Where two or more are gathered...

I was delighted to discover that last Sunday's Review section of the New York Times contains some mega shout-outs to the power of fellowship.

Joshua Wolf Shenk, who wrote "The End of Genius" about how creativity blooms in pairs and groups, not in individuals, likely doesn't know how nicely he expounded on Quaker ideas as he debunks the cultural fallacy that individual genius propels society forward.

He quotes Marjorie Garber's research which shows that historically, "genius" meant "a tutelary god or spirit given to every person at birth." Wolf Shenk summarizes that "any value that emerged from within a person depended on a potent, unseen force coming from beyond that person."

Sounds like Fox, declaring in his Journal that "every man was enlightened by the divine light of Christ." (Christ being the power of God.)

Also sounds like Kelly when he explains the essentially creative nature of our relationship with the Divine: 

"I am persuaded that religious people do not with sufficient seriousness count on God as an active factor in the affairs of the world. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock," but too many well-intentioned people are so preoccupied with the clatter of effort to do something for God that they don't hear Him asking that He might do something through us."

We must open ourselves that divine creativity can flow through us. 

How? Get into pairs! 

Wolf Shenk argues that our image of social progress bursting forth in the brainstorms of individual philosophers and scientists is plain wrong. The best ideas come from throwing ideas around between people. Ideas will remain ideas until they are shared.

"Even Eistein, for all his solitude, worked out the theory of relativity in conversation with the engineer Michele Besso, whom he praised as "the best sounding board in Europe." We all need sounding boards. 

There is power, therefore, in the fellowship. I find that spiritual growth and discovery, like innovation or invention, are most effectively encouraged by fellowship. That fellowship can be between two people, or 12 (Matthew 18:20: for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there with them."). Spiritual work, I'm convinced, is essentially creative work, and as Wolf Shenk states, taking the example of Lennon and McCartney, "Two people are the root of social experience --- and of creative work."

Beyond the comfort and sense of belonging traditionally offered by faith communities (it's nice to sip coffee and chat with friends after the service), such communities today should embrace their roles as incubators for personal, spiritual discovery. For most of us, companionship offers helpful signage along the way. So our churches must also, to borrow phrasing from Wolf Shenk, "take seriously something just as important [as romance], but long overlooked -- creative intimacy."

Plains and Plateaus

As people of faith, writes Thomas Kelly, we study and examine the past in order to plan for the all-important future.

What about the now?
(What Kelly calls "the Eternal Now")

"There come times when the Presence steals upon us, all unexpected not the product of agonized effort, and we live in a new dimension of life."

This is the experience we are waiting for in silent worship, waiting to be filled with a sense of the Presence of something greater than ourselves. But Kelly says this experience is open to us at all times of the week- in every moment of nowness.

"One walks in the world yet above the world as well, giddy with the height, the feather tread, with effortlessness and calm security, meeting the daily routine, yet never losing the sense of Presence."

If we look expressly for this experience when we gather in silence, I think we also expose ourselves to the possibility of experience this energizing "presence" each time we come into fellowship with others. It is generally through sharing the "now" with another that I feel that sense of giddiness that comes from spiritual connection.

I believe many seek this sensation of being lifted above the daily. "Our from the plain of daily living suddenly loom such plateaus..."

I access those plateaus through fellowship with others.

This week I read in the New York Times Book Review about a novel in which a woman spends countless hours of "online window-shipping and Wikipedia rabbit holes and gchatting." Rabbit hole is the perfect description of this feeling of emptiness and lack, (the total opposite of "Presence") that I feel when I lose myself to the internet. On the other hand, the reviewer says that there "is genuine tenderness and complication between Bev and Amy [the two main characters] and the novel's best moments occur when the pair are allowed to just sit and chat about their imperfect starter lives."

That is exactly what spiritual fellowship should be about! Sitting and talking about our imperfect attempts to live lives that go somewhere. God is in those conversations, in those shared moments, where he is not necessarily in the time spent solo online.

I think more people are interested in spiritual fellowship than know it. New meetings could meet a need to find staircases up to that plateau that we can't visualize when we're down on the plains of daily, individual living.

Here's to floating up to the plateau today!

Meeting with U.S. Senator King

Nearly 10% of Maine's GDP comes from defense-related projects and products.

Midcoast Citizens for Sustainable Economies (MCSE) wants to change that.

On Friday morning six of their Bath-based members met with U.S. Senator King and his regional representative Gail Kezer to talk about reallocating economic initiative in sectors other than defense.

Here are notes from the meeting.

We're overly dependent, in Bath especially and in Maine generally, on defense spending. Given likely future cuts in defense spending, the Maine economy has too many eggs in the defense basket- a cut in spending would take a serious bite out of Maine's economic momentum.

MCSE spent the meeting advocating that the Senator work to prepare Maine for a transition into a non-defense economy before the cuts occur.

The Senator knew how important a message it was. When he was Governor of Maine, he recalled at the meeting, he had presided over a successful retraining and reorientation of several industrial locations in Maine. But a healthy, growing economy had been the oil that greased the transition process. When we are struggling with low employment and shrinking demand, the reallocation of resources is much more reluctant.

"Let's act," said Leslie Manning, member of the committee and of Durham Friends Meeting, "rather than react like we did after the base closure (in Brunswick, ME) and NAFTA."

King listened well, spoke sympathetically, and enthusiastically received the literature the committee had prepared for him. He also had a neat idea about repurposing Bath Iron Works, mega-employer in the Bath area and in Maine (each county in the state has BIW employees working in it).

"We should be building ice-breakers," he said. "We have one ice breaker ship; the Soviet Union has seven up in the arctic now." King pointed out the increasing importance of the arctic as a trade route (and a MCSE member mentioned oil-access as a U.S. interest in the Arctic). We could be building ice-breakers at BIW.

One consideration I had never thought of regarding building war-ships versus doing other manufacturing work is that battle ships are extremely complex and require many workers, and many skilled workers, to construct. That makes the whole in Bath's economy left by a shrinking defense contract account a difficult one to fill. The determined members of MCSE are committed to finding ways, and King seems to be too.

Why aren't Quakers vegetarians?

Can I call myself a real, peace-loving Quaker if I ate chicken twice today? And dare I add that it was conventional chicken, not the happy hens who roam, scratch and cluck in pastoral bliss until "farm" meets "table"?




The Quaker Peace testimony and general social concerns are, as far as my hasty research shows, generally concerned with human rights, not animal rights. 

In New England Faith and Practice the Peace Testimony is repeatedly described in terms of human rights, not universal critter rights. 

- "The witness for peace is an affirmation of the divine Light in every human being... Christ teaches us to love our enemies. George Fox calls us to seek that of God in everyone. Warfare denies these teachings, denies the sanctity of human life." 1985, (p. 182).

- "The Quaker peace witness developed from a deep faith in the essential unity of mankind and the sacredness of each individual because of that 'of God' or the 'Inward Light' in each person comprising that unity." 1965 (p. 183)

- Early Friends found that "the many forms of social injustice witnessed round them 'struck at their life' and could no longer be tolerated" (Note, "their" lives, not the lives of other creatures.) 1958 (p. 175).

But conventional animal production is surely cruel, and while it may not produce explicitly the occasion for war, it does involve violence against defenseless victims. Moreover, the "equality" testimony is implicated, since raising animals in conditions below their dignity represents a severe power imbalance. 

Thank goodness that the #1 Famous American Quaker took a stand where many others didn't. 

Representing the Silent Majority, John Woolman championed the rights of all of creation:

"Our gracious Creator cares and provides for all his creatures. His tender mercies are over all his works; and so far as his love influences our minds, so far we become interested in his workmanship and feel a desire to take hold of every opportunity to lessen the distresses of the afflicted and increase the happiness of the creation." 1863 (p. 174)

He was even more explicit in this excerpt from his Journal. In it he recounts that when he was young he once threw stones at a mama bird and killed her.  

"At first I was pleased with the exploit, but after a few minutes was seized with horror, at having, in a sportive way, killed an innocent creature while she was careful for her young. I beheld her lying dead, and thought those young ones, for which she was so careful, must now perish for want of their dam to nourish them."

Young John climbed the tree and killed the babies too, to reduce their suffering. But he was deeply marked by the incident: 

He writes, "[I] was early convinced in my mind that true religion consisted in an inward life, wherein the heart does love and reverence God the Creator, and learns to exercise true justice and goodness, not only toward all men, but also toward the brute creatures."

I like Adam Curle's words on the peace testimony. 

"We never know what ripples spread from what seems the smallest action. Only let us be led by the spirit and we will vanquish the philosophy of death. This is the only preparation for peace. 

Does the peace testimony ask us to abstain from meat raised in non-peaceful ways? I'll try to be led by the spirit, (and not the scent of neighborhood barbecues...)

Worldly Events and their Spiritual Meaning

This week in Quakerism 101 we will be talking about vocal ministry.

During silent worship, how do we know when we're feeling called?

Trusty Faith and Practice has a section on "Vocal Ministry and the Meeting for Worship." One of its entries says,

"We should try to discern and to interpret the spiritual meaning of the movements of thought and action at work in the world around us,"
-London Yearly Meeting, proceedings, 1949. 

Most of us hear about the "movements of thought and action at work in the world" through news outlets - the paper, online newsfeeds, public radio, television news. In order to imbue all our activities with depth that comes from prayerfulness, we must discern the spiritual meaning of what we hear. What does that mean?

This morning I read about research that shows that the public doesn't necessarily believe that which scientific research indicates is true. I may know that scientists report that the wild bobcat is going extinct (theoretical example) but not believe it's a problem because such a belief would interfere with my plan to develop a large swath of land that is well known to be bobcat territory. We often only believe that which lies conveniently alongside our other beliefs.

This seems related to "spiritual meaning". An interpretation of worldly phenomena which takes into account only my interests and concerns is not the spiritual meaning.

The challenge is to observe phenomena with a God's eye perspective: is this "movement of thought/action" just? Does it promote peace? Does it preserve dignity? Does it privilege some people, or place humans above all other creatures on the scale of importance?

As we consume news and generally hear about movements of thought and action, think about what you consider to be the spiritual meaning of what you hear. How do you discern and then interpret it? I would love to hear your take.

Is astonishing completeness the only path?

It seems often that in order to experience the force of God we have to let go of everything else in our lives and dedicate ourselves lock, stock and barrel to the religious path. Not surprisingly, this level of devotion receives a fair bit of attention in "A Testament of Devotion": 

Totalitarian are the claims of Christ.

[In Christian life] No vestige of reservation of "our" rights can remain. 

Worshipping in the light we become new creatures, making wholly new and astonishing responses to the entire outer setting of life. 

(Quoting Richard Cary) "it is wonderful. I have been literally melted down by the love of God." 

Kelly speaks of George Fox and early Friends "dedicating themselves utterly and completely to attendance upon this inward living Christ."

___

I probably look like a deer in the headlights when I read these passages being melted down, being made a wholly new creature, etc. There are plenty of parts of my current self that I like and... um, identify with!

So does adopting faith have to be a total makeover? Not in my experience. As any good Quaker, I am suspicious of changes that happen too abruptly in my feelings and opinions. When I'm struck with the impression that I should move to Hawaii, or suddenly become passionate about the idea of going back to school to study math, there is usually cause for pause. 

The growth of my spiritual life has been anything but abrupt, and I'm comfortable with it that way. It's more like a painting that is completed brush stroke by brush stroke. This week there are new strokes fleshing out my understanding of Christ, for example. Some of those have covered up old ideas about Christ. They have also changed the composition of my previous brush strokes depicting God. 

I do not feel capable of jumping fully into utter devotion to God. Thank goodness God is patient, as Kelly also tells us: 

"For God himself works in our souls, in their deepest depths, taking increasing control as we are progressively willing to be prepared for His wonder." 

So God's wonder also comes in personal-size servings too, not just the jumbo, all at once, life flipping package. This week God's "wonder" came to me in a conversation with a dear friend. It came in a period of waiting worship where I heard a Friend speak about our ordinariness. It came in a Quaker pamphlet that interpreted Christ as "the power of God". I receive in proportion to what I'm willing to accept today. God will offer me the divine gift that fits my willingness. Maybe today it's as simple as a sunrise, or the sound of my coffee maker brewing. 

 

Activity suggested by Kelly for those of us taking the progressive route towards a richer faith life:

"In the early weeks we begin with simple, whispered words. Formulate them spontaneously, "Thine only. Thine only." ...repeat them inwardly, over and over again. For the conscious cooperation of the surface level is needed at first, before prayer sinks into the second level as habitual divine orientation. Change the phrases as you feel led, from hour to hour.... The time will come when verbalization is not so imperative, and yields place to the attitudes of soul which you meant the words to express." 43-44

Thoughtful repetition of meaningful words that convey the soul-attitudes I want to possess. Sounds like a step toward spiritual life that I could undertake. 

The wagon wheel

Imagine a wagon wheel. There’s a solid wooden hub in the center, and several spokes extending outward to the rim. At the FUM Triennial in June, Dan Kasztelan used this image to help a group of young Friends visualize how our connection with other people relates to our connection with God.

In this metaphor, God is the hub and we live along the spokes. At any moment we exist at some point along our spoke- a certain distance from God and from other people (who exist on other spokes). Say we have an experience that connects us with someone else. We talk to a sibling, say hi to a neighbor, sit down next to a coworker at lunch rather than sitting alone. As we draw closer to our fellows, we slide toward the center of the wheel, where the spokes come together. There we find ourselves – aha! – closer to God. When we draw closer to others, we draw closer to God.

Some ways of connecting to others (like those mentioned) are easier than others, and generally the harder ones connect us more profoundly. Saying “hi” to a neighbor is one thing; opening up about our personal practices is another.

I know this comfort zone around personal practices well, because I have spent a lot of time barging into people’s personal space. During college I delivered room service on weekend mornings at a hotel. It was my job to march in on people at their un-caffeinated, conversationally compromised best, before they had truly emerged from the cocoon.

One week I brought a breakfast tray to the same guest three days in a row, and I got a sense for his morning pattern. He ordered the same cereal, milk, fruit and coffee drink each day, and opened the door in the same half-ready state: bathrobe, but hair already neatly combed over.

“You can see I’m a creature of habit,” he remarked on the third morning.

“I’m the same way,” I told him truthfully, though I was relieved to realize that he would never be privy to my breakfast routine.

Why my relief? Because maybe my habits are peculiar! Does everyone put half an ice cube in a cup of tea? Is that an extravagant amount of cinnamon-sugar to put into oatmeal? Our routines can seem utterly normal—until they come under the scrutiny of someone else.

If sharing our wake-up-get-ready routine feels vulnerable, a conversation about our inner spiritual practices might feel positively intimate. But what a great way to move closer to the other wagon spokes! Maybe we can strengthen our own practices by hearing what works for others. So consider responding to this:

What are our spiritual practices? Or, How do we seek God? At FUM we tried several practices that were new to me, among them worship sharing, Lectio Divina and Examen.

Thomas Kelly said that “the value of [John] Woolman and [George] Fox and the Quakers of today for the world does not lie merely in their outward deeds of service to suffering men, it lies in that call to all men to the practice of orienting their entire being in inward adoration…”

How do you orient your being toward inward adoration? Walking? Sitting with a cat on your lap? Cooking? Worshiping among Friends in the Meetinghouse? Building something with clay? I often practice by nudging myself outside before 7:00 to witness the early morning.

I won’t ask you how you like your eggs, or whether you order whipped cream on your Starbucks (though feel free to share); but please do leave a comment about your experience with spiritual practices. What do you do? How often? Does it matter the time of day? We’ll all benefit from your contribution.