SUMMER 20109 Third Month 2010
Salem Quarter Worship & Ministry Committee met on 3/11/2010 at the home of Shirley Lock of Woodstown Monthly Meeting. The group convened in worship about 7:45 pm. Individuals were present from Mickleton, Mullica Hill, and Woodstown Monthly Meetings, as well as the quarter coordinator. In the absence of clerk Mario Cavallini of Mickleton MM, Roshan Dinshah of Mullica Hill MM served as clerk, and coordinator Phil Anthony recorded.
Meditation Workshop. Michael Gibson, Mullica Hill MM, reported on plans for the meditation workshop to be held at Mullica Hill on Saturday, 5/1, 9:30 am–4:45 pm (note the change in date from what appeared in the Spring 2010 newsletter). Registration forms will be available at quarterly meeting at Woodstown MM on 3/14.
The entire day will be spent in silence, including lunch. Michael and Nora Iwanaga, Woodbury MM, expect to introduce meditation techniques from the Buddhist and Christian traditions for five or ten minutes at intervals throughout the day, allowing participants to practice them for a period before turning to another method. While Friends are encouraged to attend for the full day, it would be acceptable for those who cannot devote so much time to come in the morning through lunch time or for the afternoon starting with lunch. The day will end with worship and an opportunity for attenders to share their experience. Cost is $6.
Michael told of his recent retreat in the Sonoma Desert, where participants cycled between centering prayer and walking meditation. He hopes to bring some of that experience to the quarter’s retreat.
Meeting visitation. Having put off consideration several times because of the press of other business, the committee turned to the subject of intervisitation among monthly meetings. There are several reasons for individuals or groups to visit other monthly meetings. One is simply getting to know who other Quakers are. Another is experiencing the differences in worship at another monthly meeting—not simply technical differences (singing, afterthoughts, and so on), but also the different feel of the worship. Through visiting, one may come to appreciate different manifestations of the Divine.
Visiting another meeting can be particularly valuable when there is a special event or worship sharing, which offers opportunities to learn about the meeting’s members more deeply. Or it may be possible to prearrange a period of conversation with members of the meeting following worship, perhaps over a meal. This can nourish the visited meeting as well as the visitor, since members usually focus on the details of their meetings rather than seeing the meeting as a whole.
One’s own monthly meeting is the center of Friends’ religious life. There was a warning against visiting other meetings as a diversion or simply to have new experiences. Sometimes, however, Friends are called to visit, and they should be encouraged to do so, perhaps in company with an elder. Nor should Friends from small meetings feel that being away for one First-day lets down their own meeting, but rather trust that God will care for their meeting in their absence.
Mullica Hill MM used to travel as a group to visit other monthly meetings. They are no longer able to do this because of their declining numbers. Early Friends, it was noted, generally travelled in the ministry in pairs rather than groups. They not only attended First-day worship but also visited members in their homes, held called meetings for worship, and sometimes held public meetings. Today we may visit one another’s meetings for midweek worship, social gatherings, and the like, or for “opportunities” to worship privately with members of the other meeting.
The quarter Worship & Ministry Committee’s recent practice of holding its meetings in the area where quarterly meeting will occur is a kind of visitation. An important question is how we can get to know each other. Many meeting members don’t even know about the quarter, and never attend its meetings. There was a call for interactive quarterly meeting programs where Friends from different meetings can do something together or learn from each other instead of sitting and listening to someone’s presentation.
A final form of intervisitation was lifted up. Once it was not uncommon for a meeting to write epistles to other meetings, sending greetings and telling about their own condition. This practice could be revived, although it was questioned whether monthly meetings today could come to unity on what their condition is. On the other hand, the discipline of crafting an epistle would be valuable to the sending meeting and of interest to its recipients.
After announcements and offering its thanks to Shirley for her hospitality, the meeting closed in worship at 9:45 pm.
For the Committee,
Phil Anthony, coordinatorRETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
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