SPRING 2004[The following minute was approved by Pennsdale Monthly Meeting, Upper Susquehanna Quarter, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Mullica Hill Monthly Meeting united with it at the business meeting of 10 November 2003. It was forwarded to Salem Quarterly Meeting for consideration, with the intent that if approved, it should be delivered to Interim Meeting. Monthly meetings have been asked to season it, and it will be reconsidered by Quarterly Meeting on 14 March 2004.—Ed.]
From Pennsdale Monthly Meeting
Called session of 21 Ninth Month 2003
e agreed that worship is the center and foundation of our spiritual lives, and that worship at Yearly Meeting annual sessions is the center of that experience. We also agreed that worship involves an openness to that which comes forth from the people gathered in the Light as it is “personal”; it may lead to new “testimonies” from the Spirit through the people there gathered, its “structure” is necessarily an openness to the Spirit and a freedom from prepared agenda.
Following from that testimony of our own, and with respect for what the Light might reveal even from those who are “least among us,” we are led to recommend that each annual session of Yearly Meeting include one whole morning or afternoon session of “worship sharing” with the following exclusive (and inclusive) purpose: it would be a time for all of us to listen and attend to concerns and leadings, joys and inspirations of Friends there gathered from the various monthly meetings and the wider Society of Friends; it would be a time for us to learn from one another and to benefit from the gathered Presence.
We further recommend that the concerns expressed in this session be recorded and distributed to the monthly meetings for seasoning. Yearly Meeting should encourage monthly meetings to consider the resulting minutes and return their responses to Yearly Meeting through Interim Meeting. If we are so led, such responses well may form future annual session discussion topics.
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