What am I looking forward to? What am I concerned about?
I am looking forward to the discipline of being in collective ‘Quaker space’ for a whole week. I wonder what that will make me freshly aware of, in my process of becoming fully right with God?
I am looking forward to telling other Friends what I have been learning recently about the way I need to follow Jesus, and finding out whether what I have to say rings true for them as well.
I am hoping to have worship time with other Friends. I hope to sing, study scripture, and pray with other Friends, as well as wait upon God in worship together.
I am hoping to have good contacts with other Friends to discuss our response to climate change and practical actions for the future of humanity. I hope my understanding of how to respond to climate change takes a leap forward.
I am not sure whether it is crazy to try to take washable nappies, given the cost of laundrette use and the time it takes to wash and dry them.
I hope the internet access on campus is easy and cheap and that my hardware and software all works smoothly, so I can keep the commitment to blogging here.
I hope we are able to treat each other with love and respect, and include each other, especially those who are struggling with poverty, racism, and other forms of exclusion. I believe that as the Body of Christ we owe each other love and respect, and every one of us is important. Lacking even one of us, we can perceive God’s truth less clearly.
I know I may be tempted into antagonism, impatience, disrespect of others I strongly disagree with as we struggle together to find God’s will in our business as a church. I get tired and unwilling to stay and trust in God’s grace. I am learning to pray for those I see as being ‘wrong’, to keep the discipline of seeking together to find the truth that we are loved, the living water, the living truth that has the potential to reveal itself and change us at the heart and soul level when real disagreements are honestly faced.
I think we have to honour each others’ concerns, help each other dig deeper, confess, repent where we are wrong, receive grace, in order to be united in God – can I keep that discipline? Can I avoid saying hasty and intemperate words, and saying anything that presents another person negatively? If we are standing in God’s truth we love justice, we bend to help each other up when we stumble, we are lifted up as we humble ourselves before God and do God’s bidding. I know I depend on God’s grace.
We need to take each other seriously and strive together in patient love to feel ourselves united on the common ground of God’s transformation and redemption, God’s commonwealth breaking forth amongst us. Not possible in my own strength – but it is my responsibility to keep opening the door to God’s grace to come through in my own life and to bear honest witness to that in my speech and actions.
I believe that the foundation of our christian nonviolence is to honour conflict, but it is hard work. I understand we are called to engage in conflicting creatively, so we all grow and learn. We can all be made stronger, we can all learn to see where our unity is more clearly when we are willing to do the truth in love and conflict with each other under God’s care, through our understanding of who God is and how we are each loved and cherished by God.
I know I get tempted to do my own will, not God’s. I hope others are spiritually stronger and more focused than I am. I know there is something deeper than my own will: I choose the truth, I love and yearn for the truth and put my own preferences aside to seek and find it.
I wonder whether the simplicity of our waiting worship sometimes leads us to take God’s grace too lightly: do I really experience ‘communion in the manner of Friends’ in our silent waiting upon God, or do I just relax into a bit of quiet time for my own thoughts? I don’t think those are the same thing, and I know I can get surprised and humbled by the heartfelt seriousness with which my Catholic friends approach their sacraments.
Are we too diverse in Britain Yearly Meeting to be united by God’s power? Are our hearts all tender enough for our Teacher to lead us where we are meant to go together? Perhaps I have too little faith in the unifying spiritually power that has called us together as Friends. I hope we can feel united on the Holy Ground of God’s saving love for us, God’s promise of justice-making transformation and living leadership.
I hope we are each touched by the hand of the Living Power amongst us, drawn together with each other into unmistakable unity by that teacher so we can bear witness to the grace and power of God who we rely on.
Thanks for taking the time to read. That was long!
What about you? You are invited to share your response in the comments, especially if you’ve not met the opportunity to do creative listening in preparation for Gathering with Friends locally. I wonder if we can do some creative listening here? Share whatever of your own response seems right here at this time. Would you like to share about what you hope for or are concerned about relating to this blog, whether you are coming to Gathering or not?