Meeting for Worship 15.05.11

This week's reading
Reflection

Wind of the heavens blow over the mountains
Over the land the sea and the air
Wild as my soul as I wander the moorlands
Wind on the heather and wind in my hair


Breath of God blow over the mountains
Lord of the land, and the sea and the air.
Fill my soul with the power of your spirit,
Wind on the heather and wind in my hair.

Recent notes:
Hungry Lunch
 

There were 60 attendees at this year's Hungry Lunch, who assembled in the schoolroom for a simple (but delicious!) meal of soups, breads and cakes. Diners are asked to donate what they would usually spend on a sunday meal  - or whatever they could afford - to a charity, which in this case was Goal.
Before eating we were treated to a presentation by Ruah Pearson who talked about her recent trip to Romania with the charity 'Habitat for Humanity'. Here she had worked alongside local builders and other volunteers to complete work on 3 houses over nine days. When complete, the families of the builders were allowed to move in - at least one family of  four had been living  for 9 years in a one-roomed apartment with no water or heating.
Everyone was fascinated by the work which had been carried out, and there were lots of questions afterwards.
The total raised by the event was €750
 
Monthly Meeting
There were 28 members and attenders at this month's Monthly Meeting.
3 Members of the Finance Committee were re-appointed.
An Epistle from Dublin Yearly Meeting, "Let Your Life Speak", was read. This stressed the importance of outreach work for Quaker Meetings, and highlighted the value of increasing dialogue between Meetings and the world. The full text of the Epistle can be read here.
Representatives to  2 conferences were appointed - Forum on End of Life (organised by Irish Hospice Foundation), and due to take place on 12th October; and a conference on ageing organised by the Older and Bolder group.
 
New Ramp and Sign
They've been in place for a couple of months now, but I finally have a picture... here is the new look to the entrance of the Monkstown Meeting House, with shows the new alternative access by ramp, and the new sign and lights around the door.
 

 
Next week's reading:
An extract from “Quaker Faith and Practice” 2-13 by William Penn (1644 – 1718).
William Penn was born in England. At the age of 22 he came to Ireland to mind family land holdings and soon joined Quakers in Cork. Later in life he founded the State of Pennsylvania.


True silence is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.