Weekly progress

Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six | Week Seven
Young Friends weekend | Tapestry workshop

Week Seven


A Blue-tongue Lizard visits at lunch, with (clockwise from left): Dick Field, Helen Gould, David Johnson and Valerie Joy (Photo: Helen Bayes)

David Johnson, Dorothy Broom, Helen Gould, Vidya, learning the Lion Pose at an Eldering Weekend

Minute of Record - Meeting for Discursive Reflection (held on Thursday)

Reflections on our time at Silver Wattle over week 7.

Environment
 We were grateful for the warmth of the sun, the opening and flowering of many of the bushes and flowers around – lilac, wisteria, banksia rose – and for the abundant bird life, which has lifted and grown with the warm weather.

Facilities
 The freedom to turn on a heater, when needed, made a great difference to one Friend’s safety and comfort in her second week here. It could be made clear, that this is acceptable when there are special needs.

It was great to get the coolroom fixed. These small, incremental improvements over the time of our tenancy are appreciated.

The small number of people here allowed adequate comfort and space; it was felt there was more spaciousness overall.

Courses offered
With only two participants, the courses were enriched greatly by the staff being able to participate. The smaller numbers allowed more time for reflection on the course content.

The spiritual nature of this week’s content gave a different experience for one of us, also the practice which allowed a very deep personal checking-in at the beginning of each session enabled our growth as a spiritual community and knitted the two courses together.

We were grateful for the Eldering given to Helen Gould by Emily for her sessions.

The long break in the afternoon, which allowed for other activities in the afternoon with the beginning of the afternoon session at 4pm, was appreciated.

Food
 This was easier with this small group of 8 or 9. As we continued in the week, we felt a deep sense of Grace before each of our meals.

Food was prepared lovingly, attentively and as a spiritual exercise, by a number of those present taking responsibility for a particular day’s meal(s), all of which were delicious.

It would be helpful if participants made clear, what they CAN eat, not what they can’t, to make it easier for catering.

We shifted the main meal to the middle of the day and had our smaller meal at night, at 6.30pm and this worked well.

We appreciated the care and attention given to the preparation of our breakfast; this became a very gentle beginning to the day. We were told that this time of preparation of breakfast had become a spiritual exercise and attentiveness for Bob, who appreciated being left alone to do this.

Meeting for Worship
We were grateful for our times together during Meeting for Worship, but it was felt by one that our Meetings were not particularly ‘gathered’.

We were grateful for the Healing Meeting and for the opportunity to write letters to those we had prayed for.

The rhythm of our life together was good and rich, and the Meeting for Worship was part of that.

We consider whether it would be beneficial for an additional half hour’s Meeting for Worship from 7-7.30am for those who wish.

Silent Day
 Having this start in the afternoon was good. Some difficulty was experienced in having a visitor around at the time; it was found to be ‘jarring’. We will be more mindful of this in the future.

One helpful thing might be for someone to take responsibility for a Grace at the beginning of the meal prior to the Silent period beginning, in order to start the silent time in a more deliberate and thoughtful way.

We see the need to negotiate more about our Silent time; the parameters to be more clearly defined and more preparation by our course teachers in relation to the silence; offering the opportunity to gently prepare people for this time.

The walking meditation and guided meditation in the evening enriched the Silent time, and became an integral part of the day.

One who had been present at other Silent Days, found it to be ‘comical’ – a different experience with each different group. It would be good to go somewhere and experience a day of silence where it has been ‘shaken into place’.

General
 Our staff have been fellow-travellers with us this week, and this has been a joy.

We give thanks for Emily as our Elder, and are grateful for the discernment and insight of those who invited her to come.