Monday 12 November 2018

Quaker Lingo

Quakers use a particular vocabulary. This is a brief and continually expanding glossary in which I will attempt to explain these terms in a beginner-friendly way. Please bear in mind this is specific to the Quakers in Britain!

Attender: Someone who regularly goes to Quaker meetings but is not a formal member.

Britain Yearly Meeting: The national organisation of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain.

Business Meeting: A specific kind of Meeting for Worship where Quakers attempt to discern the correct path for decision-making. All Quakers are equal, so everyone is given equal weight. (edit - my previous definition included the word unanimous, which Quakers do not use. I'm still learning! Please look at the comments for a good addendum to this one.)

Centring/Centring Down: The state of tranquillity most Quakers acquire or aim for during Meeting for Worship. Generally regarded as a connection to the inner light.

Clearness Meeting: A meeting where an individual asks support from Friends with an issue in their life. An example may be the decision to become a Member, or making a career change. 

Clerk: Someone who oversees Business Meetings and records minutes of the will of the group. They also look after the inner workings of the meeting.

Meeting for Worship: When Quakers gather together in silence for stillness and contemplation, attempting to connect with... each other, or God, or the inner light... or whatever you want to call it.

Quaker Faith & Practice (QF&P): Although Quakers do not follow a specific creed or holy book, QF&P is still important to many Friends. It is a book that is written by Quakers for Quakers, updated every generation at the Britain Yearly Meeting. It contains Quaker perspectives on many different topics.

Weighty Friend: A Quaker who is heavily involved in the Society, who takes part in a lot of events and assists a lot with organising things within the Society.

Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM): The association of Quakers and people associated with Quakers in Britain aged 18-35. Can also refer to the thrice-yearly weekends away hosted by the organisation.

1 comment:

  1. "Business Meeting" - Quakers don't use the word "unanimous". Quakers say that "we reach unity" over a particular matter. That unity will be expressed (eventually) in a minute to which all present at the Meeting assent. The process will be that the Meeting is asked by the clerk, "Is that Minute acceptable, Friends?" to which Friends usually murmur, "I hope so".

    ReplyDelete