this morning.  When the clerk stood up and asked if people were visiting they would like to introduce themselves, we were still getting people bobbing up 5-10 minutes later.  We were joined by Friends from all round the country.  The reason for this I will illustrate later.  There were also two guys who were attending a Quaker meeting for the first time, and I do hope we shall see them again, and a young woman who encountered Quakers at university in Preston, and has come back to Manchester to live, and I hope we shall see her again. 

Ministry was very powerful and focused on the Quaker acceptance of people as themselves in a non-judgemental way.  It is, for me, one of the most powerful things about being a Quaker. 

After meeting I was handed a leaflet for the Sustainability Breakfasts that we are supposedly putting on.  I am nominally a member of the local meeting Sustainability group, but really do not have the time nor energy to put into it.  Michael, who produced the leaflet, said I should have a copy since my name was on it.  Apparently the form on the reverse should returned to Catherine, Michael or Bob.  Grrr - why do the English shorten someone called Robert automatically to "Bob"?  I have never been a Bob, and never want to be.  I am listed in the book of members as Rob, so why put "Bob"??

Anyway the reason why we had such an influx of people in meeting for worship was the afternoon conference "A time to celebrate, a time to remember", which was a very moving occasion and a joy to be at, even if the sun outside was at times more inviting. 

 

The speakers were Rosie Bailey (the partner of the poet U.A. Fanthorpe), Michael Hutchinson and Chris Skidmore.  The conference ended with a splendid cake with marzipan icing.