Annapolis Friends Meeting
2010 Spiritual State of the Meeting Report
Annapolis Friends Meeting held a worship sharing on the fourth First Day of the Second Month, 2011 on the queries provided by Baltimore Yearly Meeting for our annual report, and sought input from within our meeting community. Our report and selected thoughtful responses that arose in Worship Sharing follow:
Spirit in Meetings for Worship: How does the Spirit prosper among you? How does your Meeting ensure that ministry is nurtured and that members and attenders feel valued and cared for?
The Quality of Silence: Participants spoke that Meeting offers the “cultivation of silence” where people are respected and giving a message is in a safe place to share. A member spoke of the Meeting as a 20 year spiritual refuge, where when facing uncertainty, they were held gently by the Meeting and felt grounded and at home. Another said that the heart of our Meeting spiritually and communally is what happened to us individually in Meeting for Worship- our moments of clarity and hope. We need to extend that experience by supporting the development of relationships that support, strengthen and cultivate individual clarity and hopefulness.
“When I walk into Meeting something comes over me. . . (I am) thankful for the silence so our seed can be rustled and moved. It lifts my spirit seeing new people around the room and those returning being part of us”“The river of spirituality runs deep, long and winding . . . I am grateful for the opportunity to worship this way, sitting in silence, awaiting Spirit. I am grateful for Friends here to share joys and struggles. It is truly invaluable.”
“I come to Meeting hoping to hear the still small voice of God, with others in a gathered Meeting. If we could keep our minds more on what meeting is about we would be more likely to hear such messages”
New Worship Opportunities Developing: Under individual leadings, new worship opportunities are arising for participants. An early morning meeting for worship has developed on some First Days; a weekly session of Midweek Mindfulness has also arisen that may provide the spiritual nurture needed by some participants in our community. How do we encourage personal leadings towards worship opportunities and integrate them into our meeting community will be our challenge in the year.
“We have two (or more: editor’s note) Meetings . . . there has been spontaneous growth of the 8 o’clock Meeting. It is challenging to engage the unique personality of this group in our meeting community . . .”
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business: Meetings for business over the past year have been well facilitated by our clerks and we are learning better what matters to bring to “Business Meeting” and which require more seasoning by individual committees. We are also learning to use our committee structure more effectively. A difficult Meeting decision to rotate individuals through committees will hopefully generate more trust of committee recommendations.
“It is important to mention the health of Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business where practical comes into the spiritual. I believe the health (of our meeting) depends on our interest in learning, listening and loving each other and doing things in unity. It is a great experience to be in Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business”
Spirit in the Meeting Community: What supports the life of the Spirit in your meeting community? What challenges and troubles are you facing? What could the Meeting do to better serve your hopes and expectations?
Participants spoke warmly about the ways the Monthly Meeting supported community, and offered ways in which we could constructively improve.
Welcoming Newcomers: A new attender reported they received a friendly welcome. Quaker Quest was helpful, as is the announce list and e-mails on upcoming events. Others suggest we provide listing of activities going on in the Meeting; have more orientations for new participants; and provide newsletter in the foyer for those not yet on our e-mail lists.
Balancing the Work of Meeting within the Community: We are all stretched in our personal lives – with no paid staff, the Monthly Meeting invites another stretch of involvement and attention. The task at hand is how committees can structure and divide the work so that each of us can be invited to take on tasks suited to our time and skills.
“We all need to help out- just a little here and a little there so we all contribute and no one is overwhelmed by their level of commitment to the workings of the Meeting.”“The different strengths and the gifts people bring are many and wonderful…The challenge is that newer people don’t believe that can do what others do.”
New Opportunities to Build Community and Interpersonal Relationships: Suggestions were made to offer additional opportunities for people to interrelate as we build community, such as expanded Friendly 8’s and Spiritual Friendship groups. Committees should look for additional opportunities to reinforce and grow community spirit, which benefit the Meeting as a whole.
Response and Support for Personal Leadings:Previous personals leadings and those that arose over the past year were warmly supported by the Meeting. These include biblical study, midweek mindfulness, early morning meeting opportunities, deconstructing racism discussions, silent retreats, spiritual friendship, and other offerings that local participants have embraced at a personal level. Our investment in a Meeting House offers a location to pursue a personal leading, or a connected leading that may arise among participants. A Midweek Meeting for Healing was set aside, but may be regenerated in response to recent Meeting needs.
“I am grateful for Friends participation in our silent retreats at Dayspring. In these weekend retreats I experience worship and a sense of community which deepens my spiritual life and connection with meeting throughout the year.”“The Friendly Bible Study Group is enriching and wonderful; where sharing is deep personal struggles have been expressed.”
Attention to our children: A dedicated committee has supported our First Day School and intergenerational activities, to our betterment. As some active participants leave this group, others are encouraged to take on the challenge of our younger Friends as the future of Quakerism. Leaving this in the hands of only our “current parents” deprives the parents of personal opportunities for worship and involvement, and the knowledge of our older participants.
“It is a distinct pleasure to work with Children’s Religious Ed. Comm. (CREC) it is an exceeding strong program formulated around dedicated people. We need to be mindful of what they do. The children are our /the future…When I see what vibrant committed, focused individuals our children have become, I know CREC has allowed them to become the adults they are. Thank you”“I’ve had a long time leading to work with young people, recently in Children’s RE. It is a huge joy and I urge Friends to do so…As I look for God within, I find God in young Friends. My sense of AFM community is one of family…”
Actions of the Spirit in the Larger Community: How is the presence of the Spirit manifested in your lives individually and as a meeting community?
Appreciation was expressed for the personal actions of individuals within the community, as well as for the work individual groups, such as the Deconstructing Racism Group.
“…I am grateful you are working to make the world a better place and bring the Kingdom.…Thank you for the minute) on withholding taxes…I love you for all the good you are doing”“I see molecules of God and Spirit bubbling up through those rivers in the work in the world of Friends…We could do better connecting with the wider community of Friends working to bring peace and justice to areas troubled and full of violence. The fullness of this sharing (today) indicates how we are growing and diversifying. We must also not forget that we are part of the bigger, universal community.”
Conclusion: We find that the following responses express the essence of the AFM community during our worship sharing on the Spiritual Sense of the Meeting.
“We are doing great. People can flow with the process: gifts are given as needed: creativity bubbles up: initiative is sought; the welcome mat is out. We can improve. We must allow Spirit to prosper among us in everything we do…”
“. . . We are engaged in the wider world and have gifts to offer: peace, justice, openness to differences in faith and value and the challenges of forming community.”
