Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 20th July 2025

Dear Friends,

Respect the wide diversity among us in our lives and relationships. Refrain from making prejudiced judgments about the life journeys of others. Do you foster the spirit of mutual understanding and forgiveness which our discipleship asks of us? Remember that each one of us is unique, precious, a child of God.

Understanding, forgiveness and discipleship, cornerstones of Jesus of Nazareth’s teaching, have inspired Quakers through the centuries. Discipleship – ‘to be a pilgrim’ to quote Bunyan’s hymn – is a journey through life following this wisdom.

It’s not so easy when it comes to ourselves – do we extend to ourselves the forgiveness and understanding that we try to give others? I find inspiration in the aged sat nav in our car. You take a wrong turning, decide to go a different way may be. No recriminations, all she says is ‘recalculating’. It is the way forward that matters, not the road behind. Our journey of discipleship may mean many resets –recalculating!

Jane Goyder

Quakers value diversity. We share this Friend’s message in the hope it will speak to others.

Pastoral Care and Eldership Team: Patricia Cockrell, David Hitchin, Sharon Krummel, Tim Pitt-Payne, Theresa Samms, Emily Slater.