Minute of Exercise on Community

For a longtime this past year I've felt wrong. I believe as Madeleine L'Engle wrote that: "Love is action". I am looking at meeting, community, habit or inclination, but have not yet found ways to put love into action.  I fear that I am the tree not bearing fruit and will get blasted for it. I make plans to take part in some action - couldn't tell what became of it.

Action comes after deep consideration, deep listening, and waiting for the motion to come from the Spirit. Not action first then worship.  It's been helpful sharing Quakerism with 3 folk dancing friends doing tour of Olney. I tried leading folk dancing for the first time. I feel identically about all three: folk dancing, Stillwater Meeting, and Quaker Camp. I feel the same about the people I work with at the library. I've resisted efforts to go to local meeting because I'm in meeting with friendship in my heart and mind.  Perhaps if I bring this knowledge of love out in these circles, be more of a Quaker in these circles, something might happen between us. I suspect that this will not be enough and I'm facing learning to be outspoken and feel bolder about speaking and visitation to other people of faith. I don' t know when  to take action and how. I feel strengthened by all of you to begin to pay attention. Perhaps one can be contemplative, another engaged in acting and [we can?] compliment each other.

I am struck by how wonderful the example is of the worship group in Cincinnati, many of whom came here. It speaks to connectedness to each other that  they would engage in this journey together. I enjoy my meeting, hike play , worship together. If worship doesn't satisfy me, the quiet time held at our meeting in the meeting room after worship ends does. I'm thinking back to times when I did have a group like the Cincinnati group, where we shared deeply. I think we are being "invited" to take the step of asking some people to meet with us regularly - to pray together, share, read Bible. We need that and the larger meeting too. I definitely need to pray together with others more. I deserve that more than once a year or every month or two. I need to set up daily disciplines of spiritual practice, maybe through finding a spiritual partner and talk on the phone with her/him to remind each other to pray and take time.

I know what two nominating committees have called me to do. I think God does use thoughtful, prayerful nominating committees, but I feel I'm being called to the healing of relationships among Friends as well. I suspect it is something beyond the knitting of prayer shawls while praying for those in need of healing. I'm not sure what yet.

Several years I've been in deep ongoing: physical, spiritual, emotional healing. It has served to interrupt a lifelong pattern of being meaningfully busy. As I am forced to step back and slow down, I saw that I was doing all this busyness to feel better about myself rather than from a deeper place. I am in a new relationship with my meeting where I am in the odd position of being one of the newer members but with more experience of Quakerism. It has been a joy to be part of worship and ministry. I see there that some of my seasoning has been of use. I did feel called to that responsibility.  My primary call is to do what I need to stay present in each moment, to hold others in my community along with myself in the Light of God's Love and trust whatever needs to come will come from that. Meeting is a large growing active group. Some have deep sense of calling and ability to wait faithfully. There is a wide range of perspective. We have taken on a task of building a new meetinghouse. There is an ongoing deep conflict. between those wanting a new grounded facility and those feeling that this building is a violation of our meeting life. Here I must pray to continue to stay present and hold to understanding. It doesn't matter if an individual is for the building or not -  how can we be faithful to God's love and continue growing [together] into a beloved community even though we have deep differences of understanding among us. I have been able to touch someone who was "want to build" or "not want to " and help them remember who is in charge. I pray I will be able to offer what I'm able as God helps me to do so. It strikes me how simple having an open loving reminder seems a surprise to someone caught up in a conflict. The soft voice from the side can be of astounding assistance.

I need to pray as I learned to in Kenya and the presence of these Friends from Kenya helps release me from my inhibitions:

"O dear God, loving presence, thank you for the blessings of life, health, strength. For being all powerful, ever present, living breath. You taught the Jews to tell the story of salvation at Passover. Our brother Jesus carried forward in a new way. Each of us caries a story of salvation and your redemptive healing power. We can recall points when you touched us. Things happened when I was a child that hurt and broke me. You sustained me through all. You are a mighty God! I remember when I learned about Jesus and his faithfulness. How that inspired me. I am keen to listen to young people to know how God leads them. Thank you for the generous gift of husband and children. Make me faithful in those relationships with them and with you. One of the constants in our lives has been midweek worship for 20 years and you used them to move in our lives."

Give me the courage to keep listening. Show us how reaching out across boundaries. between people, meetings, denominations. So we can serve you better. In extending a welcome we experience your grace. What joy has come from helping the three meetings in Cincinnati to talk to each other in new ways and to open new doors with a kind of  happiness.

The internet, with facebook and blogs and websites, is a new way to reach out. Contemplation and action go together, not one before the other. Worship and witness, sanctuary and service. We want to be branches on the vine. Hold us, prune us , so we are more fruitful. Thank you, I ask you remove every obstacle that gets in the way. Through Jesus Christ teach me thy will and let my will conform to thy will. In the name of thy son Jesus Christ.

I have felt Jesus Christ here among us. Worship is like a hollow mask when it is without the substance within Jesus Christ and his plans for us. [Without these] we are nothing, like a sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.

"We are one in the spirit..." [sung]

Thank you Lord for the abundance of thy Living Waters in our worship, evenings of prayer and sharing, bible reading and study.  Keep with us on our lips the joy of the good time we experienced and tell that to everyone that this living water is available to them anytime, anywhere!

"Have thine own way..." [sung]

- recorded by Ann Armstrong