The Australian ISSUE 1209 SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSN 1326-0936 The Australian Friend is a web journal published on line at http:AustralianFriend.org. This printable version does not include the full range of content available at AustralianFriend.org Visit AustralianFriend.org to: • Download your free e-book: Living By Voices We Shall Never Hear • Comment and read comments about articles in this issue • Browse or search back issues from 2011. Journal of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia ditorial EDITORIAL uch of the history of the Australian Friend. To not just explore arena of Christian worship. His article is The Society of Friends is the many ways in which we realise being- in this printed edition of the Australian Mpunctuated with examples Quaker, to discern the distinctiveness of Friend. of prophetic energy and the vision of that ‘voice’ – although that of course has Another friend of Friends, and who a new world order. There are so many been primary – but to have voices that is also an attender at Wahroonga local individuals and movements that embody we know, Friends who are friends, near meeting in New South Wales, is Garry the dynamism of being-Quaker. Nor has and familiar voices we can almost hear Trompf. Of course many Friends do this effort been concentrated within one in their experiences and reflections that know, or know of, Garry. He has taught domain of experience, for Quakers have this ‘special’ issue’ contains. Not at all to for many years at the University of been as active in social reform (if often relegate the vital many of history to the Sydney at which he holds the Chair of led there gradually) as they have been in background, but rather to have those the History of Ideas. He writes for us on evangelisation; in the silent and stable voices of near, here, and now participate a peculiar theme, that of recurrence. This experience of God’s Light, as following in that continual history; and our actual was a theme that such a peculiar people that same Light’s leading in mission. It is knowing these contemporary speakers as the Children of the Light employed so both exciting and humbling to read and bringing us into contact with the larger to give shape to the early understanding learn of the rich diversity of the Children journey of our Society. of being-Quaker. Due to the lengthiness of the Light. We need to be encouraged, In this September issue of the of Garry’s essay it is only available in the we need to be inspired, and we need Australian Friend there are the reflections Australian Friend’s online edition. examples of those that have been led of friends considering the distinctiveness We at the Australian Friend thank all before us. of being-Quaker in their everyday of our contributors to this special issue. I But at times we may feel a vague endeavours and interests. Contexts of am particularly excited about the range disconnection between such a seemingly work, mundane financial transactions, and depth of so many articles. We are a diverse and peculiar history and our poetry, worship, life’s journey, education, diverse lot aren’t we; each context opening own experience of being-Quaker. The care of the earth, interfaith, science, and up new layers of what it is to be Quaker. writing of other lives can so often have of peace and justice, to list some contexts. There’s something organic about it. No, a dual effect of being both inspiring and This issue of theAustralian Friend has not in the warm and huggy-bunny sense, encouraging, but yet also an odd sense of also asked two friends of Friends to write but in the sense that being-Quaker is our being detached from such a different for us. One, Stephen Burns, is an Anglican about a peculiarity of life as lived and life, as if the very success of such a life priest from Britain who has been long engaged with. Lives that speak diversely, pushes us away. familiar and associated with Quakers in that speak a quality…diversely; and Sometimes too many of those Britain, and has also worshipped with that one seed-quality germinating and historical Quakers are just too damn good Friends whilst staying at Silver Wattle. spreading out and unfolding in so many at being-Quaker! Stephen lectures in the area of liturgy, and endeavours. That has been part of the motivation so considers the distinctive contribution MARK JOHNSON for having a September ‘special issue’ of that Quaker worship gives to the larger September Coordinating Editor 2 THE AUSTRALIAN FRIEND | JUNE 2012 Contents FEATURES REGULARS 4 The Voice of Mindfulness and Silence 2 Editorial 6 Quaker Voices at Silver Wattle 16 QSA Notes 7 Joseph and Hannah May and family 18 Book Review 8 Australian Quakers and Poetry The Early Quakers and the Kingdom of God: Peace, Testimony 9 Poetry Words Given and and Revolution by Gerard Guiton Good Qualities Of Soul. 11 What is distinctive about Quakers and Interfaith? 12 My faith and how it intersects with my work 14 The Quaker Presence at The Friends School, Hobart 18 The Garden of God 20 Satyagraha for Repair of the Natural World: One Issue; One Imperative – One Path 22 Local Care and Quaker Values 23 What is a Quaker? 24 Some thoughts on Quakerism and science 25 Water and Cooperation 26 An Account of Being Eldered Into Quakers Cover illustration: wiki commons THE AUSTRALIAN FRIEND | SEPTEMBER 2012 3 The Voice of Mindfulness and Silence STEPHEN BURNS | GUEST CONTRIBUTOR he late liturgical historian So as a result of a wider inclusiveness experienced inwardly, by Quakers. That James F. White took a very the landscape is (slowly) changing in both is, they are not so much jettisoned, but Tpositive view of Protestant inter-church relations and academic re-appropriated–though their outward pluralism, noting that the fifty study–though perhaps quite how forms may be critiqued, and radically, in tumultuous years from 1520 produced participation in centralised, consensus, the process. what became the Lutheran, Reformed, bodies relates to “liberation” remains an Other Christians in their turn Anabaptist, Anglican and Puritan open question. This notwithstanding, could do well to absorb characteristics traditions, and that since then, durable whilst the twentieth-century was of Quakerism. They might, for ecclesial forms have emerged at a rate justifiably described as “the ecumenical example, recognise in Quaker habits of about one per century: Quakerism century,” for various reasons–and not of mindfulness much to enrich their in the seventeenth century, Methodism least the Roman Catholic Church’s practices concerned with ministry of in the eighteenth, the more-or-less recently revised liturgical forms, which the word. In “mainstream”/“old-line” American “Frontier” tradition in the sever it from the use of texts for prayer churches this revolves around readings nineteenth and Pentecostalism in the that at least many Christians have held (usually, but not exclusively, scripture), twentieth. Together, White suggested, in common–ecumenical prospects in some form of reflection (often, but these give witness to “a long process the new millennium look more dicey. by no means exclusively, preaching), of liberation” as “new peoples [have] “Receptive ecumenism” is, however, one and responsive prayer (in broadly successively achieved power to worship encouraging development, if somewhat “eucharistic,” gratitude-centred, as well in ways they find natural.” [note: more modest than the grand “dialogues” as intercessory, compassion-tempered, James F. White, Protestant Worship: of previous decades.1 modes). To this, Quaker mindfulness Traditions in Transition (Louisville, KY: My present reflections are a sketch offers expansive pathways into paying Westminster John Knox Press, 1989), p. within its mould, contemplating how attention to what many–in both Quaker 209-210.] Christians of diverse kinds might be and other Christian communities [note: Into the twenty-first century,enriched by the gifts of Quakerism. I am of course aware that Quakers Pentecostalism continues to grow most The twenty-first century has seen may or may not confess Christianity, exponentially, although interestingly some significant studies of Quaker just as members of many Christian alongside a massive resurgence of forms worship being placed into ecumenical churches are not necessarily doctrinally of eastern Orthodoxy. And notably, and liturgical studies circles, notably “orthodox” or deeply “traditioned” in both Orthodox and Pentecostal by Pink Dandelion, a Friend based in one way or another.]–regard (perhaps churches have very recently begun to Birmingham, England.2 Dandelion’s only complexly) as revelation, and can be drawn into the work of bodies like work sits alongside that of others in yield insight into processes in which a the previously pan-Protestant (though related but different genres which have sense of revelation may be given voice closely “observed” by Rome) World also opened up Quaker “spirituality” in contemporary witness as “letter” Council of Churches [note, for example, to a broad audience, notably Michel “takes life” in the present moment. Thomas F. Best and Dagmar Heller, eds, Birkel, Silence and Witness: The Quaker Itself drawn from the text of Worship Today: Understanding, Practice, Tradition (London: DLT, 2004) in scripture (think Rev. 8:1), the core Ecumenical Implications (Geneva: the series “Traditions of Christian “text” of mindfulness is silence (or at World Council of Churches, 2004).]– Spirituality.”] Whilst he focuses on least silence is a defining strand that and, apart from anything else, this is the distinguishing mark of Quaker attracts or animates other fragments) helping to broaden the discipline of worship, silence, Dandelion also shows and attention to how Quakers seek liturgical studies in which James White how liturgical practices kept by other and practice mindfulness can give was a leader.