BEST of the weekend – For a while, I have wanted to be more productive. With an international move back to New Jersey, then a chronic illness, then cancer and a partial hearing loss, my focus for the past eight years has been transition, health, recovery and acceptance. Attending School of the Spirit was full and rich. I knew there was some re-organization happening in my soul and I wanted to test out the Spirit's work within me in the lab of the world outside my family. For the past six months, as I refinanced our home in NJ (Sojourn), purchased the new rowhome in Philly ( which seems to want to be named Solace), and created a sense of order there for L, I have become more and more aware of this longing to be more productive.
So, when I was asked to clerk a somewhat large and unwieldy committee that meets on three full weekends a year, I felt it was right order to say "Yes". This weekend, I started that clerking process.
I felt led not to bring an elder, and as I held that in the Light, I decided to explore, with the committee, what it looks like to elder ourselves. And as I rode the train the weekend, reading Elizabeth's Boardman's Where do I Stand? and the notes from my clerking weekend with Arthur Larrabee, clarity came. A conversation with the former clerk as I stood in Penn Station furthered the clarity.
When I arrived at my destination, I found the easel with paper and the pens, and I wrote the following:
To do the work let's honor Quaker Process
Elder thyself
-Enter meeting in worship.
- Hold the space and each other in the Light to work toward Spirit-led sense of the meeting.
Clerk thyself
-Enter open to the spirit.
- Receive clerk's nod before speaking
- Rise if possible, ground thyself, then speak.
Mind the Light
-Discern "Will what I am about to say help meeting discern and be obedient to God's will for us?" From Where do I Stand?
- Make use of "This Friend speaks my mind."
Ration thyself
-Allow room for others to speak.
-Speak only once to each issue.
We started the weekend with an optional Meeting for Worship before dinner Friday Night. After dinner, when I welcomed Friends and started the Meeting for Worship for Business, I informed Friends we had no elder, (in my perception there had been some low-level grumbling when the former clerk brought an elder to our last committee weekend) and we were going to do a practicum to become aware of eldering ourselves. I remembered the exercise from an eldering workshop facilitated by Elaine Emily and modified it as I felt led to fit our needs.
I asked Friends for two minutes to hold the person to the right of them in the Light, then for two minutes hold the person to the left of them in the Light and practice receiving the Light that was being given, then hold the space in the Light. When we finished the practicum, I read the above guidelines for Quaker process. Before each Meeting for Worship for Business, I read the guide lines again. Before the next few Meetings for Worship for Business we did the practicum again. Although there was initially a fair bit of resistance to rise to speak, by the end of the weekend, it seemed a natural part of our work.
We started Sunday am with a worship sharing that addressed what our relationship was with the work we were doing, and what the work we were doings relationship was with us. The actual wording of the query was not quite that awkward; it was more specific to place. To me, the worship sharing felt gathered. The business that followed became a bit dicey at one point, L was sitting to my left and I jokingly said "they're working me hard." I felt the end result was a much more functional working group.
I had so much fun. Oh, and for the rest of my clerking term, the committee approved having an elder.
Hey Anj,
In case I forgot to mention it. I really enjoyed watching you as our Chairman of the Board this weekend. You let Jesus do the leading through you (so well at times that I didn't recognize the words from your mouth to be yours).
It was very exciting for me to see you back in action doing what you love to do and were created to do. Demonstrating your strengths, leadership, grace (and incredible good looks).
I'm blessed to be your husband.
LL
Posted by: L | 09/09/2009 at 06:27 AM
Dear Anj,
I want to thank you for taking on this onerous task of clerking. I felt a shift this weekend and know that the work will improve if you give us time. I felt we had so much extra time after doing business! I promise to do my share to keep this up.
Please continue repeating the two minute exercise, I found it helpful like stretching before a run.
(And I think your husband is looking for attention...)
Arlene
Posted by: Arlene | 09/09/2009 at 09:41 PM
Arlene- I thought the committee did great! I was excited to have time for the worship sharing on Sunday am. It seems like I can never put my finger on what Friends will spend time on though. My time estimates will always need a bit more work. Thanks for letting me know you felt the difference. You really helped this weekend with that shift you mentioned. And thanks for letting me know the two minute exercise was useful..like stretching before a run, I like that.
L - You are so fun. Thanks for letting me know what you see.
Posted by: Anj | 09/09/2009 at 10:01 PM
Good guidelines!
Posted by: Marshall Massey (Iowa YM [C]) | 09/10/2009 at 10:13 AM
I was pleased with what I saw this weekend, too. You are great at what you are doing! Hope we can see you all again soon.
Mia
Posted by: Mia | 09/10/2009 at 12:43 PM
What is the role of the elder?
Posted by: Dave | 09/12/2009 at 08:29 PM
hey Dave - The elder, in this capacity, is like a radiator of God's presence, helping us to stay grounded in the Spirit so we can do the work from a place of worship. The elder would not interact with the committee, or have any input into discernment or process, they sit with us and hold us in prayer as we do the work.
Posted by: Anj | 09/12/2009 at 08:47 PM
Dave, in New York Yearly Meeting’s *Faith and Practice*, the rôle of the elder is discussed, rather incompletely, on pp. 91-92, which begins by telling us that the functions of a meeting’s committee on ministry and counsel “are usually the special responsibility of elders, in meetings which appoint elders.”
Thus the elders “should encourage those who give evidence of true spiritual insight and expression. They should provide guidance into more helpful lines of service for those whose messages are not acceptable. They should bear in mind Friends’ ... differences.... Eldering embraces the positive aspects of nurturing, supporting, and helping members and attenders grow spiritually.”
Etc. The passage is worth reading in full.
Posted by: Marshall Massey (Iowa YM [C]) | 09/13/2009 at 10:34 AM
By the way - I loved reading this post and reading the centredness and joy in you being you :) A delight!
Also - as I just looked at the comments about what eldering means in a Quaker contxt it prompted for me that something was bubbling in me as I read the post initially and it became clear to me - a call to "Elder myself" ... mmm ... fits well with what God's been saying in numerous ways, both recently but also over years.
Posted by: Barb Totterdell | 09/15/2009 at 10:05 AM