The meeting house

Reflections on Lewes Meeting House

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together.

Ecclesiastes 3:5

Within the next few weeks the builders move in. In 1784 Friends moved from the site in Friars Walk which they had occupied since 1678 to the present building. Since then the building has been extended to the north and to the south, but the Meeting Room, the heart of the building, has retained much of the structure and appearance of its early days. It will change very little as a result of the building work.

Quakers believe that the Meeting House should serve three essential purposes:

• As a beautiful place which is a part of Lewes and Quaker history

• As a place which can meet some of the needs of people in Lewes

• As a place for Quaker worship

There will be minimal changes to the Meeting Room. Behind it, to the north and to the south, and at the entrance there will be changes to improve access and functionality. It has taken many years of discernment to decide how to preserve the best of the old and to bring in the best of the new.

It is not only our buildings but our faith which needs discernment, preserving the best of our traditions, but recognising that some older ways of thinking and acting no longer serve us well Are we open to new light, from whatever source it may come? Do we approach new ideas with discernment? It is not only in our personal lives that we must live adventurously.

David Hitchin

6th September 2022