FALL 20078 vi 2007
Salem Quarter Worship & Ministry Committee met on 8 June at the home of Gloria and Bob Horvay, convening in worship at 7:45 pm. Individuals were present from Mickleton, Mullica Hill, Salem, Woodbury, and Woodstown Monthly Meetings, as well as the Quarter coordinator.
We resumed consideration of a concern opened during our March gathering: How do our monthly meetings support ministries?
A pattern was suggested in the first few descriptions of meetings' experiences: warm and friendly support of specific projects of concern to individual members, with encouragement, approval of minutes sympathetic to the cause, sometimes financial and other help. However, our meetings also tend to stop short of anchoring committees and other deeper ways of sharing the weight and responsibility for concerns.
Much of our subsequent discussion explored various dimensions of deeper engagement between a meeting and a member with a concern:
Does the meeting have the resources to concentrate deeply on husbanding one member's concern, at the risk of being inattentive to other members?
In bringing a concern to the meeting, what support can a member reasonably expect, particularly if the meeting is not clear to unite with the concern?
When a member and the meeting have discordant expectations, how can they find ways to resolution? How far do the meeting and the member continue to labor, and how can they release unresolved issues?
In seeking ongoing support or grounding, how can the individual and the meeting find and maintain an appropriate balance of personal support, accountability, openness to the evolving situation, and continual discernment?
Obviously, there is no cookbook to follow in dealing with these matters: Each situation has different specifics, and personalities play an especially strong role in difficult cases. And yet, it is the difficult case that can bring forth hidden strengths and provide foundations for future wisdom. Perhaps one cookbook rule is appropriate for difficult cases: Be especially attentive to the wisdom available, from God and from seasoned Friends. As one such present in our discussion noted, any request for support should start with asking to be held in prayer and the Light.
We concluded in worship and fellowship at 9:45 pm. Worship and Ministry intends to meet again on 7 September 2007, the Friday evening before quarterly meeting, and we welcome participation from all monthly meetings of Salem Quarter.
For the Committee,
Mario Cavallini, clerkRETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Sunday, August 12, 2007 at 11:24 PM
