Tidings from Friends
The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center
Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.
Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.
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Artwork

Mindful Moment
Abd al-Rahman’s Palm Tree
“A palm tree stands in the middle of Rusafa,
Born in the West, far from the land of palms.
I said to it: How like me you are, far away and in exile,
In long separation from family and friends.
You have sprung from soil in which you are a stranger;
And I, like you, am far from home.”
Query: This poem, written by Abd al-Rahman I in eighth century Al-Andalus, expresses nostalgia and homesickness for his birthplace in Damascus by identifying with the palm tree (one of the hundreds of flora he had transplanted from Syria and other Arab lands). Is there an object with which you identify – which reminds you of your past, who you are, or where you are headed?
This Mindful Moment provided by Jacob Perkins
Upcoming Events
Day | Date | Time | Event | Location | Organization |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thursday | 10.27.2021 | 7:24 PM | Weekly Fellowship & Bible Study | Moon Room | Guilford Christian Ministry |
Friday | 10.28.2021 | 4:00 – 5:00 PM | Quaker Meeting Worship (QLSP focus but open to all) | Moon Room | Friends Center |
Saturday | 10.29.2021 | 10:00 AM – Noon | Free Farmer’s Market | New Garden Park | GCM/Church of the Redeemer |
Sunday | 10.30.2021 | 11:00 AM | Informal Episcopal Worship: liturgy, communion, prayers, & hymns. All are welcome. | St. Mary’s House | St. Mary’s House (Episcopal Campus Ministry) |
Tuesday | 11.2.2021 | 7:00 PM | UKIRK Tuesday | Holderness House | UKIRK Greensboro (PCUSA/ Presbyterian) |
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Resources
To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.
The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.
To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.
For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.
To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.
About Friends Center:
Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.