Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 14th September 2025

Dear Friends,

“Do you cherish your friendships, so that they grow in depth and understanding and mutual respect? In close relationships we may risk pain as well as finding joy. When experiencing great happiness or great hurt we may be more open to the working of the Spirit.”  

Advices and Queries, 21

Friendship is a concept that is deeply important to us as Quakers. After all, we are the Society of Friends. I believe George Fox had in mind the words of John’s Gospel – “You are my friends if you do what I command ” – rather than friendship in its more conventional meaning. He was pointing us toward a divine relationship, one that is rooted in truth and unity.

A few years ago, I was able to renew contact with a good friend from my university days. We had been close, but lost touch as our careers and lives took off in different directions. Then, while going through my late mother’s papers, I found a photograph of him on a walk we had taken near the Uffington White Horse. This discovery led to us re-connecting, and we soon found ourselves planning renewed walking holidays and joyfully sharing recollections and experiences from the decades that had passed.

This reunion was a powerful reminder of the value of nurturing these connections. It showed me how a small effort can lead to a great renewal of spirit and community. It is a testament to the idea that some friendships, even when dormant, never truly die.

So let us remember to take care to nurture our friendships. We are called to be Friends to one another, not just in name but in spirit. Let us reach out, listen, and share, allowing the Spirit to work through our connections and deepen our understanding of one another.

Alan Thompson

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.