On Worship - Centering together.

I have just returned from the Quakers Uniting in Publishing (QUIP) annual meeting where I was part of a panel discussion on Quaker blogging. I will write more about that later but here is the second part of my thoughts on worship.

For when people are gathered thus together, not merely to hear men nor depend upon them, but all are inwardly taught to stay their minds upon the Lord and wait for his appearance in their hearts, thereby the forward working of the spirit of man is stayed and hindered from mixing itself with the worship of God; and the form of this worship is so naked and void of all outward and worldly splendor that all occasion for man's wisdom to be exercised in that superstition and idolatry hath no lodging here; and so there being also an inward quietness and retiredness of mind, the witness of God ariseth in the heart, and the Light of Christ shineth whereby the soul cometh to see its own condition. And there being many joined together in this same work, there is an inward travail and wrestling; and also, as the measure of Grace is abode in, an overcoming of the power and spirit of darkness; and thus we are often greatly strengthened and renewed in the spirits of our minds without a word, and we enjoy and possess the holy fellowship and "communion of the body and blood of Christ," by which our inward man is nourished and fed.
[Proposition 11, Section 7]

I have heard many Friends talk about coming to meeting for an oasis of quiet in a busy world, or words to that effect. I know that there was a period when I likened my common experience of meeting for worship as being like a cat curled up in a warm spot behind a wood stove. I was just basking in the presence of God that I felt. This was a healing and a resting time for me. I came to know and trust God as a source of comfort and love. I did not know it at the time but this was laying a foundation for more vigorous work later on. In some ways it was like the long rest in base camp that mountain climbers have to take to acclimatize their bodies to exertion at altitude. I also did not come to meeting seeking that experience, no matter how precious it was when I found it. If we come to meeting just seeking quiet we are short circuiting the work of God as much as if we come planning to give a message.

Such is the evident certainty of that divine strength that is communicated by thus meeting together and waiting in silence upon God, that sometimes, when one hath come in that hath been unwatchful, and wandering in his mind, or suddenly out of the hurry of outward business, & so not inwardly gathered with the rest, so soon as he retires himself inwardly, this Power, being in a good measure raised in the whole meeting, will suddenly lay hold upon his spirit, and wonderfully help to raise up the good in him and beget him into the sense of the same Power, to the melting and warming of his heart, even as the warmth would take hold upon a man that is cold, coming in to a stove,...
[Proposition 11, Section 7]

When we come into meeting do we see that our centering can help center the entire meeting? Do we think of meeting for worship as an individual activity or do we see it as an attempt by the body gathered to center down corporately and so do we take up our work, not as an individual practice but as part of an attempt by all to come into the presence of God? At Fresh Pond Meeting the children go to First Day School for the first portion of meeting and come in to meeting for the last 15 minutes or so. There are many of them relative to the number of adults and they can bring in a fidgety energy with them. But when the meeting for worship is strongly gathered, it seems that they come in more quietly and settle themselves more quickly than at other times.

To be continued...

Blessings to all,

Will_T

On Worship – Laying down our will and wisdom

I have found writing about worship has been surprisingly difficult. I made several starts and what I finally came up with was much too long for a single post. I have broken it up into three parts but the transitions are a little abrupt. I will be talking about blogging with Robin M at the Quakers United in Publishing annual meeting at the end of the week. I don't know what access to the internet I will have there so I may be even more sporadic than usual responding to comments. I will post the continuations when I get back.

Some of Barclay's words on worship are quoted often in Quaker books of Faith and Practice and in other descriptions of silent worship. But when I read the entire eleventh proposition I get a different sense of worship than I get in most Friends meetings today.

... the great work of one and all ought to be to wait upon God, and returning out of their own thoughts and imaginations, to feel the Lord's presence and know a "gathering into his Name" indeed, where he is "in the midst" according to his promise. And as every one is thus gathered, and so met together inwardly in their spirits as well as outwardly in their persons, there the secret power and virtue of life is known to refresh the soul, and the pure motions and breathings of God's Spirit are felt to arise, from which as words of declaration, prayers, or praises arise, the acceptable worship is known which edifies the Church and is well-pleasing to God, and no man here limits the Spirit of God nor bringeth forth his own cunned [researched] and gathered stuff, but everyone puts that forth which the Lord puts into their hearts: and it is uttered forth not in man's will and wisdom but "in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and of Power."
[Proposition 11, Section 6]

This is what unprogrammed Friends lay claim to, no matter how far short they fall in practice. Certainly I have heard much in meetings for worship that seems to be far more an evidence and demonstration of man's (and woman's) will and wisdom than a demonstration of the Spirit.

As there can be nothing more opposite to the natural will and wisdom of man than this silent waiting upon God, so neither can it be obtained nor rightly comprehended by man but as he layeth down his own wisdom and will so as to be content to be thoroughly subject to God.
[Proposition 11, Section 7]

Laying down our own will and wisdom is not easily done. It is not our natural will to be thoroughly subject to God. Our natural will always tries to put itself first. As we become better at centering and focusing on God during our worship, our natural will becomes more subtle in seeking ways to divert us from God or to speak from ourselves and not from what God would have us say.

For many thus principled, meeting together in the pure fear of the Lord, did not apply themselves presently to speak, pray, or sing, &c., being afraid to be found acting forwardly in their own wills, but each made it their work to retire inwardly to the measure of Grace in themselves, not only being silent as to words but even abstaining from all their own thoughts, imaginations and desires, so watching in a holy dependence upon the Lord and meeting together not only outwardly in one place but thus inwardly in one Spirit and in one name of Jesus, which is his Power and Virtue.
[Proposition 11, Section 7]

When people first come to Friends meeting we often give them hints on how to center down and settle their bodies, but do we go the whole way and say that they should try to center themselves so thoroughly that even their thoughts should cease? This practice is not unique to Friends and the instructions are not difficult. When I was perhaps 5 years old I remember putting myself to sleep by thinking the thought that I was not going to think any thoughts. I pretty soon go to the point that I could think just that thought and then think it slower and slower but I was totally frightened by what might happen if I stopped thinking even that thought. I was afraid that if I stopped my internal monologue completely that I would die. As an adult I have been able to get to that state a number of times, so I know it is possible and it hasn't killed me yet. I also know how slippery a state it is because as soon as you notice you are in the state of not thinking, you are thinking about it and so already coming out of it.

To be continued ...

Blessings to all.

Will T

The Seed is a Weed

This came to me when I sat down in meeting one day:

The Seed is a weed.
This is a good thing,
and my heart was glad.

Early Friends used the image of the Seed, or the Seed Christ a lot. I would imagine this seed growing into some sort of beautiful flower or mighty tree. But this is not the way it is.

The Seed is a weed.
This is a good thing,
and my heart was glad.

Jesus said “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

A mustard seed is small, but you do not sow it in your fields. It is a common weed that grows by the side of the road. It is thoroughly nondescript. It has a woody shaft and it grows to four or five feet. It does not branch. No bird nests in it. It does have pretty yellow flowers but when you see it growing among the ragweed and the Queen Ann's lace by the side of a road or in an empty field, you might not notice it.

The Seed is a weed
This is a good thing,
and my heart was glad.

When I go to the garden shop and buy seeds or plants, I will mix fertilizer and compost with the soil, put them in the dirt and water them. Then what? I will not weed them until the weeds have grown so large that pulling the weeds will pull up what I planted. I will think about fertilizing but I will put it off until it is too late in the year when the annuals are dead and the perennials are going dormant. I will water them when they have already turned brown from the drought. I never build a fence to keep out rabbits that would eat the leaves or groundhogs that would eat the roots. But if I did, the fence would not be tight enough and I would forget to shut the gate.

But the seed is a weed.
This is a good thing.

The seed grows in me even when I neglect it. The seed grows in me even if I am treading it down. The seed grows even when I do not water it or nurture it or tend to it.

The Seed is a weed.
This is a good thing,
Because if it weren't a weed, if it were a tender, delicate species, it would not grow in me.

The Seed is a weed.
This is a good thing.
And my heart is glad.


Blessings to all,

Will T

Ministers and Money

We now come to the last of Barclay's pleadings for ministers.

The ministers we plead for are such as having freely received, freely give; who covet no man's silver, gold or garments; who seek no man's goods, but seek them, and the salvation of their souls; whose hands supply their own necessities, working honestly for bread to themselves and their families: and if at any time they be called of God so as the work of the Lord hinder them from the use of their trades, take what is freely given them by such to whom they have communicated spirituals; and having food and raiment are therewith content; such were the holy prophets and apostles, as appears from Matt. 10:8; Acts 20:33-35; 1 Tim. 6:8.

Part of the early Quaker opposition to the hireling ministry was that it was supported by the state and paid for by the church tax or tithe. This led to a situation in which the ministry was considered an occupation. A spiritual call was not a requirement. Appointments were often made on the basis of political connections. Ministers were often looking to move to parishes that would provide them with a better living. Quakers opposed paying tithes to support men who were not, in their eyes, true ministers. Their refusal to pay tithes often led them to have their goods seized or even to be sent to prison.

Until the advent of the pastoral system among Friends, there was always the expectation that Friends called to the ministry would support themselves by their trade. Famously John Woolman left of his work in merchandise and became a tailor and apple grower to allow himself more time to devote to his spiritual life. On the other hand, Joseph Hoag describes in his journal the difficulties that he encountered when he was led to travel in the ministry while he was struggling to get himself established and to clear himself of debt. His meeting was reluctant to allow him to travel because of his financial situation.

I have read other Friends from the early 19th century who encouraged Friends called to the ministry to establish a “competency” so that they would be free to travel. What they were suggesting was that a Friend should devote himself to business so that by the time they were 30 or so, they would have gained a sufficient fortune that they could live off of it for the rest of their life while they devoted themselves to the work of the Society of Friends. Of course some Friends ministers, such as Joseph John Gurney, came from wealthy families. Anna Braithwaite traveled in such a fine carriage that one contemporary commented, “however she may walk, she does not ride humbly, although she may do justly and love mercy.”

Early Friends said that training in Cambridge and Oxford did not prepare one to be a minister. So there is no little irony that many of the most respected Quaker authors of the 20th century, Rufus Jones, Thomas Kelly and Douglas Steere, Howard Brinton, Henry Cadbury and Hugh Barbour were all academics. This may partly reflect a more general shift among Friends, at least liberal Friends, from occupations in business towards occupations in academia and social services. It also is reflective that an academic career provides the time and flexibility to write books and to travel extensively.

Friends have not done well with resolving the tension between the ministry freely given and freely received and providing financial support for those engaged in such a ministry. In the middle part of the 20th century, much of the work of a meeting was handled by women who did not have paid employment outside of the home. Now there are fewer women who are not working outside of the home. At the same time, jobs seem to be requiring more time. For poor and working class people, things are often harder with people having to work multiple jobs to support themselves. This general decline in the American standard of living has had a serious impact on Friends Meetings. There are fewer and fewer people available to do the work of the meeting. I suspect that one of the reason for the prevalence of gray and white haired people who are active in Quaker organizations is that it is only when they retire from their jobs that they have time to give to Quaker activities.

When a meeting, or other Friends organization, does hire help, we have very low wage scales. Why do we expect that people who work for Friends organizations should earn less than they would elsewhere? One principle behind tithing is that ten families can support one family at the average level of the other ten. What voices do we not hear because we restrict leadership to those who can afford to donate their services to the Society of Friends? It has seemed to me at times that Friends often confuse Quaker simplicity with being cheap. Friends don't like to talk about money but unless we can adapt our structures to fit with current economic realities we will continue to have a difficult time maintaining the leadership we need.

Blessings to all,

Will T