--- a/Ballard_2024-06-11.txt	Tue Jun 11 21:26:09 2024 +0100
+++ b/Ballard_2024-06-11.txt	Thu Jun 13 13:10:55 2024 +0100
@@ -1,49 +1,76 @@
-HT: Barclay 19.41
-HT: Tell your Quaker story
-MB:
-At Univ, in early 1990s, moved into a new flat, I had agreed to take
-over that running of the EU Green Society.  My flatmate Anna [Levin] agreed a
-deal, that she would go to GS mtgs, if I would go to Quaker meeting,
-which was Victoria Terrace.
-Soon I felt the "secret power" and go "knitted in".
-Got to knwo YF, which was a help in what was then a pretty large
-Meeting.  Even after Anna moved away, I kept going to Meeting, and
-after a year or so BCurr asked if I'd think about becoming a Member.
-I've been thinking about it ever since.
-While in A'dam, went to MfW there.  Read more, and got more of a sense
-of how the Quaker thing worked, than I had a need to have done in a
-big Meeting.
-Moved to Porty in 2009, joined the very new Meeting, and shifted from
-"going to" CEdin, I was "part of" PMM.  That meant [doing more]
-I like the "secret power" quote
-Did the Becoming Friends course, which among other things meant I read
-the "requirements" for becoming a Member for the first time.
-"at home and .." spoke to me very deeply.
-"accept the fundamental elements.." was new to me.
-Grew up in a classic Church of England agnostic family, not until
-Quakerism recognised an experience of something "beyond the physical"
-At home with "pratical expression of inward conviction"
-Struggled with "accept the manner of Quaker corporate worship and..."
-Turned to Quaker history, which led to a seeing a flowering of
-people's renegotiation of the relationship of people to the Divine,
-and that it was what allowed our special 
-Which in turn lead to us being here today:  MfCA is as vital a part of
-being a Quaker, and that means I'm ready to not just attend LM and AM,
+Henry Thompson and Jane Ditchfield met with Mark Ballard in his home
+on the evening of 11 June 2024
+
+During our opening worship Henry read from QF&P 19.21 (Robert Barclay)
+"... I felt a secret power ... I became thus knit and united unto them"
+
+Mark was an undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh, in early
+1990s.  He moved into a new flat, and although he had agreed to take
+over the running of the University Green Society, he was very nervous
+about being in charge of his first meeting.  His flatmate Anna Levin
+(!) agreed a deal, that she would go to Green Society meetings with
+him, if he would go to Quaker meeting, which was Victoria Terrace.
+
+Soon he felt the "secret power" and go "knitted in".
+He got to know the Young Friends group, which was a help in what was then a pretty large
+Meeting.  Even after Anna moved away, he kept going to Meeting, and
+after a year or so Bronwen Currie asked if he'd think about becoming a Member.
+He's been thinking about it ever since.
+
+He moved to Amsterdam, and went to Meeting for Worship there.  He read more, and got more of a sense
+of how the Quaker thing worked, than he had any need to have done in a
+Central Edinburgh on account of its large size.
+
+He moved to Portobello in 2009 and joined the very new Meeting in Mary
+Jane and Alastair's home.  Soon he realised he had shifted from
+"going to" Central Edinburgh to being "a part of" Portobello and
+Musselborough.  That meant getting much more involved in helping to
+keep the Meeting going.
+
+He likes the "secret power" quote, it reflects his own experience.
+Mark grew up in a classic Church of England agnostic family, however
+not until he came to Quakerism did he recognise the experience of
+something "beyond the physical".
+
+He participated in the _Becoming Friends_ course, which among other
+things meant he read the "requirements" for becoming a Member for the
+first time.  The sentence therein "Membership is for those who feel at
+home and in the right place within the Quaker community" spoke to him
+very deeply.
+
+But that membership meant "that you accept at least the fundamental
+elements of being a Quaker: ..." was new to him.
+Although he was at  home with the "practical expression of inward convictions",
+he struggled with "accept the manner of Quaker corporate worship and
+the ordering of the meeting's business".
+
+This prompted him to turn to Quaker history, which led to seeing in the flowering of
+people's renegotiation of their relationship of with Divine as what
+fostered our special structures, Which have lead to us to still being
+here today.
+
+He recognised then that Meeting for Church Affairs is a vital part of
+being a Quaker, and that meant he was now ready to not just attend LM and AM,
 but to attend _as a Member_.
-JD: How were your anarchist inclinations at odds with our goverance?
-MB: Grind slow, but exceedingly fine.  Quaker business is very
-_slow_.  [Lightbulb changing and other jokes]
-Ministry, here, now, without any qualification feels very different to
-me.
-HT: Like
-MB: We started with "secret power" and knit..
-    I thought I was coming to a gathering of friendly people who were
-a bit spiritual, and it takes a while, years, to detect the secret
+
+Mark has a long involvement in anarchist activities, and that may seem
+to be at odds with Quaker goverance.  He quoted "the wheels of God
+grind slow, but exceedingly fine".  Quaker business is very _slow_.
+The call to minister, right here, right now, without any
+qualification, feels very different to him.
+
+Mark has a standup comedy routine that includes a "How many Quakers
+does it take to change a lightbulb" joke.
+
+He brought us back to the  "secret power" and "knitted in" quote, and
+recalled that at first he thought he was coming to a gathering of friendly people who were
+a bit spiritual, and it took a while, years in fact, to detect the secret
 seeking for spirtual guidance that we shared.  You're not just sitting
 with a bunch of like-minded people, rather you may find what someone
 else's spiritual path may not be going where yours is.  But that's
-actually a very important aspect of Quakerism.
-MfW and the QBusMe are a great resolution of the Protestant dilemma,
+actually a very important aspect of Quakerism for him.
+
+Meeting for Worship and the  are a great resolution of the Protestant dilemma,
 that there is no barrier between God and us.
 Right Ordering does belong as a religious test for being Quaker.
 [HT and MB discuss theory of membership]