Abingdon Friends Meeting

Spiritual State of the Meeting - 2010

The Abingdon Friends Meeting continues to enjoy the newness and freshness of coming together. There is a sense of anticipation as we gather for worship. Our spiritual condition is one of well-being. We have not been tested with strife or adversity. We find joy in one another and are open to each other as companions on the Way. The foundation for a resilient community is being laid.

We know silence even as we are learning silence. There is a sense of reserve in spoken ministry and a genuine desire to be on the Quaker path. Times of study and discussion have helped us to grow in worship as we learn from one another and from Quaker legacy. Often the vocal ministry has been affirmed with a sense of being of one heart and one mind. We are beginning to have a strong sense and power of a “covered” meeting.

The meetings for business are well attended by a core of over half the attendees. There is a diligence in carrying out the decisions related to various concerns and plans. Important new committees have evolved out of out business gatherings. A Peace and Justice Committee formed recently in response to a local community meeting with the national director of Every Church a Peace Church. Earlier in the year a First Day School Committee was formed as the interest and need called for the beginning of a First Day School. This action reflects the attendance of four young families. These families add vibrancy to our life together. The Ministry and Oversight Committee is learning to serve the Meeting. A Day of Reflection was held in the Spring. Our meeting assisted in planning and programming for the Blue Ridge Gathering of Friends in the spring. We continue to support a prison release program.

The Meeting needs to continue to season in the Way, to discover its identity and place in our local community and to see itself as part of the wider Quaker movement.

There is a deep sense of awe and reverence for the Light that has been given in a relatively short time as a gathered community.