Your answers
A friend is a communicant member of the C of E on
weekdays but a Nonconformist on Sundays. Is this unusual? Would
anyone comment?
I am in dual membership of the Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers) and of the Church of England. I regularly attend a
Wednesday-morning holy eucharist at St James's, Clacton-on-Sea, and
on Sundays, at 10.30 a.m., a Quaker meeting for worship at the
Quaker Meeting House in Clacton-on-Sea. For nearly eight years, I
also attended the 8 a.m. Sunday eucharist at St James's, but have
given that up recently, owing to age (93) and infirmity.
I remain a Quaker-Anglican or, if you prefer, Anglican-Quaker
every day of the week. I sometimes "centre down" into Quakerly
silence at the beginning of meeting for worship by reciting
silently the Nicene Creed (BCP version) and/or the prayer of
preparation at the beginning of the holy communion service. On
Thursday mornings, I attend a short "Service of Celtic Prayer" at
the local United Reformed church. On all these ecumenical
occasions, I am usually accompanied by another like-minded
Friend.
I had an article about my by-no-means-unique spiritual
pilgrimage published in the Quaker journal The Friend on 2
May.
Ernest Hall, Clacton-on-Sea
I was born and brought up a Quaker and married an Anglican
priest. Gradually I became a member of two Christian communities,
and so I was baptised and confirmed while remaining an active
Quaker. I now go to communion on Saturday and meeting for worship
on Sunday. Dual membership is hard on the diary, the purse, and the
emotions, but for me these are two complementary ways of being
Christian.
Beth Allen
(To be continued. Editor)
Your questions
We say to our Christian friends "God bless" to wish them
well, especially if they are unwell. What is appropriate for our
Muslim friends?
H. R.
"Turning water into wine" is often a pub joke. How does
a Christian respond with a clear explanation?
Why has a central-London parish church set up pastorate
groups in suburbs instead of referring young people to the clergy
where they live, and encouraging them to get stuck in there, and
even grow up a bit? Can there really be no "lively" churches in
these deaneries, if that is the issue? Or is it about
control?
M. G.
Out of the Question, Church Times, 3rd floor, Invicta
House, 108-114 Golden Lane, London EC1Y 0TG.
questions@churchtimes.co.uk