Showing posts with label Parker Palmer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parker Palmer. Show all posts

2019/02/23

Friends World Committee for Consultation - Wikipedia



Friends World Committee for Consultation - Wikipedia




Friends World Committee for Consultation
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The Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) is a Quaker organisation that works to communicate between all parts of Quakerism. FWCC's world headquarters is in London.[1] It has General Consultative NGO status with the Economic and Social Councilof the United Nations[2] since 2002.[3] FWCC shares responsibility for the Quaker UN Office in Geneva and New York City[4] with the American Friends Service Committee[5]and Britain Yearly Meeting.[6]

FWCC was set up at the 1937 Second World Conference of Friends in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, US,


"to act in a consultative capacity to promote better understanding among Friends the world over, particularly by the encouragement of joint conferences and intervisitation, the collection and circulation of information about Quaker literature and other activities directed towards that end."[7]


Contents
1Structure
1.1Africa Section
1.2Asia West Pacific Section
1.3Europe and Middle East Section
1.4Section of the Americas
2FWCC triennials, conferences and international representatives meetings
3References
4External links


Structure[edit]

FWCC has four sections in addition to the world office in London:[8]
Africa Section, based in Nairobi, Kenya
Asia and West Pacific Section, based in Australia
Europe and Middle East Section, based in Histon, Cambridge, England
Section of the Americas, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

In addition every three years FWCC organizes an international Triennial. The triennials are attended by about 175 representatives, appointed by the almost 70 affiliated yearly meetings and groups aiming to provide links among Friends.[7] The 22nd Triennial was held in August 2007 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, with the theme "Finding the Prophetic Voice for our Time".

Africa Section[edit]

Africa Section represents Friends throughout the continent of Africa. Most African Friends are from the evangelical and programmed traditions. However, a significant minority are from the unprogrammed tradition. South Africa Yearly Meeting is principally an unprogrammed Yearly Meeting and there are unprogrammed Meetings elsewhere in Africa, notably in Kenya. Africa Section is numerically the most numerous of the Sections and the administrative headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya. The 2012 Friends World Conference was held in Kenya.

Asia West Pacific Section[edit]

Asia West Pacific Section (AWPS) is geographically the largest FWCC Section stretching from Japan in the north to New Zealand and Australia in the south and from the Philippines in the east to India in the west. Asia West Pacific Section is growing significantly and recently welcomed into Membership the Philippine Evangelical Friends Church, a Filipino programmed and evangelical Friends Meeting; Marble Rock Friends and Mahoba Yearly Meeting in India. Some AWPS Friends Meetings are numerically small, e.g. those in Korea and Hong Kong but nonetheless give generously to Friends work internationally and contribute a lot to the life of Friends. Other Friends Meetings in the Section are relatively large with several thousand Friends. The geographical area of the AWPS region includes numerically large Friends Meetings of the evangelical programmed tradition which have not as yet affiliated with FWCC, although friendly relations are maintained locally.

Europe and Middle East Section[edit]

Europe and Middle East Section (EMES) is numerically the smallest of the Quaker Sections but historically the oldest and is growing in former Eastern Bloc countries, though declining in so-called Western Europe countries. EMES includes Britain Yearly Meeting, the mother Meeting of Friends, being the heir to the former London Yearly Meeting. Britain Yearly Meeting's "Faith and Practice" or book of discipline is used by many Friends around the world as a guide to Friends' practices and procedures. Britain Yearly Meeting is the largest Meeting in the Section with approximately 16,000 Members, followed by Ireland Yearly Meeting with around 1,000 Members. Other Yearly Meetings in Europe are small, in some cases smaller than Monthly Meetings in Asia but retain the name and form of Yearly Meetings for historical reasons.

Friends have a long-standing presence in the Middle East and the Palestine, dating back to Ottoman times. For example, Friends School, Ramallah, is a noted educational centre and Friends are active in attempts to build peace at the grass roots in this troubled area. Britain Yearly Meeting's Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW) is one of the significant international Friends agencies. The FWCC Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva is partly supported by Britain Yearly Meeting. Friends presence at the United Nations has engaged and continues to engage in much quiet diplomacy to reduce violence and build peace around the world. Friends House in Geneva is a quiet haven in a busy international city and hosts Geneva Meeting.

Section of the Americas[edit]

Section of the Americas is numerically the second largest section and includes Friends from all Friends traditions in both North and South America as well as in the Caribbean and Central America. Section of the Americas is officially bi-lingual in Spanish and English, though Canada Yearly Meeting also operates in both English and French. FWCC's other QUNO branch is located adjacent to the New York UN Building and is closely connected with the quasi-Quaker organisation American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). 

AFSC was founded by Friends and still has a substantially Friends Board of Trustees, however, only the Director of AFSC is required to be a Friend and the vast majority of AFSC staff, including senior staff, are not Friends and are not familiar with Friends worship or testimonies leading to some Friends' Meetings distancing themselves from AFSC and its activities. In 1947 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Friends for 300 years of work for peace and received on behalf of Friends by AFSC and its London counterpart, the Friends Service Committee, now known as Quaker Peace and Social Witness. 

Approximately 160,000 Friends live in the USA and some 300,000 live in Latin America. US Friends are often relatively affluent whereas many Latin American Friends come from relatively impoverished and oppressed indigenous communities. As in Asia and Africa, in Latin America, Friends are a growing church. Section of the Americas Friends have a long history dating back to the mid-17th Century. Friends founded or helped found a number of the US States, notably Pennsylvania, named after distinguished 17th Century English Friend, William Penn; Rhode Island; New Jersey and Delaware all had substantial Friends' contributions in their founding. William Penn's constitutional documents for Pennsylvania formed an important and influential source for the later United States Constitution.[9] 

In the early colonial period Friends were persecuted in Massachusetts and New York. Friends also had a substantial impact in the early days of colonisation of the Caribbean, for example in the 17th century and early 18th century 25% of the population of Barbados was Friends. The history of suffering is a uniting factor with Latin American Friends, many of whom live in difficult circumstances and find living the transformative Peace Testimony a daily commitment.

It is difficult to speak about American Friends as a whole because they represent such a broad and diverse range of Friends traditions, however, it is a tribute to their commitment to Friends beliefs that they respect each other and work together.

FWCC triennials, conferences and international representatives meetings[edit]
LocationDateTheme

Mexico 1985 Profundizar Más = Digging deeper.[10]
New Mexico, USA August 1994 On being publishers of truth [11]
Birmingham, England July 1997 Answering the love of God : living our testimonies.[12]
New Hampshire, USA July 2000 “Friends: A People Called to Listen, Gathered to Seek, Sent Forth to Serve”
Aotearoa/New Zealand January 2004 “Being Faithful Witnesses: Serving God in a Changing World”.
Dublin, Ireland 11–19 August 2007 “Finding the Prophetic Voice for our Time”.[13]
Nakuru, Kenya 17–25 April 2012 “Being salt and Light: Friends living the Kingdom of God in a broken world”.[14]
Pisac, Peru 19–27 January 2016 “Living the Transformation: Creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the Children of God”.[15]

South Africa 2023 TBC


In 1991, the Fifth World Conference of Friends held on three sites—The Netherlands, Honduras and Kenya—replaced the usual Triennial meeting.

As noted above, the second World Conference took place in Pennsylvania in 1937. The first had been held in the U.K. in 1920. The third was held in Oxford, U.K. in 1952 and the fourth in Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.A. in 1967. A World Conference was held near Nakuru in Kenya in 2012 in lieu of triennial gathering in 2010.[16] In future Plenary Meetings will be held every six to eight years and called International Representatives Meetings.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "FWCC World office homepage". Fwccworld.org. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  2. ^ "ECOSOC database of NGOs". Un.org. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  3. ^ "United Nations Civil Society Participation (iCSO) – Friends World Committee for Consultation". esango.un.org. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  4. ^ "QUNO website". Quno.org. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  5. ^ QUNO Governance in New York Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "QUNO Governance in Geneva". Quno.org. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b "WIDER QUAKER WORLD | Ottawa Monthly Meeting". ottawa.quaker.ca. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
  8. ^ "Contact | Friends World Committee for Consultation". www.fwccafrica.org. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  9. ^ "Frame Of Government Of Pennsylvania". Avalon Project.org. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  10. ^ Profundizar Más : ensayos para ayudar a los Amigos, y a las Juntas de los Amigos, a prepararse para la 16a asamblea Trienal del Comité Consultivo Mundial de los Amigos = Digging deeper : papers to assist Friends and Meetings prepare for the 16th Triennial Meeting of the FWCC]]. – Mexico : Friends World Committee for Consultation, 1985.
  11. ^ On being publishers of truth : a discussion guide in preparation for the 18th Triennial Meeting of FWCC ... 1994 / prepared by Gordon M. Browne Jr. and Heather Moir. – London : Friends World Committee for Consultation, 1994
  12. ^ Answering the love of God : living our testimonies : [documents, etc. from the] 19th Triennial Meeting, Friends World Committee for Consultation, Westhill College, Birmingham, England, 23–31 July 1997
  13. ^ Website for Triennial 2007 Archived 4 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine and official Blog.
  14. ^ "Welcome to the World Conference website | World Conference of Friends 2012". Saltandlight2012.org. 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  15. ^ "Website for World Plenary Meeting 2016". Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  16. ^ Minutes of the 2007 Triennial, website cited above.


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2019/01/18

Rowe Morrow. Toward a Good Relationship with Earth — Silver Wattle Quaker Centre



Toward a Good Relationship with Earth — Silver Wattle Quaker Centre

Toward a Good Relationship with Earth
Friday, September 21, 20186:00 AM
Monday, September 24, 20184:00 AM
Google Calendar ICS


Led by Rowe Morrow.

Download detailed course flier here

Are you feeling distressed by global warming? Not sure what makes the biggest difference? Looking for spiritual direction through action and testimonies? This course discusses what works, using permaculture principles and a global and cosmological framework. You will learn:


Ways to live effectively


What has worked in other countries and situations where people are struggling more than we are in Australia.


A larger view of life and the spirit

For keen gardeners, consider staying on a few days to participate in the Spring Gardening Week (24-30 September).



In the 1980s, Rowe Morrow discovered permaculture which provided a powerful basis for Earth restoration. A Concern was born. She considers permaculture ‘sacred’ knowledge to be carried and shared with others. Since then Rowe has travelled to meet many people anxious and concerned to restore their environments. As a teacher of permaculture Rowe has been inspired for many years by Parker Palmer, the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) and non-violent resistance. She works in difficult places, choosing people who have been disempowered and who would not otherwise have access to permaculture. Most recently she has been working in Afghanistan, and then with Syrian refugees in Mosul. Rowe delivered the 2011 Backhouse lecture and is a member of Blue Mountains Meeting.

Cost: $372 (Single)/ $342 (Shared) includes accommodation and catering

Note that Quakers may also seek support from their Local Meeting or Regional Meeting. Funds are set aside for this, so don’t be shy – it is an investment in the spiritual health of the Meeting.

If you need to be picked up from the Bungendore train station ($10 fee) or Canberra airport ($35 fee) please contact admin.office@silverwattle.com.au

If you are not ready to commit to the course but want to let us know you are interested, please contact us here.


Towards a Good Relationship with Earth
Thursday September 20, 2018 4 pm to
Sunday, September 23, 2018 1 pm
with Rowe Morrow
Author of
Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture 

• Are you feeling distressed by global warming? 
• Are you yearning to live a life connected to the needs of all of Earth’s communities? 
• Not sure what makes the biggest difference?
 • Looking to do work that is spiritually truthful?
 • This course discusses what works, using permaculture principles within a global and
cosmological framework. 

You will learn: 
• Ways to live effectively 
• What has worked in other countries and situations where people are struggling more than
we are in Australia. 
• A larger view of life and the spirit
For keen gardeners, consider staying on a few days to participate in the Spring Gardening Week
(24-30 September). 

Rowe Morrow discovered permaculture provides a powerful
basis for Earth restoration. 
She considers permaculture
‘sacred’ knowledge to be carried and shared with others. 
Rowe is widely known and sought after to run courses,
worldwide. 
She has travelled to meet many people anxious
and concerned to restore their environments. 
Rowe has
been inspired for many years by the work of Parker Palmer,
the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) and non-violent
resistance. 

She often works in difficult places, choosing
people who have been disempowered and who would not
otherwise have access to permaculture. 

Most recently she
has been working in Afghanistan, and then with Syrian
refugees in Mosul. 

Course Costs : Single room $372 Shared $342
Includes all meals, accommodation and course materials. 

Transfers: Airport $35, Bungendore train station $10
For more information see www.silverwattle.org.au
Registration Online: https://www.silverwattle.org.au/course-registration

==============

An interview with Permaculture Pioneer Rosemary Morrow

by  on January 29, 2014 in News


Rosemary MorrowA little bit about Rowe

Born in Perth, Rosemary Morrow (Rowe) was claimed early by the Earth; plants, animals, stones, weather. Some years in the Kimberleys as a young girl confirmed it.
Later she trained in agriculture science with which she was very disappointed, then moved to France where she lived in the L’Arche community. Later at Jordans Village in England she realised she would become a Quaker. Back in Australia in the 1980s Rowe’s Permaculture Design Course provided the basis for a concern for Earth restoration. She considers permaculture to be ‘sacred knowledge’ to be carried and shared with others. Since then, when asked, she has travelled to teach the PDC to others who, due to circumstances, could not access it any other way. This took her to immediate post-war Vietnam as well as Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia and other countries.
Rowe’s present concern is to make teaching sustainable and encourage others to succeed her as teachers.

A Permaculture Pioneer

Permaculture Pioneers: stories from the new frontierRosemary Morrow is one of the 26 contributors to Permaculture Pioneers – stories from the new frontier. In this short interview, introduced by co-editor Kerry Dawborn,  Rowe talks about the limits that permaculture has to deal with the problems of the world. Permaculture can provide skills and build confidence to adapt to changing environments, but a changing climate illustrates that migration may become necessary in extreme situations.
Rowe’s advice? “Apply the design principles as closely as you can you’ll end up with wonderful production of good systems, and that there isn’t a whole lot of room to innovate… creativity is applying principles, it’s not in going much beyond the palate that we have of principles for designing well.”
10% of all sales of Permaculture Pioneers whether in print form, or eBook form, continue to go to Permafund, supporting Permaculture projects around the world especially those that assist with resilience in the developing world and in places of extreme need. So why not purchase a copy and dip into the stories of these inspiring early adopters. Permaculture Pioneers is now available on iTunes.

















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2018/08/21

2018 Program — Silver Wattle Quaker Centre



2018 Program — Silver Wattle Quaker Centre

Download the 2018-2019 Course Brochure here
Detailed information for each course is also available. The relevant links are located within each course listing below.


=====================

SEP 13 TO SEP 16

Australian Friends Fellowship of Healing Gathering
Thu, Sep 13, 20184:00 PM Sun, Sep 16, 20181:00 PM


Silver Wattle is supporting this event.
For more information click here

To register contact Elspeth Hull at elspeth102@bigpond.com
================
SEP
20
TO SEP 23

Toward a Good Relationship with Earth
Thu, Sep 20, 20184:00 PM Sun, Sep 23, 20182:00 PM


Led by Rowe Morrow.

Download detailed course flier here

Are you feeling distressed by global warming? Not sure what makes the biggest difference? Looking for spiritual direction through action and testimonies? This course discusses what works, using permaculture principles and a global and cosmological framework. You will learn:
Ways to live effectively
What has worked in other countries and situations where people are struggling more than we are in Australia.
A larger view of life and the spirit

For keen gardeners, consider staying on a few days to participate in the Spring Gardening Week (24-30 September).



In the 1980s, Rowe Morrow discovered permaculture which provided a powerful basis for Earth restoration. A Concern was born. She considers permaculture ‘sacred’ knowledge to be carried and shared with others. Since then Rowe has travelled to meet many people anxious and concerned to restore their environments. As a teacher of permaculture Rowe has been inspired for many years by Parker Palmer, the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) and non-violent resistance. She works in difficult places, choosing people who have been disempowered and who would not otherwise have access to permaculture. Most recently she has been working in Afghanistan, and then with Syrian refugees in Mosul. Rowe delivered the 2011 Backhouse lecture and is a member of Blue Mountains Meeting.

Cost: $372 (Single)/ $342 (Shared) includes accommodation and catering

Note that Quakers may also seek support from their Local Meeting or Regional Meeting. Funds are set aside for this, so don’t be shy – it is an investment in the spiritual health of the Meeting.
Register here

If you need to be picked up from the Bungendore train station ($10 fee) or Canberra airport ($35 fee) please contact admin.office@silverwattle.com.au

If you are not ready to commit to the course but want to let us know you are interested, please contact us here.
=====================
SEP
24
TO SEP 30

Spring Gardening Week
Mon, Sep 24, 20184:00 PM Sun, Sep 30, 20182:00 PM


Ah... Spring! What a lovely time for gardening. The weather is divine at Silver Wattle this time of year, and so is the land in it's fullness and potential. People come to Silver Wattle and say with delight, "I planted that garlic bed!" Don't miss your opportunity for such satisfactions.

For keen gardeners, consider coming the weekend prior (20-23 September) to attend Rowe Morrow’s permaculture course, Toward a Good Relationship with Earth.

Each day will have opportunities for shared worship and fellowship, and a balance of working and resting. Note that this week will also include some opportunities for Land Care work (e.g. bush regeneration & weed control).



This event is FREE. Donations of $25 to $60 per day (towards costs of food and accommodation) are appreciated
Register here

If you need to be picked up from the Bungendore train station ($10 fee) or Canberra airport ($35 fee) please contact admin.office@silverwattle.com.au

For those who are very keen gardeners, consider coming to Rowe Morrow's course the preceding weekend.


=================

OCT
4
TO OCT 7

Quakers and Concerns from Both Sides Now: Discerning and Supporting
Thu, Oct 4, 20184:00 PM Sun, Oct 7, 20181:00 PM


Led by Sue Ennis & Catherine Heywood

“You don't get a Concern because you want to do something. It comes because the Spirit wants you to do something.” How do you know if what is nudging, or moving you, is a Concern? How do we in our Meetings support Friends with a Concern? What happens after we approve the Minute of support? Over this 4-day weekend we will hear the stories of several Australian Friends, as they respond to questions about their experience of having a Concern. How does this resonate with us?

This course is for

- anyone who would like a clearer understanding of what “Concern” is in the Quaker context

- those who are feeling nudged by the Spirit to some action, or who are social activists wondering if their Meeting might support them

- those who might be asked to guide an individual or the Meeting through the process of discernment and support of a Concern.




Sue Ennis has been actively involved in social justice since the mid-70’s when she was part of a house-church in inner Melbourne. However since joining Quakers in the mid-1990s Sue has gained much from the Quaker understanding of ‘leadings, concerns, holding in the light and laying down a concern.’ This has helped her become more spiritually discerning, and spiritually supported in the issues she takes up. She would like to share this understanding with Quakers and other seekers who are engaged in issues of justice. Sue is an experienced Adult Educator who has led Quaker learning sessions locally and at AYM.

Catherine Heywood finds great joy in both teaching and learning, especially within her spiritual community. She brings to SWQC a working lifetime’s experience in adult education, including teacher professional development as well as her twenty plus year personal journey with Friends, her study in Organisation Dynamics, and more recently as a facilitator with Meeting for Learning. She is keen for Friends to understand as fully as possible both “the task, and the fine tools” which we have inherited from our Quaker predecessors. (Quoting words of Ursula Jane O'Shea in her 1993 Backhouse Lecture)

Cost: $372 (Single)/ $342 (Shared) includes accommodation and catering

Note that Quakers may also seek support from their Local Meeting or Regional Meeting. Funds are set aside for this, so don’t be shy – it is an investment in the spiritual health of the Meeting.

Register your interest here

If you need to be picked up from the Bungendore train station ($10 fee) or Canberra airport ($35 fee) please contact admin.office@silverwattle.com.au
=============

OCT
19
TO OCT 25

Art Nature Spirit
Fri, Oct 19, 20184:00 PM Thu, Oct 25, 20181:00 PM


Led by Brenda Roy, Barbara Huntington and Jen Newton

“The creative process like a spiritual journey is intuitive, nonlinear and experiential. It points us toward our essential nature, which is a reflection of the boundless creativity of the universe.” - John Daido Loori

Many of us wish we were more creative. Many of us are more creative, but feel unable to effectively tap that creativity. Be inspired and supported by the wonderful natural beauty of the Silver Wattle environment to give time to your creativity and the spirit through art making.
We invite you to take time out to rejuvenate mentally and spiritually, joining with others to deepen connection to your spiritual practice. We will play with different mediums and share stories and experiences that enhance and enrich the inner spirit, allowing your creativity to emerge through exploring and responding to the landscape. You will gain some technical skills relating to art practice and discover the beauty and restorative benefits of a stay at Silver Wattle.



BRENDA ROY



BARBARA HUNTINGTON



JEN NEWTON


Brenda Roy is a Friend from Perth and has been a weaver and maker for many years. She finds joy in playing with natural materials, and the glory and mystery of creating and combining colours and textures. She loves to make useful textiles which express her love of the natural world. Creativity is her daily path to gratitude, reflection and connecting with Spirit.

Barbara Huntington attends the NSW Mid North Coast meeting and also a local Buddhist group in Kempsey. She has worked for several years as an artist using textiles as her preferred medium, using embroidery, dyeing and felting to express ideas and experiences. She exhibits her art with the Fibre Artists Network. Barbara says, “For me creativity is a continuation of my spiritual practice. It helps me discover the mystery of spirit and supports me to look closer at many situations and events. It encourages a self discipline that I tap into, prompting me to keep exploring meaning where I may have easily given up. Being a member of a team who are sharing their creative skills to explore their relationship to spirit is an exciting and rewarding experience.”

Jen Newton’s art practice involves sitting in silence with the materials she is going to work with. She says, “I am often challenged by an idea of what I would like to create and sometimes it just won’t work ….I find that sinking into the silence and being present I find a way forward that is more often not what I thought I would do.” Jen works with recycled materials from textiles to steel and wire and has recently been exploring printing, layering textiles and paper, stitching and incorporating text into her work. Jen is a member of the Hobart Friends meeting and also meets with two small Quaker based spiritual groups that seek to know and walk with God. She is currently completing a course in contemplative practice “Igniting the Fire” with Drew Lawson.

Standard Registration $699

Supporting Registration $759

Concession $659

Early half of week $250
Register here
Contact us if you have further questions
=================

NOV
2
TO NOV 4

Indigenous Spirituality – Making Spiritual Connections
Fri, Nov 2, 20184:00 PM Sun, Nov 4, 20181:00 PM


Led by David Carline with Serene Fernando and Noritta Morseu-Diop

In this course we hope to make connections with each other, with the land, and with the spiritual wisdom of our traditions. Local Elder Shane Mortimer will offer a welcome to country. We will hear from Serene Fernando, a Gamilaroi woman who is producing a creative PhD research thesis looking at the spiritual beliefs of her ancestors. She is looking forward to sharing the wisdom she has found, and her personal responses to this. Noritta Morseu-Diop, from Thursday Island, hopes to be with us to introduce to us the spirituality of her salt-water people. She has a PHD in Criminal Justice and Social Work, and is organising a First Nations Traditional Knowledge Conference in August this year.

For our weekend come prepared for some listening, some yarning, some walking, and some time for personal reflection and connection.



NORITTA MORSEAU-DIOP



SERENE FERNANDO


Register your interest here
================
DEC
28
TO JAN 3

Year-End Retreat: Awareness, Attentiveness and Acceptance
Fri, Dec 28, 20187:00 AM Thu, Jan 3, 20198:00 AM

Download detailed course flier here

Led by David and Trish Johnson

We are being given another year, hopefully, of living in the Light. Whatever happened in 2018, let our hearts be opened so each of us may better understand and undertake what God is asking of us in 2019. 

The course will explore Quaker writings, the Bible and your Inner Guide for ‘walking in the Light’ with times for learning, sharing experience, personal prayer & reflection, and a range of exercises to open up spiritual space. 

The retreat will include an afternoon and overnight period of silence midway through, and is open for anyone from mid-teens onwards in age.




David Johnson is a convinced Friend of Conservative nature. 
David delivered the 2005 Backhouse Lecture to Australia Yearly Meeting on Peace is a Struggle, and wrote 
A Quaker Prayer Life (2013), and 
Jesus, Christ and Servant: Meditations on the Gospel According to John (2017).





Trish Johnson has been in private practice as a psychologist and trainer for over 30 years. Trish embraces mindfulness and neuropsychology in her clinical practice. She has served as Convener of the Committee of Elders at Silver Wattle. David and Trish were Co-Directors of Silver Wattle 2013-2014.

Download the detailed course flier here

========================


2018 Program

Silver Wattle Learning courses are designed to deepen Spirit through prayer and community living so that participants are renewed when they return to live and be in the world.

September 2018
Australian Friends Fellowship of Healing GatheringSep 13, 2018 – Sep 16, 2018
Toward a Good Relationship with EarthSep 20, 2018 – Sep 23, 2018
Spring Gardening WeekSep 24, 2018 – Sep 30, 2018
October 2018
Quakers and Concerns from Both Sides Now: Discerning and SupportingOct 4, 2018 – Oct 7, 2018
Art Nature SpiritOct 19, 2018 – Oct 25, 2018
November 2018
Indigenous Spirituality – Making Spiritual ConnectionsNov 2, 2018 – Nov 4, 2018
December 2018
Year-End Retreat: Awareness, Attentiveness and AcceptanceDec 28, 2018 – Jan 3, 2019
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2018/03/24

Parker J. Palmer. On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old eBook: Parker J. Palmer: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store



On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old eBook: Parker J. Palmer: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store


Parker J. Palmer
On the Brink of Everything
Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old

From beloved and bestselling author Parker J. Palmer (Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, Healing the Heart of Democracy) comes a brave and beautiful book of reflections on eight decades of life and work. Reframing aging as “a passage of discovery and engagement,” Palmer says, “Old is just another word for nothing left to lose, a time to take bigger risks on behalf of the common good.”

On the Brink of Everything is not a “guide to” or “handbook for” getting old. Instead, it's Palmer turning the prism of insight on his experience as a way of encouraging readers to do the same with theirs. In elegant prose and lyrical poetry, he offers a set of meditations on the meanings of one's life, past, present, and future. “The laws of nature that dictate the sunset dictate our demise,” Palmer writes. “But how we travel the arc between our own sunrise and sundown is ours to choose: will it be denial, defiance, or collaboration?”

With gravity and levity, compassion and chutzpah, Palmer writes about cultivating a robust inner and outer life, a sense of meaning and purpose amid pain as well as joy, and the intergenerational relations that enhance the lives of young and old alike. Here's a book not only for elders but also for those younger folks we call “old souls.”

And this book sings! It includes three songs by Palmer's longtime friend and colleague, singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer, written in response to themes in the book. At the download site for the songs, Palmer and Newcomer hope to engage readers in an ongoing conversation about what Howard Thurman called “the growing edge” of our personal and public lives.

Ultimately, Palmer sees age as a precious gift: “The fact that I've come this far makes me one of the lucky ones.” Surprised by the fact that he likes being old, he writes, “Welcome to the brink of everything. It takes a lifetime to get here, but the stunning view and the wake-up breeze in your face make it worth the trip.”
----------------











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Parker J. Palmer. An Undivided Life: Seeking Wholeness in Ourselves, Our Work, and Our World



Amazon.com: Customer reviews: 

An Undivided Life: Seeking Wholeness in Ourselves, Our Work, and Our World
byParker J. Palmer

Format: Audible Audio Edition|Change

===================


Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 stars
renewal group study book
Bycpkreaderon February 25, 2010
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
I belong to a small group that meets weekly for prayer and discussion, to help us grow in our Christian faith, action and study. This book was suggested by one of our members, and we've just started it. It seems to be a book that will help us integrate what goes on in our outward and our inward lives, so that we can become more wholly the person we are meant to be.
I can't really rate this book until we have finished it, which is why I only gave it 3 stars.
4 comments|Was this review helpful to you?
===========
Taking this position is fine if you have the time and resources to reflect ...
ByStephen A.on May 27, 2017

A hidden Wholeness the first half is devoted to how finding your truth will help you live a undivided, that by living in a fragmented way, one face for work one for home life and one for friends, can ultimately lead to a soulless existence. this part feels to me that the argument is that if we but only live our lives true to our inner truth than all will be right in the world. Taking this position is fine if you have the time and resources to reflect on what really drives you, however it answers little for a person that is struggling to cover basic needs. It is like expecting someone fleeing a burning building to take the time to ask themselves why the building is on fire in the first place. its fine to do when your safe, but not when your trying not to burn. Another issue I have is that he basically calls out Secularism and Moral-ism as wrong minded, but then later warns against insulating yourself against ideas that you find challenging not to separate people in to "good guys and bad guys".
The last half of the book is about how to conduct a Circle of Truth, it is a major part of Quaker communities. In fact many cultures have takes on these and they are very useful and do build stronger communities, at home, around town, and even at the office.
and to the point of the book yeah if we live our lives in a way that is whole we will be happier, we should not stay in jobs or relationships that make us feel sick with anxiety and by being true to our inner selves we can move out of these situations, and that if we really listen to each other instead of just trying to solve problems we may gain a better understanding of ourselves and each other. so yeah the book has some good points, But in the end it falls short.
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Top positive review

5.0 out of 5 stars
Circles of Trust
ByJack Froston February 2, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Parke Palmer's book has much thoughtful quotes, anecdotes, personal and other stories, and short poems. Below is a summary in his own words:

Circles of Trust

When we sit in a circle of trust, we are given one experience after another in holding the tension of opposites, experiences that slowly break our hearts open to greater capacity. Here are some of the tensions we learn to hold in a circle of trust, a list that simply summarizes topics already explored: 1. When we listen to another person's problems, we do not leap to fix or save: we hold the tension to give that person space to hear his or her inner teacher. We learn to neither invade nor evade the reality of each other's lives but rather to find a third way of being present to each other. 2. We create a form of community that is mediated by "third things." These poems and stories and works of art allow us to hold challenging issues metaphorically, where they cannot devolve to the pro-or-con choices forced on us by conventional debate. 3. Our discourse never involves efforts to persuade or dissuade one another. Instead, each person speaks from his or her center to the center of the circle, where our exploration can take us to a deeper level as we hold the tension involved in weaving a "tapestry estry of truth." 4. Truth in a circle of trust resides neither in some immutable external authority nor in the momentary convictions of each individual. It resides between us, in the tension of the eternal conversation, where the voice of truth we think we are hearing from within can be checked and balanced by the voices of truth others think they are hearing.
In all these ways, and more, a circle of trust moves us toward ways of engaging each other that honor the soul and help us transcend "fight or flight"-ways that open up the possibility of walking the third way in everyday life.

Outstanding reading if you are challenged with fear and uncertainty and heartbreak wherever you are.
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3.0 out of 5 starsEnter a Q&A session with author Parker J. Palmer ~ his beliefs & views...
ByrandomartcoVINE VOICEon November 5, 2009

I was not familiar with Parker J. Palmer before listening to this audio CD of 'An Undivided Life'...I must admit that the format threw me for loop: I was expecting a read-aloud of the author's book, but instead got a Q&A session with the author: that was a bit, um, unique. If you are a fan of this author & his viewpoint, this Q&A session will no doubt inspire you & answer some questions and feelings that you have on these issues: for me, I was just kind of like, 'yeah, ok.'

The author answers questions and speaks to his own experiences of 3 'clinical' depressions, and his own vocational & other choices that led him to discover the phrase, living an undivided life. He believes in living close to your authentic self, not living crosswise to your true self, and using the inner guidance to get past and not build a wall of seperation between your inside self and your outside self.

Personally, I thought it was very random and rambling: lacking any points that touched my spirit or soul, or even intellectual points that touched my brain, I just felt this was the author at his best on a soapbox, sharing his personal views and beliefs, and droning on and on in a way that reminded me of the great Ben Stein with 'Bueller, Bueller'...I didn't even get all the way through the 1st CD, I only got to almost the end before I was too bored and uninspired to continue any farther. For myself, there is no way I would ever listen to all 5 CDs and 5 1/2 hours of this program.

All my personal opinion aside, I can see how this audio CD could be inspiring or helpful to people who have found solace, hope or inspiration from his book and viewpoint of living an undivided life. And I agree with the author that we need to be authentic selfs, that is, we need to present to the world on the outside, what we are on the inside, and that in order to do this safely, we should be true to ourselves, but also just plain be a good person! I gave this 3 stars overall, as it may be truly helpful to some!
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1.0 out of 5 stars--Parker Palmer wants to educate you in his political agenda--
ByJudith MillerVINE VOICEon May 18, 2009

This was not really what I expected. I guess I was hoping for some helpful techniques that would give me a little insight into myself and others, but all I came away with was a negative feeling for Mr. Palmer!

At first, I thought that Mr. Palmer was advising you to follow your true self in your work and in your life! He has a rich and deep speaking voice that draws your attention; however, the more he spoke, the more condescending his words sounded to me! The packaging on the 5 CD's present him as an educator. I felt that his attitude is that of superiority and that he thinks that those people who don't agree with his philosophy have to be kindly shown the errors in the way that they think.

When Parker Palmer condoned the bombing of the Twin Towers, by saying that the United States had treated others the same way, that was it for me! I wouldn't have decided to listen to these CD's had I known that Mr. Palmer also had a political agenda!
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5.0 out of 5 starsRich, soulful reflections form a living spiritual master
ByCarl McColmanon August 31, 2009

Parker Palmer is a wise and gentle teacher, and his books -- such as "The Active Life" and "The Promise of Paradox" -- are hailed as important works of contemporary spirituality. Ostensibly a Quaker yet clearly transcending any kind of sectarian narrowness, Palmer brings the deep contemplative ethos of the Society of Friends to his own work.
Although I've enjoyed reading Palmer's writing, I've found this audio series from Sounds True to be singularly rewarding as a glimpse into the mind and heart of this living spiritual guide. Like Ken Wilber's "Kosmic Konsciousness" before it, "An Undivided Life" presents Parker Palmer in the context of an interview with Sounds True's CEO, Tami Simon. For this reason, this audiobook has an unusually intimate quality about it, and functions not so much as a teaching program but rather as an unstructured, almost rambling conversation in which Palmer comes across like nothing so much as an old, trusted friend, who is willing to take the time to share his wisdom in a relaxed and unhurried way. As an added bonus, Palmer's voice is rich, deep, and resonant with a sense of earthy insight. The result is a listening experience that is as delightful as it is enlightening.

The key concept here, the undivided life, lines up nicely with what Ken Wilber calls the integral vision or what Richard Rohr calls non-dual consciousness. A lifelong educator, Palmer speaks of the importance of personal integrity and the willingness to orient our lives toward the deepest truths we can find within ourselves -- even when such an orientation might call us to walk a path with others may not understand or appreciate. By honestly and vulnerably sharing his own repeated experience struggling with depression, Palmer ably speaks of the many forces in our lives that can serve to "divide" ourselves, such as the tendency to pursue a career that is at odds with our deepest values and desires, merely because of social or familial expectations. True spiritual health is found in our efforts to knit all the disparate elements of our lives together in a single whole, even though sometimes this might mean moving deeply into the reality of paradox, or learning to live with the soul as a wild, untamed and even "shy" part of ourselves.

Palmer is a natural storyteller, and whether he is recounting the tale of John Woolman's struggle to lead the Quakers to take a stand against slavery, or the darkness he experienced in his own nights of depression, he knows how to make a story effortless to listen to, even as he wrings meaning out of each narrative. After five hours of hearing him speak, I felt that, without promoting a particular religious perspective or philosophical agenda, his words had truly nourished my soul.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful and insightful
BySeries Fanon August 29, 2017

This is my second copy, and I have found things after reading it again I didn't see the first time around. Wonderful and insightful!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book! This should be in everyone's household as ...
ByMayron May 4, 2017

Thought provoking! Mind bending! Wonderful book! This should be in everyone's household as a manual to help build healthier relationships with each other as well as ourselves.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought Provoking
ByChristineMMTOP 500 REVIEWERon June 7, 2009

I accepted a pre-publication review copy so was not able to find much about it before agreeing to review it. I had not read any of Parker Palmer's books and knew hardly anything about him or his viewpoints.

This is a five hour long interview in which the interviewer asks soft questions and praises Palmer. Imagine a fan interviewing someone they look up to, that is what this is like. There are times when the interviewer could have pinned Palmer down on some of his inconsistencies which would be better interviewing but obviously the intent of this product was to praise Palmer and to be kind and gentle with him.

The questions ask for details of Palmer's life that he has apparently not explained in depth in his published works. Other times he is asked for updates on his formerly published views and how the would apply to more recent world events. There is a lot of discussion of paradox and Palmer's religious views and about spirituality, how his views changed from his Protestant upbringing to his current state of thinking as a Quaker.

I found his discussion of his three major bouts of depression very interesting and the idea that he thinks of them as the body forcing the person into an inward quest of oneself while depressed was thought provoking, good if the depressed person can come out of the other side and emerge with new insights. That is an idea I've never heard anyone discuss before.

I found it hard to rate and review an interview because it is different than judging a writer's non-fiction book. When an interviewer is in charge of the flow and content, you can't necessarily blame or judge the outcome on the interviewee. The interview flows here and there and the content changes direction. Since this is a look back on the views he has published in different books, the topics jump around and other times personal stories never before shared are told. I found it all interesting.

I decided to rate it 5 stars = I Love It because it made me think even though I don't agree with all of Palmer's opinions. I'm not rating it a 5 because I love every single word and want to boost up the review rating for this product. I don't necessarily think that one has to agree 100% with viewpoints expressed in order to enjoy other parts of it and find the experience of listening to this a worthwhile use of one's time.

Many times I wanted to stop and write down some of his words as they make great quotes, but since I listened to a lot of it while driving my car it was not possible. So, I will listen to these again!

I'll also share that some ideas Palmer spoke of he did not invent, I've heard some of it before. Other ideas I'd never heard before. The idea of living a divided life is fascinating and one that I think is accurate and creates an unhappy state for large numbers of Americans. I love the idea of living an undivided life, a more authentic life, and I can relate to seeing the importance of pursuing an undivided life. My interest in Parker Palmer is now is piqued and I'd like to read some of his books and see if they are worthwhile.

As to what I don't agree with, some of it was the talk of nonviolence. Palmer's confession that he is not perfectly living nonviolence is something I appreciated hearing especially after he confirmed that he has decided he has big issues with the Religious Right. After earlier discussing that society and people should not label and pigeon hole people into categories I was surprised to see he has no problems categorizing conservatives and Fundamentalist Christians. In a talk about when people hold opposing views and are trying to have dialogue to try to find common ground--I agree with that--but was so disappointed to realize he still focuses on labeling and grouping people into simplified categories in order to then dislike, discount or reject anything just based on those narrow labels. In other words he may use common ground to try to have a civil discussion and to get the other person to see his view but he fails to apply unconditional Christ-like love to others such as if they are Conservatives or Fundamentalist Christians. He can agree to disagree in a discussion but it seems to me he chooses to hate those who hold opposing views rather than look for commonality and accept them despite not agreeing with every thought they hold. Thus I feel Palmer lost some credibility.

I also cringed to hear Palmer speak of 9/11 and to learn he's in the camp that feels that America's private citizens intentionally did something bad to Muslim terrorists to cause them to attack American civilians using terrorist actions and that the Muslims were justified. I got the impression he thinks, "If we were only nicer to them in recent years, they'd love us and never would lash out at non-Muslims" which is a crock in my opinion. I view 9/11 as what the Islamic Fundamentalists say it is, jihad.

Again, despite me not agreeing with all of Parker Palmer's views I found listening to this enlightening in some ways and I will listen to this interview more than once. It is refreshing to find books or audio products that make me think like this does. I found this thought-provoking which is a great thing and tips this from just `liking it' to `loving it'.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
You "CAN'T NOT"~Change For the Better with this Program!
Bykindred spiriton May 1, 2009

First let me say this is a 5 CD set that plays for 5 and one half hours. That is not clear on this page. This set is worth it's weight in gold. What you come away with is what you would expect form a 3 day confrence that you paid $300 to attend. Parker Palmer is truly giving us a gift selling this at such an affordable price.

Listening to these truths is a relaxing and rewarding experience. Parker quietly and calmly talks about how to live a full and whole life, "undivided". He talks with the owner of Sounds True the producers of the set. I don't know about you but I do not like those self help, get rich, empower yourself guys who scream at you to do this and that. You will find none of that here.

Let me explain "Can't Not" This is a key lesson in the talk. It refers to life profession choices. Say you study and have a PhD and then chose to work at a soup kitchen. You choose what your heart tells you to do not what society or your wallet want you to do. It is the choice of doing it because you Can't not do the thing.

There is so much in this set I can barely bring it into a small review. I will say he operates under the belief in Jesus Christ as the word become flesh. You as a Christian will not be offended by anything in the lessons. I do not think any Religions will be offended as he is not preaching but he does share where he stands on how God fits into his undivided life.

This is a set you need to listen to many times to take it all in. I listened at night before bed and in bed in the morning before I got up and it set my mind on right paths for sleep and a good day.

I will just pick out one thing that stood out for me. He is talking about the educational sysytem and how he learned at arms length about the Holocaust in school. Thus growing up not realizing how that even formed his life and affected him personally in his world views. Since he was not taught with emotions attatched and participating in extra learning events like museums or talking to survivors it was just dates in history. In reality if formed his views on the judgements of those that are differnt from ourselves.

After only one time listening, I feel changed for the better. I feel more able to engage in life more fully and to be open to the differences in all of us while holding fast to what I know to be true for myself. I cannot recommend this enough. It is a must for the high school graduate. It should be listened to by new parents so that the next generation grows up more whole, more abole to live full lives.

The language and presentation is graduate school level. This is not simple fix program, although the concepts are there in plain sight most people go through life on a very shallow plain. You will go deeper with this program. If you are a deep thinker and love to contemplate truths of life then this is for you. I loved it and plan to keep listening as I want to change for the better.

Thank you Parker Palmer. Well done.
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