Series: What happened on Sunday - 1. Care of Worship

How do we educate ourselves in the Quaker way? It seems that this education must be an ongoing activity if newcomers and long timers are to be reminded what we do in Monthly Meeting and why we do it.

Last weekend at Portland Friends Meeting I saw an example of what I’m calling “ongoing onboarding." 

I carpooled to meeting with Genna who is on Ministry and Counsel, the group that cares for the quality of worship in a Monthly Meeting. Genna had Care of Worship that day, meaning they were designated to ground worship prayerfully and hold the gathered group in prayer during our hour of expectant worship. 

Worship starts at 10 am. We arrived at about 9:15 to open the meetinghouse. By 9:30 Genna was in their seat in the worship room. I joined about 9:40. Gradually more Friends came into the room. It was quieter than usual. It felt like as each person entered they sensed the spiritual work already underway, the work of setting the container for worship. I thought each person seemed jazzed about this, as though they entered the room and realized, “Oh – we’re doing this!” As each person sat down they took on a piece of the responsibility for the quality of worship. 

The worship was deep and alive for me. The spoken messages were short and dwelt on love. One friend encouraged us to acknowledge aloud the love that exists between us, not to wait forty years like he had with a friend. Someone else asked how we make manifest in the world the power of love we experience amongst ourselves. Silence radiated around these messages.

Let me describe how Genna moved our covered group through the stages at the end of worship. 

Transition 1: into joys and concerns

Genna said, in a tone that did not break the feeling of worship, that we would continue by holding up joys and concerns, either inwardly or for the whole group to hear. The joys and concerns which rose were poetic, almost like worship messages in their prayerfulness. Someone expressed gratitude for the Meeting’s ongoing support of her as she provides care, both “instrumental and invisible,” to her sister. Another person raised a concern for an immigrant friend who fears every time his wife or children leave the house that they won’t return. It was as though the love experienced during worship found its first concrete objects in these requests, and we held each with love.

Transitions matter

Transition 2: Genna then stood by the door for maximum visibility and introduced themselves. They explained that they were one of the people holding Care of Worship that day, which meant they were praying for the group’s faithfulness. “You may find that you also do this,” Genna said, acknowledging that many people hold the group in prayer. These people, Genna said, we can call elders, but “Some people use the word midwives,” Genna explained, “because it’s not only old folks.” And, they went on, elders don’t just admonish un-Quakerly behavior. They help in the birthing process, bringing forth whatever God has for us to experience. 

Transition 3: “This is a moment of transition, and we’re going to have announcements and introductions,” Genna said, “But if you’re not ready to  leave the space of worship, there is no obligation to stay.” 

“After announcements we will have snacks. I will be holding Afterthoughts in the back classroom. This is a place to talk about how worship was for you, or ask questions about Quakerism. I have some quinoa salad and spinach to share. That will be in the back classroom after rise of meeting, which is what we call it when we get up.”

I perceived that newcomers to the meeting watched Genna with mild interest. Many long-time members though, were rapt, watching this example of eldering with fascination. When was the last time we had heard someone explain care of worship? Were we aware that many people were holding our Meeting in prayer? Did we know it was an option to forgo announcements and continue in worship? 

There is so much to know about Meeting. Continually orienting us to the spiritual purpose of our shared activities is an important task for Monthly Meetings. This Sunday I saw how that important task may be spread across our corporate activities in a way that explains our particular language and rituals: an intro for newcomers and a reminder for members.