Gathering Quakers

“So, how do we let people know?” That was the first question my friend Mary Lee and I had when we felt that God wanted us to start a new worship group focused on theological hospitality and based on Quaker listening worship. We hoped to create a space where people could come share their spiritual experiences in their own language and where we would listen to God and each other together in love and care. We felt certain that other people were, like us, looking for such a place.

But how to let such people know about the new group?...      read more here http://blog.newmediaprojectatunion.org/2012/07/gathering-quakers.html?spref=tw

From a post at the New Media Project at Union Theological Seminary.

Quaker Worship -- When to Speak

In the Life

My piece was pat and all ready to say,
She rose first. I threw my piece away.
My well-turned stuff
Was not so rough
As hers, but easy elegant and smooth.
Beginning middle end
It had and point
And aptly quoted prophet priest and poet.
Hers was uncouth
Wanting in art
Laboured scarce-audible and out of joint.
Three times she lost the thread
And sitting left her message half unsaid.
'Why then did thee throw it
Into the discard?'
Friend,
It had head
(Like this). Hers oh had heart.

Robert Hewison, 1965

from "Quaker Faith & Practice: The book of Christian discipline of the Yearly Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain:

Learn more about Quakers at Quaker Quest @ West Newton Friends Meeting. This Wednesday's program is "Quakers and Worship"

Stories of Faith

I've had two amazing worship experiences in the past few weeks. Both were with my friends Katie and Jack Patterson.

Katie and Jack, members of St. Christopher Catholic Church in Speedway, Indiana, invited Nancy and me to visit for a Palm Sunday service which featured the proclamation of Jesus' passion. In this case, it was delivered by Bill Fikes. He presented the Holy Week story as presented in the Gospel of Matthew -- and it was absolutely moving and mesmerizing. Bill told the story of Palm Sunday through the burial of Christ completely from memory, moving arouss the front of the sanctuary at St. Christopher's, pausing, pointing, exclaiming, musing as the various characters moved through the story. It was powerful and moving -- all the more so as the result of his humble, understated, yet confident telling of this most important story of faith. I was tremendously blessed by hearing the story afresh -- and musing on which character most represented me. Peter the denier? Judas the betrayer? Pilate the accommodater?

Then, this past Sunday, Katie and Jack joined Nancy at me at our little Friends meeting. Worship opened with dear Friend Florence Emma Peery reading Job 38 -- "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me."

After some spontaneous singing of hymns, a prayer for the concerns of our hearts, we settled into silence. For a change I was moved to speak -- about how that "Gird up your loins like a man" phrase struck me as God telling Job to "put on your big boy pants" and a few other things that were meant to remind us that we were called to rely not on our own understanding, but upon the greatness and graciousness of God. Nothing too profound, just the musings of a fellow pilgrim in the midst of pilgrims.

Then, after awhile Steve Mills spoke, followed later by Dan Burger. All the messages were very practical -- God at work in our daily lives. Reflecting on them (even my own), I was struck afresh by the thought that the power of Quaker worship and life was its very practicality. No high-falutin' thoughts about the nature or theories of atonement (ransom, substitutionary, satisfaction, etc), as worthy of theological discourse and thought though they may be. Rather, just simple thoughts on how to live our faith in a world that pulls us in many different directions. Which, I thought, is exactly why Quakerism appeals to me -- help for the living of these days.

So, from the elevation of the power of the Gospel story, as told by a lay person who took countless hours memorizing it, to the simple truths of Friends shared out of silence, I have been blessed by encounters with vital, living faith. And I thank God.

-- Brent

Quaker Wisdom for Today

By the discovery of God, therefore, I do not mean anything mysterious, or mystical, or unattainable. I simply mean becoming acquainted with Him as one becomes acquainted with a human friend; that is, finding out what is His nature, and His character, and coming to under-stand His ways. I mean in short discovering what sort of a Being He really is--whether good or bad, whether kind or unkind, whether selfish or unselfish, whether strong or weak, whether wise or foolish, whether just or unjust. It is of course evident that everything in one's religious life depends upon the sort of God one worships. The character of the worshipper must necessarily be moulded by the character of the object worshipped. If it is a cruel and revengeful God, or a selfish and unjust God, the worshipper will be cruel, and revengeful, and selfish, and unjust, also. if it is a loving, tender, forgiving, unselfish God, the worshipper will be loving, and tender, and forgiving, and unselfish, as well.

-- Hannah Whitall Smith (author, The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life)

Quaker Wisdom for Today

All true worship is inspired by God. The place of worship is the place of dependence, the place of wonder and of power, the place of fellowship and of communion... Worship links us to God and implies faith in a God who is in some sense personal. ... Thus the act of worship presupposes on our part a sense of dependence on God and the acknowledgment of our need of him, and this means that the element of adoration and thanksgiving should always be present in worship. Worship in Christian experience is our response to the God of Love.

-- Robert Davis

Quaker Wisdom for Today

"... the less form in religion the better, since God is a Spirit; for the more mental our worship, the more adequate to the nature of God; the more silent, the more suitable to the language of a Spirit."

-- William Penn

To Be Or Not to Be -- Together in God

“To be or not to be?” That was the question the Friends in Fellowship worship sharing group pondered last Sunday evening. The group started meeting at Ploughshares Farm in July 2007 and the time seemed right to worshipfully consider together whether we should continue or not. We spent almost two hours in silence and deep speaking and listening and, in the end, discerned that we felt led to continue as a group. We also determined that we were open to new folks joining as they felt led and for any of us to leave if so led.

The conversation was deep and heartfelt. We entered it without any preconceptions as a group of what the outcome would be. But this post is less about what we did, than it is about a thought that occurred to me toward the end of the evening and has continued to stay with me since then. And that thought is, what would it be like for every worshiping group to set aside time to ask “Should we be or not be?” What would it be like to face, as a people of faith, to come together and seek God’s guidance about whether to continue meeting or not. Continue programs or not. Keep the building or not?

By that I don’t mean the governing council meeting and wrestling with this so as to fill out a report to the denominational office. Or to fulfill some requirement in a book of discipline. But rather to engage the congregation as a whole in a sort of holy wrestling with purpose and mission. And not at a set time of year (“Oh, it’s time for that meeting again!”), but rather because the members and attenders are spiritually sensitive folks and understand that following God’s direction is the most important work they can do – more important than how many people show up for worship, what programs are offered, are the financial needs being met, etc.

I am certain there are some worship groups who do this kind of discernment, but by and large most congregations seem to meander on their busy way. They’re so busy doing that which folks felt God had called them to years or generations ago that they rarely stop and ask, “What’s God want us to be doing – as a whole – now?” They may ask about adding this program or dropping that service – but what about the larger question – “Does God continue to call us to be together as a community of faith – or is it time for …?” For what can only be discerned as we prayerfully listen to the One who calls, and guides, and leads us to the places we need – not want – to be.

--Brent

A New Worship Group...

In a response to one of my posts on my other blog (friendsinfellowship.blogspot.com), Martin Kelley notes the "recent phenomenon of small Christocentric worship groups coming out of the larger big city liberal meetings." As Midwestern Friends, some of us see the opposite need -- small theologically hospitable Christian worship groups coming out of fairly programmed, theologically conservative churches.

To that end, a few Friends in the central Indiana area are interested in exploring the idea of starting a new worship group. While it is still very much in the exploration/testing this leading stage, the idea is that it would meet twice a month (to begin with) and feature a sort of Quaker version of "blended worship" -- neither entirely programmed or unprogrammed. It would offer a chance for group singing, prayer, maybe a short planned meditation (10 minutes or less) by the day's clerk of worship, and then open worship.

If you live close to Indianapolis and would like to think with us and God about this, then you are invited to Nancy's and my place on July 8 at 6:30 p.m. for worship and discussion about this possibility. This is not about starting a new meeting or church or asking people to choose between this and their current meeting or church. This, too, would be like the groups Martin has observed -- "It's happened respectfully and ties, personal friendships and memberships continue."

For example, Nancy and I plan to continue to attend Plainfield Friends Meeting. What this is another opportunity for spiritual growth and vital worship with Friends. If you'd like to come, send me an email and I'll email you a map to our place. All are welcome -- Quaker or not!

--Brent