A Song of Death, Our Spiritual Birth: A Quaker Way of Dying

by Lucy Screechfield McIver

Overview

In 1992, Lucy McIver answered the call to follow a spiritual path and accompanied her spiritual mentor, Teresina Havens, during the final days of her death. Two years later she became spiritual companion to Joseph Havens in his dying. The deaths of these two Friends began a restless seeking within Lucy to understand how our Quaker faith shapes not only our living but our dying. Leaving the security of job and family she came to Pendle Hill in 1995-96 as a student to find answers through writing and artistic expression. This work led her to receive the Cadbury Scholarship for 1996-97 affording her the opportunity to examine the seventeenth-century Quakers' attitudes and experiences of death and dying. This pamphlet is one result of those two years.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940156766376
Publisher:	Pendle Hill Publications
Publication date:	12/01/2016
Series:	Pendle Hill Pamphlets , #340
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	180 KB

About the Author

In 1992, Lucy McIver answered the call to follow a spiritual path and accompanied her spiritual mentor, Teresina Havens, during the final days of her death. Two years later she became spiritual companion to Joseph Havens in his dying. The deaths of these two Friends began a restless seeking within Lucy to understand how our Quaker faith shapes not only our living but our dying.

Leaving the security of job and family she came to Pendle Hill in 1995-96 as a student to find answers through writing and artistic expression. This work led her to receive the Cadbury Scholarship for 1996-97 affording her the opportunity to examine the seventeenth-century Quakers’ attitudes and experiences of death and dying. This pamphlet is one result of those two years.

Lucy has returned to her home in Eugene, Oregon, after leaving Pendle Hill. As a therapist she is currently in private practice with a focus on spiritual nurture through artistic expression. She is joined by her partner, Karen Lundblad, and their marriage has been taken under the care of Eugene Monthly Meeting where Lucy is a member. Karen brings to their partnership twenty years experience in hospice social work. Together they offer workshops called “Living our faith unto death.” This ministry has been shared throughout meetings in North Pacific Yearly Meeting and Friends General Conference annual gathering and continues to be guided and supported by Eugene meeting.