Wahroonga Friends Bulletin - 4 February 2026
0 views
Skip to first unread message
quiver quaker
Feb 5, 2026, 11:22:11 PMFeb 5
to Wahroonga-friends
Wahroonga Friends Bulletin - 4 February 2026
Scary Silence? 3 Ways Quaker
Meeting for Worship is Both
Easy and Hard
On first impression, Quaker worship involves spending an hour sitting still, in silence, waiting to see if anyone speaks. That could easily sound weird or off-putting. Rhiannon Grant explores why it might also be attractive.Quaker meeting for worship is meant to be about as simple as it's possible for a gathering of people to be. There's an appointed time and place so that we can actually get together, but after that, nothing is planned.
There might be silence for the whole time. We might manage to be still within and, then again, we might not. One person, or several people, might feel moved to say something, or even sing or dance.
There's a huge freedom in this, and the potential to receive a great gift – and it can be scary. Here are three reasons meeting for worship might be frightening and some reflections on how to handle them.
1. Quakers talk about stillness, but what if I can't be still?
It sounds easy to sit still – just don't do anything! – but for many of us it's not straightforward. On the physical side, it's worth knowing that almost nobody sits completely still: the goal is to be relaxed and comfortable enough to focus on worship, and people shuffle around. Legs and arms cross and uncross, sips of water are had, books are opened and closed, there are coughs and sighs, someone might need to slip out.
Similarly, while some people experience a deep mental stillness, others remain aware of their thoughts. It can be useful to deliberately let go of some things, trusting yourself to think about dinner later, and to hold other things in the Light or hand them over to God, trusting that divine energy will be present with them. A thought, image, feeling, or phrase which stays may need more attention and it's also okay to simply sit with whatever arises.
2. In the silence I can think whatever I like – but my thoughts are often distressing
Open, unplanned worship is an important and often attractive feature of the Quaker way, but in that openness we can also get upset or realise that we already were. Some people find that meeting for worship is simply not compatible with caring for their mental health, or not without some support (for example, a book to read, comfort item to hold, or quiet music in an earphone).
Others find that what comes up in meeting for worship is something they need help to address, perhaps with a counsellor or trusted friend. It can also be the case that being in community lessens distressing thoughts – personally, I've sometimes worried about going to meeting for worship at times when I was experiencing suicidal ideation, only to find that those thoughts were less intense during the worship.
And sometimes it's right to be distressed by situations, in our lives or in the news, where pain, suffering, and evil are involved. You wouldn't be the first person to cry in meeting. I wasn't.
3. Anyone is free to speak – but what if you speak too much or too little?
Spoken ministry is one of the beautiful and mysterious things about the Quaker way of worshipping. I've heard ministry which was inspiring, uplifting, challenging, confusing… even things which seem mundane or strange at first can turn out to offer me an insight.
Ministry can also be the location of a lot of anxiety. Some people worry that they'll just start speaking into the silence and whatever comes out will freak people out or they'll go on for too long. Others can't imagine ever speaking in front of all those people: it's too exposing or embarrassing. In both cases we have to find a way to have faith and to practice the process of discerning whether or not to speak.
Quakers trust the promptings of love and truth in our hearts to lead us rightly. If we feel we might be led to speak in meeting, we can work to identify the personal signs which mean it's time to for me speak: some people feel they have to say something, or feel shaky, while for others it's a gentler guidance or feeling of rightness. We also trust the community to accept, forgive, and be honest, and especially to take any ministry in the meeting, spoken or silent, in the spirit in which it is offered.
Because Quaker worship is simple, it is also very adaptable: there are meetings of many different lengths, in different locations and online, and you can experiment to see what might work for you. What would help you to be fully present and comfortable in meeting for worship? Scary silence? 3 ways Quaker meeting for worship is both easy and hard
“It is absolutely essential that
the war stops,”says Gaza’s parish priest
Although the media attention has died down since the ceasefire, the Gaza Strip continues to sink into an unprecedented humanitarian and health crisis. Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Gaza’s Catholic priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, described the “very serious” conditions marked by the daily suffering of the population.
“The situation continues to be very serious in the whole of the Gaza Strip,” says the Catholic parish priest of Gaza, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, while also issuing an urgent appeal. “Continue to pray, promote justice and peace, and provide material support to the suffering population.” While large-scale bombing has halted, the violence has not yet ceased. “Some bombing continues,” says the priest, “notably behind the Yellow Line. Houses have been destroyed; deaths and injuries continue to be recorded.” The Yellow Line designates the military frontier established at the time of the ceasefire of October 10, 2025. It separates the zones controlled by Israel, in the east and the south, from the zone controlled by Hamas in the west, where the Holy Family Parish of Gaza City, part of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, is situated.
“The war is not over, even if the media makes it look like it is,” insists Fr. Gabriel. As thousands of people continue to suffer, Fr. Gabriel sees few signs of hope: the borders are closed; the electricity and water infrastructure is destroyed; and the water is often poorly treated, badly stored, or contaminated during transport or distribution, encouraging the spread of disease. Fr. Gabriel speaks directly in his message: “It is absolutely essential that the war stops. It seems that no one in the world is really involving themselves in an effective way. The 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza need, at the very least, to have the minimum human conditions to rebuild their lives. There are very many sick and wounded people without access to suitable medical care or who are waiting to be able to leave the enclave for treatment because the hospital system has become a phantom.”
The situation for the children is particularly alarming. According to information from UNICEF, passed on by Fr. Gabriel, 100 children in the strip have died since the beginning of the ceasefire, almost one child per day. “They did not die of natural causes,” he says, alluding to the direct consequences of the bombing, but also the cold and the unsanitary conditions. Most of the population today lives in tents, exposed to the damp and a particularly harsh and rainy winter. “Respiratory and digestive diseases are multiplying. We have all fallen ill more than once,” says the priest, who originally comes from Argentina and has recently recovered from a virulent bout of flu. “The epidemics are taking a turn for the worse because of the lack of heating, proper shelter, and medicine.”
The torrential rain has also aggravated the situation, causing buildings to collapse. “Most of the buildings have been demolished, and those that are still standing are very fragile,” says Fr. Gabriel. “One of our schoolteachers lost five members of his family in such a collapse,” he adds.
In this overall context, humanitarian aid is vital. Most of the inhabitants have lost their work, homes, and resources. “Since the ceasefire, goods are managing to come in, but they remain inaccessible to a population without financial means,” emphasizes Fr. Gabriel. “Aid is therefore indispensable and must be ramped up. Food, blankets, essential products, medicine: the needs are immense,” he warns, while rejoicing that, because of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, aid has been able to enter. “The Patriarchate continues to do an enormous amount of good for thousands of families in Gaza,” he says, thanking friends and international partners such as ACN.
Education has also been seriously affected. Before the war, the three Catholic establishments belonging to the Latin Patriarchate and that of the Rosary Sisters welcomed around 2,250 pupils, but only 162 children have been able to take up school again. “The main problem is space,” explains the priest, “because refugees are staying in the school buildings.” Currently around 450 people are still taking refuge in the parish complex, and 100 have decided to return home. Because education remains an act of hope, the parish has reached out to two large independent private schools (non-confessional and non-governmental) in its neighborhood of Zeitoun and have distributed exercise books, pens, and basic material, as these resources remain scarce. Before the war, one of these schools had 1,400 pupils, and the other 1,500. “It is absolutely essential that the war stops,” says Gaza’s parish priest
See - Quakerism in the 21st Century: What is the Future of Friends?
“One thing I think we would do well to hold onto going into this century is to be a community searching together . . . listening deeply to what is ours to do and what love requires of us,” says Paula Christophersen, a Friend in northern Germany. Another Friend in the Philippines, Kins Aparace, says, “We have to hold onto the truth, and not be afraid to do the testimony in public . . . to be bolder in pronouncements.” What is the future of Friends? See it here Quakerism in the 21st Century: What is the Future of Friends? Sunday 15 FebruaryMardi Gras Fair Day @Victoria Park,Camperdown
Quakers have been allocated a stall at the Mardi Gras Fair day. We have a volunteer to drive the stall decorations to the venue early on Sunday morning.
We need a Friend to coordinate the volunteer roster, Friends to decorate the stall by 9am and a Friend to coordinate walking the stall items out of the park to a car late afternoon.
At the stall, we offer information and conversation about Quakers and hopefully we will be co-located again with other faith organisations.
K Woodhouse has coordinated the stall for many years but has less availability now. The Fair Day organisers are expecting 60,000 visitors to attend the event.
To register your availability for any of these roles and for more
information, contact Wies Schuiringa (0439 024 397, or wies.sch...@gmail.com)
3-6 April 2026
Junior Young Friends (JYFs) ages 12-17@ Anglesea, Victoria
I am writing to let you know about an upcoming JYF camp on 3-6 April 2026.
The camp is for Junior Young Friends (JYFs) ages 12-17, in Anglesea, Victoria.The chance to build community at camp is especially important given the current 18 month break between our national in person gatherings, from July 2025 to Jan 2027.
We are expecting 8-10 JYFs to attend along with parent helpers and Young Friends (YFs) as leaders. Some of these may approach Regional Meeting for financial support to attend this event. The cost of the event is $150 per camper, and costs for travel from around Australia will likely be more than this figure. We encourage regional meetings to be generous in supporting any requests made. Contact me for any details you may require at cjyfcoo...@quakersaustralia.infoJo Temme
Children and Families CoordinatorQuakers Australia
Free Quaker Books AvailableHelen Gould is simplifying her life and is offering many of her Quaker and other books to whoever wants them. She has 2 copies of Plain Living: a Quaker Path to Simplicity, and is happy to pass both of them on. Helen is not expecting any reimbursement for either the book or the postage, just that the books be used, and perhaps passed on again in due course. Contact Helen by email at helen...@gmail.com
February QBC -
A Quaker Reading of Mark's Gospel
To See the InvisibleThe February QBC (Quaker Book Club ) selection is A Quaker Reading of Mark's Gospel, To See the Invisible by Patricia Dallmann.
Though in accord with the faith and message of these first Friends, Dallmann offers insights that are original and, at times, accompanied by illustrations from her own life.
In story after story and chapter after chapter of Mark's Gospel, Patricia Dallmann approaches the text with senses attuned to the Light Within, an orientation in keeping with that of seventeenth-century Friends (Quakers).
Mark's Gospel is seen to be a practical guide that stands ready in every age to alert those of living faith to the dangers they will face, the responsibilities they must assume, and the Spirit they will embody while navigating their passage through the world.
Mindful of the inward reality to which the Gospel alludes, Dallmann provides paths of understanding that have been found in Truth and are presented with reason. Thus, readers will find this book to be a clear, sound, and useful examination of the Gospel of Mark. Obtain a copy here https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/a-quaker-reading-of-marks-gospel-9798385251452.do
e - Wahroonga Send news of f/Friends and newsletter items to quiver...@yahoo.com.au Agenda items for Business Meeting should be emailed at wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info or handed to a co-clerk. Visit us at "Our Home" First days (Sunday), 9.30 am Meeting for Worship - Wahroonga Friends Meeting, your local peace church. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 59 Boundary Road Wahroonga NSW 2076 Email:wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info Web: Wahroonga Local Meeting | Australia Yearly Meeting A Zoom meeting occurs 9.30 am Sundays Meeting link Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting 918 558 7747 Passcode: 55462 Phone: 02 8015 6011 Please contact Paul Carter if you have any problems connecting 0433 886 093
Scary Silence? 3 Ways Quaker
Meeting for Worship is Both
Easy and Hard
On first impression, Quaker worship involves spending an hour sitting still, in silence, waiting to see if anyone speaks. That could easily sound weird or off-putting. Rhiannon Grant explores why it might also be attractive.Quaker meeting for worship is meant to be about as simple as it's possible for a gathering of people to be. There's an appointed time and place so that we can actually get together, but after that, nothing is planned.
There might be silence for the whole time. We might manage to be still within and, then again, we might not. One person, or several people, might feel moved to say something, or even sing or dance.
There's a huge freedom in this, and the potential to receive a great gift – and it can be scary. Here are three reasons meeting for worship might be frightening and some reflections on how to handle them.
1. Quakers talk about stillness, but what if I can't be still?
It sounds easy to sit still – just don't do anything! – but for many of us it's not straightforward. On the physical side, it's worth knowing that almost nobody sits completely still: the goal is to be relaxed and comfortable enough to focus on worship, and people shuffle around. Legs and arms cross and uncross, sips of water are had, books are opened and closed, there are coughs and sighs, someone might need to slip out.
Similarly, while some people experience a deep mental stillness, others remain aware of their thoughts. It can be useful to deliberately let go of some things, trusting yourself to think about dinner later, and to hold other things in the Light or hand them over to God, trusting that divine energy will be present with them. A thought, image, feeling, or phrase which stays may need more attention and it's also okay to simply sit with whatever arises.
2. In the silence I can think whatever I like – but my thoughts are often distressing
Open, unplanned worship is an important and often attractive feature of the Quaker way, but in that openness we can also get upset or realise that we already were. Some people find that meeting for worship is simply not compatible with caring for their mental health, or not without some support (for example, a book to read, comfort item to hold, or quiet music in an earphone).
Others find that what comes up in meeting for worship is something they need help to address, perhaps with a counsellor or trusted friend. It can also be the case that being in community lessens distressing thoughts – personally, I've sometimes worried about going to meeting for worship at times when I was experiencing suicidal ideation, only to find that those thoughts were less intense during the worship.
And sometimes it's right to be distressed by situations, in our lives or in the news, where pain, suffering, and evil are involved. You wouldn't be the first person to cry in meeting. I wasn't.
3. Anyone is free to speak – but what if you speak too much or too little?
Spoken ministry is one of the beautiful and mysterious things about the Quaker way of worshipping. I've heard ministry which was inspiring, uplifting, challenging, confusing… even things which seem mundane or strange at first can turn out to offer me an insight.
Ministry can also be the location of a lot of anxiety. Some people worry that they'll just start speaking into the silence and whatever comes out will freak people out or they'll go on for too long. Others can't imagine ever speaking in front of all those people: it's too exposing or embarrassing. In both cases we have to find a way to have faith and to practice the process of discerning whether or not to speak.
Quakers trust the promptings of love and truth in our hearts to lead us rightly. If we feel we might be led to speak in meeting, we can work to identify the personal signs which mean it's time to for me speak: some people feel they have to say something, or feel shaky, while for others it's a gentler guidance or feeling of rightness. We also trust the community to accept, forgive, and be honest, and especially to take any ministry in the meeting, spoken or silent, in the spirit in which it is offered.
Because Quaker worship is simple, it is also very adaptable: there are meetings of many different lengths, in different locations and online, and you can experiment to see what might work for you. What would help you to be fully present and comfortable in meeting for worship? Scary silence? 3 ways Quaker meeting for worship is both easy and hard
“It is absolutely essential that
the war stops,”says Gaza’s parish priest
Although the media attention has died down since the ceasefire, the Gaza Strip continues to sink into an unprecedented humanitarian and health crisis. Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Gaza’s Catholic priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, described the “very serious” conditions marked by the daily suffering of the population.
“The situation continues to be very serious in the whole of the Gaza Strip,” says the Catholic parish priest of Gaza, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, while also issuing an urgent appeal. “Continue to pray, promote justice and peace, and provide material support to the suffering population.” While large-scale bombing has halted, the violence has not yet ceased. “Some bombing continues,” says the priest, “notably behind the Yellow Line. Houses have been destroyed; deaths and injuries continue to be recorded.” The Yellow Line designates the military frontier established at the time of the ceasefire of October 10, 2025. It separates the zones controlled by Israel, in the east and the south, from the zone controlled by Hamas in the west, where the Holy Family Parish of Gaza City, part of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, is situated.
“The war is not over, even if the media makes it look like it is,” insists Fr. Gabriel. As thousands of people continue to suffer, Fr. Gabriel sees few signs of hope: the borders are closed; the electricity and water infrastructure is destroyed; and the water is often poorly treated, badly stored, or contaminated during transport or distribution, encouraging the spread of disease. Fr. Gabriel speaks directly in his message: “It is absolutely essential that the war stops. It seems that no one in the world is really involving themselves in an effective way. The 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza need, at the very least, to have the minimum human conditions to rebuild their lives. There are very many sick and wounded people without access to suitable medical care or who are waiting to be able to leave the enclave for treatment because the hospital system has become a phantom.”
The situation for the children is particularly alarming. According to information from UNICEF, passed on by Fr. Gabriel, 100 children in the strip have died since the beginning of the ceasefire, almost one child per day. “They did not die of natural causes,” he says, alluding to the direct consequences of the bombing, but also the cold and the unsanitary conditions. Most of the population today lives in tents, exposed to the damp and a particularly harsh and rainy winter. “Respiratory and digestive diseases are multiplying. We have all fallen ill more than once,” says the priest, who originally comes from Argentina and has recently recovered from a virulent bout of flu. “The epidemics are taking a turn for the worse because of the lack of heating, proper shelter, and medicine.”
The torrential rain has also aggravated the situation, causing buildings to collapse. “Most of the buildings have been demolished, and those that are still standing are very fragile,” says Fr. Gabriel. “One of our schoolteachers lost five members of his family in such a collapse,” he adds.
In this overall context, humanitarian aid is vital. Most of the inhabitants have lost their work, homes, and resources. “Since the ceasefire, goods are managing to come in, but they remain inaccessible to a population without financial means,” emphasizes Fr. Gabriel. “Aid is therefore indispensable and must be ramped up. Food, blankets, essential products, medicine: the needs are immense,” he warns, while rejoicing that, because of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, aid has been able to enter. “The Patriarchate continues to do an enormous amount of good for thousands of families in Gaza,” he says, thanking friends and international partners such as ACN.
Education has also been seriously affected. Before the war, the three Catholic establishments belonging to the Latin Patriarchate and that of the Rosary Sisters welcomed around 2,250 pupils, but only 162 children have been able to take up school again. “The main problem is space,” explains the priest, “because refugees are staying in the school buildings.” Currently around 450 people are still taking refuge in the parish complex, and 100 have decided to return home. Because education remains an act of hope, the parish has reached out to two large independent private schools (non-confessional and non-governmental) in its neighborhood of Zeitoun and have distributed exercise books, pens, and basic material, as these resources remain scarce. Before the war, one of these schools had 1,400 pupils, and the other 1,500. “It is absolutely essential that the war stops,” says Gaza’s parish priest
See - Quakerism in the 21st Century: What is the Future of Friends?
“One thing I think we would do well to hold onto going into this century is to be a community searching together . . . listening deeply to what is ours to do and what love requires of us,” says Paula Christophersen, a Friend in northern Germany. Another Friend in the Philippines, Kins Aparace, says, “We have to hold onto the truth, and not be afraid to do the testimony in public . . . to be bolder in pronouncements.” What is the future of Friends? See it here Quakerism in the 21st Century: What is the Future of Friends? Sunday 15 FebruaryMardi Gras Fair Day @Victoria Park,Camperdown
Quakers have been allocated a stall at the Mardi Gras Fair day. We have a volunteer to drive the stall decorations to the venue early on Sunday morning.
We need a Friend to coordinate the volunteer roster, Friends to decorate the stall by 9am and a Friend to coordinate walking the stall items out of the park to a car late afternoon.
At the stall, we offer information and conversation about Quakers and hopefully we will be co-located again with other faith organisations.
K Woodhouse has coordinated the stall for many years but has less availability now. The Fair Day organisers are expecting 60,000 visitors to attend the event.
To register your availability for any of these roles and for more
information, contact Wies Schuiringa (0439 024 397, or wies.sch...@gmail.com)
3-6 April 2026
Junior Young Friends (JYFs) ages 12-17@ Anglesea, Victoria
I am writing to let you know about an upcoming JYF camp on 3-6 April 2026.
The camp is for Junior Young Friends (JYFs) ages 12-17, in Anglesea, Victoria.The chance to build community at camp is especially important given the current 18 month break between our national in person gatherings, from July 2025 to Jan 2027.
We are expecting 8-10 JYFs to attend along with parent helpers and Young Friends (YFs) as leaders. Some of these may approach Regional Meeting for financial support to attend this event. The cost of the event is $150 per camper, and costs for travel from around Australia will likely be more than this figure. We encourage regional meetings to be generous in supporting any requests made. Contact me for any details you may require at cjyfcoo...@quakersaustralia.infoJo Temme
Children and Families CoordinatorQuakers Australia
Free Quaker Books AvailableHelen Gould is simplifying her life and is offering many of her Quaker and other books to whoever wants them. She has 2 copies of Plain Living: a Quaker Path to Simplicity, and is happy to pass both of them on. Helen is not expecting any reimbursement for either the book or the postage, just that the books be used, and perhaps passed on again in due course. Contact Helen by email at helen...@gmail.com
February QBC -
A Quaker Reading of Mark's Gospel
To See the InvisibleThe February QBC (Quaker Book Club ) selection is A Quaker Reading of Mark's Gospel, To See the Invisible by Patricia Dallmann.
Though in accord with the faith and message of these first Friends, Dallmann offers insights that are original and, at times, accompanied by illustrations from her own life.
In story after story and chapter after chapter of Mark's Gospel, Patricia Dallmann approaches the text with senses attuned to the Light Within, an orientation in keeping with that of seventeenth-century Friends (Quakers).
Mark's Gospel is seen to be a practical guide that stands ready in every age to alert those of living faith to the dangers they will face, the responsibilities they must assume, and the Spirit they will embody while navigating their passage through the world.
Mindful of the inward reality to which the Gospel alludes, Dallmann provides paths of understanding that have been found in Truth and are presented with reason. Thus, readers will find this book to be a clear, sound, and useful examination of the Gospel of Mark. Obtain a copy here https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/a-quaker-reading-of-marks-gospel-9798385251452.do
e - Wahroonga Send news of f/Friends and newsletter items to quiver...@yahoo.com.au Agenda items for Business Meeting should be emailed at wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info or handed to a co-clerk. Visit us at "Our Home" First days (Sunday), 9.30 am Meeting for Worship - Wahroonga Friends Meeting, your local peace church. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 59 Boundary Road Wahroonga NSW 2076 Email:wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info Web: Wahroonga Local Meeting | Australia Yearly Meeting A Zoom meeting occurs 9.30 am Sundays Meeting link Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting 918 558 7747 Passcode: 55462 Phone: 02 8015 6011 Please contact Paul Carter if you have any problems connecting 0433 886 093
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages