Tuesday

Morning Session- I learn so much in these Meetings, looking at the way Clerks Clerk in particular. So I try to 'listen' to the Meeting as if I was Clerk, maybe that is what we should all be doing all the time: but discernment is hard work. Was it me or did I hear the Gathered Meeting clearly say 'We are concerned te Yearly Meeting in general, and this session in particular, is missing the Central issues we need to address which are 'Concern for the environment and the recession.' Mention was made that this is likely to come up later (i.e. Friday as led I presume). 'How fares the Truth' it fareth poorly hid behind great busyness' ? Maybe that is unkind but it is how I thought the Meeting was minded.

Environment and recession-

We have not really looked at the link between these two. The hard fact is that we need to recede-it seems that there is great concern that our economy is shrinking. But this is one of the ways in which we can achieve a lower carbon footprint. Are we then addressing actively the management of contraction. If we no longer have so much work what do we do with the time. It is my contention that Ffriends have much to offer here. The answer lies in Simplicity and the fact that less is more. Simplicity is fun, or at least it can be. Id we approach lower wages and lower employment with a creative and open mind this raising of quality of life whilst having a drop in our 'standard of living' is achievable and we know how to do this: it is something we are good at. Equality- more than ever we need equity, contraction in the economy creates 'winners and losers': how do we address this balance. Simplicity is more fun when others are playing the same game.

Well time is up and I must get ready for a walk come rain or shine Wednesday is upon us.

I was to overcome to write up last night: what a day.

We started with a Yoga class: he was very kind and at pains to show we could do this without sitting on the floor. Indeed the class was so popular the floor space was limited. The wide choice of events is a wonderful advance on the old system.

Then on to Breakfast having prised Dear Son from his bed (we hardly saw him for the rest of the day, off with the 12-15 doing something.

After a well developed MfW (hurrah for the Clerks who remained standing for the last 15 minutes thereby silencing some of the excessive Ministry that can occur in MfW with 1500 participants). What remains in my mind is the notion of 'perfection'. The perfect part of me is perhaps the bit I know the least well, yet surely that is the part of me that is Light and that with which I should be most familiar. Many of us are not good at accepting Perfection wherever it might be.

Then to the first YM Session. The usual essential nominations business then a relevant and succinct. What remains in my mind is that just turning up even with little or nothing to bring, really matters. You can not, we are often told, get something for nothing. Yet this is exactly part of what is offered by The Light. There is much more about this here.

After that there was lunch and then I went to the Copenhagen Summit discussion. Now part of my motivation was to inform myself since I shall be Clerking business on this. Much to my surprise, looking at YM in Session agenda it appears that this summit is not happening and I assume thought of little import to Friends. I am now upholding Clerks hooping it will have space on Friday. It is possibly one of the last chances of saving Human Life as we know it. For more see here. So much is articulated by so many but for me it is about Simplicity, and particularly how rich, colourful and fun Simplicity can be.What do you think the distinct Quaker Voice might be on this?

We then went on to African Choir. Stunning and vastly larger than expected. We heard how Quakers in Kenya have responded to the unrest in their country and about the distinct was Quakers in Kenya worship. How the same songs are sung by many different churches, but in a lot of different ways. Quakers sing slow and thoughtful, others sing the same tune and words fast and clappy. Hopefully today there will be enough words to go round.

Salter Lecture- absolutely spoke to my condition. This is why simplicity is so 'right' and why it can be fun. This is forward thinking supported by peer reviewed research. I am so short of time right now Yoga looms for a little more see this Gurniad review

End of the day singing again, my interests are revealing themselves. Now to today.