Well, I am here in this gorgeous new habitation of mine. Pictures soon! It's been a crazy few days. Jeff drove a Ford Escape all the way down from Boston to fetch my stuff and I, and then helped me stuff all my stuff into it. It just fit. Seeing as I don't drive, moving would have been a nightmare without him. He turned a big mess into a fun roadtrip. Yay Jeff!
Apparently my mum is now a reader of this blog, and...wait for it...a blogger herself!
Meet my mum at http://mum2twelve.blogspot.com/! More pictures of the gigantic Catholic family which spawned a Quaker creature such as I can be found there, along with stories of the blessed craziness, I'm sure.
Welcome to the blogosphere, Mummy!
Of The Best Stuff, but Cracked
10 comments:
Hey! Congrats! Check out Ryan's big day in New York at the photo annex to my blog, the first link, Pictures of an odd little life, Lorcan's Rambles, on the old blog...
Cheers and great luck
lor
Hey Amanda, this is smashing news! (I've read some of your mother's blog and mean to offer her some comments-- such as Belmont Abbey: oh my, A very good friend named Conrad (Hoover I think), a former Presby. minister, departed our church in Washington almost 30 years ago-- for Belmont Abbey. Haven't heard from brother Conrad since, but often wondered.
It's so amazing how small the world is. Tom Fallaw, formerly of Cambridge Meeting, popped in on our Greenville (SC) Meeting (about ten years ago), We left the area soon after, but hear from him occasionally.
Many more commonalities to add, but I don't want to clog your blog.
Blessings.
I am an English Quaker from an old English Quaker family. I'm a curious about American Quakerism, which seems to be a religious almost separate from its English root. As I understand it, American Quaker's worship in a building rather like a church, and frequently have a minister to guide the meeting. Additionally, the meeting is not necessarily silent. American Quakerism also subscribes to many of the views of the more mainstream Christian churches.
Please correct me here - I've never been to an American meeting, and I may be pushing my foot further and further into my mouth!
Quakerism in England is silent. There is no laiety - we are all ministers, and we speak only when inspired to do so. Last Sunday only three people spoke, perhaps for a minute at a time, in the entire hour of the meeting. That was fairly typical.
As for beliefs, I know a Quaker who would not describe himself as a Christian. Quakerism is his guide to leading a moral life, but there is no divine man named Jesus - only a very good man who lived a long time ago. Whilst I do not subscribe to that view, I am a Christian, he is not unusual. Additionally, with regard to other religions, sex, sexuality and so forth, the excellent Quaker mantra 'Do What Thou Wilt' comes into play. If it doesn't harm anyone, then you are free to do what you like. Of course, one should also strive to actively do the right thing rather than just not doing the wrong thing, but still - it seems a good motto.
I'd love to hear about your experiences as an American friend. If you want to talk, then my e-mail address is at gmail.com and I'm Pascal.Harris . Incidentally, if you don't have a copy already, I can highly recommend Quaker Faith and Practice.
I think your mum has a lovely description of you, and while I'm sure none of us is always as kind and thoughtful in real life as we are when we have time to write and edit our words, I think it is a very loving description of your spiritual journey, especially for a woman who has made her faith such a big part of her own life and sees her first baby making such different choices.
Blessings on both of you.
My Dear Friend Pascal:
I urge you to follow the links on Amanda's page, and the links you find on those pages... you will find a great diversity in American Friend's view of faith, but an undercurent of understanding and common ground, and that common ground is God. If you go into Amanda's early posting, and mine, if memory serves, and Brooklyn Quaker ( dear Richard's ) and Rob's - who is now in London - look him up! ) you will see that there are echos of the Hicksite and Orthodox split still visable in American Quakerism, but there is love, real deep love and respect and agreement that in the silence we understand each other's understanding of God, of our listening to the still small voice that unites us beyond our Quaker faith, unites us a brothers and sisters in the human family.
Thy dear Friend and friend, dear Friend Pascal,
Lorcan ( Plain in the city... )
lor
PS... Pascal! Many in the North Eastern meetings do not meet in "Churches..." but in meeting houses as you would recognize in England... ours, is very plain, being built in the 1850s opened in 1860... we have unprogramed meetings ( no ministers... ) though we have a programed meeting that meets in a side room in our school building...
Thee never must think of a question as putting a foot in your mouth... I have worshiped in Divizes in Wiltshire, and in Chester in England, and found it as familier as family ( well not maybe my family for those who really know me! :) ... :] ... :/ ... :p ... ;) ... ) Family like... well, family... normal families!
Do come on holidays to the US, and worship with us, you will find yourself at home in this odd nation over the water.
Cheers again.
lor
HA!
Another British Quaker in the blogosphere!!!
I will hunt them down, just like the Salem witch hunts. (Ok, maybe not like the Salem witch hunts at all)
Hi Pascal!!!
Hi Pascal. Welcome! I echo Lor's words. Explore the web and you'll find there is great diversity amongst American Quaker faith and practice. Indeed, the few American meetinghouses I am familiar with are much more plain that the one's I've seen in London. Plants, clocks, books, fresh cut flowers... These are new to my worship experience.
blessings and love,
Rob
Welcome to town!
BAh humbug! When are you going to post about the new job or email me 'aboat' it, eh?
Love
m
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