Occupy Quakers call for worship in the world

Quakers meeting for worship in London alongside Occupy LSX have published an epistle declaring the need for Quakers to take their worship out of their meeting houses and into the wider world.

The epistle recognises the contribution that Occupy LSX has made to challenging the problems caused by the ‘social and economic system which they seek to change’.

It states: ‘We see similarities between the Occupy movement and early Friends, in that both speak their truth to power, and both are not afraid to engage in positive conflict, something Quakers today find more challenging.’

At a Meeting for Worship for Business today Friends agreed to continue to meet on the steps of saint Paul’s cathedral on Saturdays at 1pm before the Occupy General Assembly. Quakers had met for the past 19 weeks on Sunday afternoons on the cathedral steps.

According to the epistle, the Quaker involvement in the Occupy movement has led to an increase in people enquiring about the Quaker faith.

The epistle accuses ‘the authorities of St. Paul’s Cathedral’ of being ‘absent and complicit in the police operation to clear the camp, including the steps to their building, which were not covered by the eviction order.’ During the operation in 02/2012 Christians who had gathered to pray on the steps were forcibly removed by police.

Visit the Quakers in Occupy facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=231009060327707&id=159824480779499 and click here for the full epistle.

One thought on “Occupy Quakers call for worship in the world

  1. So excited and pleased to hear about this. Thank you, London Friends, for both Meeting ‘in the outside world’ and standing with the Occupy LSX movement.

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