Conservative Friend

Hello, I  am Chris from PA. I am not  age 13 ( I think the sign in program aged me wrongly!)! 

Anyway, I became a Friend in a Christ-Centered meeting 20 years ago and it is still an affliliation I treasure. I was fortunate to study in First Day for a number of years, with Dean Freiday and had a wealth of a library to choose from with literature from John Punshon, Lewis Benson as well as  historical traditional writers like Woolman, Penn and Fox. I am not a scholar but have felt a good grounding in these experiences. I have also balanced my grounding with contemporary Quaker writers all of different persuasions. I am presently a member of an  unprogrammed meeting in PA. This meeting and the quarter it belongs to has a wide breadth of belief, which I have found interesting and stimulating. I am at home with Friends of all genres. As much as I enjoy the diversity, I am increasingly uncomfortable with decision making processes that feel untested by the manner of Friends. Case in point- doing much of the work on e-mail or phone before meeting and then the meeting seems like just a formality to approve what has already been done. For many this may seem efficient as we are all busy, but an accelerated pace leaves me feeling unsure later if I really feel in alignment.

I also find that our accelerated electronic communications make us believe we have time to elaborate our decisions in ways that I think are not useful. Friends do not decide by the clock but they do sense when it is time to stop the clock and allow the spirit to work in us and through us for a duration and then meet again with new freshness.

I am not sure that Conservative Friends is the place for me either but I wanted to at least engage some dialogue and see what God brings to light. I may be the only one in my family who feels this so strongly that adds an additional complication!

Blessings,

Chris in PA

Chris at 10:15AM on Aug 25, 2009

Hello, I  am Chris from PA. I am not  age 13 ( I think the sign in program aged me wrongly!)! 

 

Anyway, I became a Friend in a Christ-Centered meeting 20 years ago and it is still an affliliation I treasure. I was fortunate to study in First Day for a number of years, with Dean Freiday and had a wealth of a library to choose from with literature from John Punshon, Lewis Benson as well as  historical traditional writers like Woolman, Penn and Fox. I am not a scholar but have felt a good grounding in these experiences. I have also balanced my grounding with contemporary Quaker writers all of different persuasions. I am presently a member of an  unprogrammed meeting in PA. This meeting and the quarter it belongs to has a wide breadth of belief, which I have found interesting and stimulating. I am at home with Friends of all genres. As much as I enjoy the diversity, I am increasingly uncomfortable with decision making processes that feel untested by the manner of Friends. Case in point- doing much of the work on e-mail or phone before meeting and then the meeting seems like just a formality to approve what has already been done. For many this may seem efficient as we are all busy, but an accelerated pace leaves me feeling unsure later if I really feel in alignment.

 

I also find that our accelerated electronic communications make us believe we have time to elaborate our decisions in ways that I think are not useful. Friends do not decide by the clock but they do sense when it is time to stop the clock and allow the spirit to work in us and through us for a duration and then meet again with new freshness.

 

I am not sure that Conservative Friends is the place for me either but I wanted to at least engage some dialogue and see what God brings to light. I may be the only one in my family who feels this so strongly that adds an additional complication!

 

Blessings,

 

Chris in PA

Sadly when much of the meeting takes place out side of the Meeting there is very little room for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit at the Meeting as many are pre occupied instead of being open to the Light. The fact that you prefer things to go at a slower place tells me that Conservative Friends is the place for you but maybe not for some of the techno enthusiastic Friends that are there!  Rob