Daffodil Ministry

At this time of year Quaker meetings often experience a feature of worship which I have heard variously described as "daffodil ministry." Although this process can occur during a Meeting for Worship, it can happen anywhere. It involves a Friend feeling called upon to describe something very beautiful they have seen pertaining to nature. Since this year has been a particularly good one for Spring flowers, there has been a great deal to say about the impact of all the bright colours and evidence of new life.

For some weeks now there have been Easter cards in the shops, easily recognisable even from a distance since yellow is the predominant colour. Right at the centre of our local somewhat large department store, among all the material possessions we might buy, there is as a result of all this yellow, a sudden splash of light.

Each year I am re-introduced to those tiny flurry chicks that I used to love so much as a child and for those moments of recognition feel considerable younger. There is also much evidence of Easter Bunnies. This is also very exciting to "children of all ages", (particularly for those who have given up certain luxuries during lent), not so much because chocolate is unusual these days, but at the delightful prospect of eating such quantities of it at Easter!

The wonder of creation is something I can understand, so thoroughly approve of daffodil ministry at all times of year. These days people sometimes talk as if there is supposed to be some kind of conflict between science and religion. Such observations would have seemed very strange to early scientists who were so caught up in the wonder of creation. Instead of thinking for one moment their discoveries might undermine religion, they were so confident, believing all they were finding out only added to their appreciation of God's glory. Some Alchemists looking exclusively for gold may not have been so happy, although when a test-tube quite unexpectedly went "Bang!" they almost certainly noticed. Collectively, it would seem to me those early scientists must have been some of the happiest and most excited individuals ever. 

It seems a little sad how a little knowledge can so easily take away some of the joy. Instead of being regularly surprised, we tend to be more self-disciplined, so often operate in a competitive environment driven by financial considerations and try to predict the results. These days it would seem the emphasis has changed from discovery to achieving a clearly identifiable end product. There is a sense of pride you can get with a little knowledge although I still like to think that scientists can still be motivated by a sense of wonder and then experience joy.

In the middle of summer one year I had an experience of God by looking very closely at a blade of grass. Those tiny flowers covered with minuscule grains of pollen filled me with a sense of wonder. Then looking round the field I was in, I noted there were rather a lot of other blades of grass about that seemed to be just like it, besides so many other flowers that I knew so little of. It is possible to feel very small indeed when placed in a field of grass.

One of the nice things about daffodil ministry is that it does not stop at the wonder of creation. Moses did not just look at the burning bush and think, "This is incredible, a very lovely sight, now I shall go back and tell my Quaker Meeting about how wonderful it made me feel." Instead he stopped and listened, to discover that a sense of wonder was to be only the beginning. Through listening he discovered his identity, his priorities, a trust that allowed him to overcome his weakness, a sense of mission and opportunity to give something back to God.