tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33242988.post115801046137572605..comments2023-04-22T17:33:19.244-07:00Comments on flower sneezing in the spring air: Last P(acific) Yearly Meeting, what happened and what didn't happen and why it matters.forresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861950371962268402noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33242988.post-1158092003524389012006-09-12T13:13:00.000-07:002006-09-12T13:13:00.000-07:00Forrest,I'm glad Robin M. found your blog! You wro...Forrest,<BR/><BR/>I'm glad Robin M. found your blog! You wrote: "There was at first much grumbling and yearning for the fleshpots of Egypt, fear that we had all been led out to die in the desert. But the worship was deep and emotionally moving..."<BR/><BR/>Yes, yes, oh yes! If it was an alternate universe, I was in the same one. :)<BR/><BR/>I've written some reflections on my experience as clerk of the children's program committee on my blog at <A HREF="http://chrismsf.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">chrismsf.blogspot.com</A>. (Actually a series of four posts.) <BR/><BR/>It was a privilege for me to help with the children at the start of meeting for worship. Though I left each morning with the children after about 15 minutes, I usually came back a while later, and experienced a sense of deep, gathered worship.<BR/><BR/>I was so grateful the morning that Anne and Emelyn both sang while the children were still present.<BR/><BR/>-- Chris M.Chris M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05125825966802002625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33242988.post-1158069813267939212006-09-12T07:03:00.000-07:002006-09-12T07:03:00.000-07:00It's so encouraging to hear what people in Pacific...It's so encouraging to hear what people in Pacific YM were experiencing this year! I'm from just to the north, in Northwest YM. It's great to hear abut the Spirit moving among you all, to hear your joys and concerns about business and worship and how they are done together. I appreciated your comment about clerks who are trained to find the consensus that everyone can agree on, without pushing the boundaries of everyone's comfort levels too much. I find this in our YM as well, and on committees and at the local level and everywhere, it seems. We struggled with this some this year as well--I wrote about it a little bit on a post on my blog a couple days ago. How do you move forward with a decision that is Spirit-led when some aren't ready for it? Is consensus really the way to go, when we think of consensus as everyone present agreeing? No! Consensus should be coming to know the will of God, and being in a space of worship that allows us to recognize that will even when we don't agree with it. But this is so hard, so hard. Instead we often end up doing the lowest common denominator thing, too--what will move us forward a little bit without offending too many people. But is that really living in the Spirit? Is that really living in the "life and power" George Fox spoke of? What if he'd waited till everyone he knew agreed he should preach in a certain place where he'd get beaten up? Or what if John Woolman hadn't preached his message against slavery because it would offend people? How do we as a Society of Friends discern well during business, learn to trust those we worship with, and break out of what we are comfortable with in order to truly follow the Spirit? I think you're right--worship, worship, worship!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07488876505679035140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33242988.post-1158063582634343362006-09-12T05:19:00.000-07:002006-09-12T05:19:00.000-07:00Wow Forrest...awesome post! Worship is the heartb...Wow Forrest...awesome post! Worship is the heartbeat of our Society. We, I, often forget that. Everything we do as Quakers, be it marching for peace or feeding the hungry must be born out of our experience of worship.<BR/><BR/>You speak my mind, Friend.quakerboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00762340904563467030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33242988.post-1158035461768132722006-09-11T21:31:00.000-07:002006-09-11T21:31:00.000-07:00Welcome, of course! I think I know who you are but...Welcome, of course! I think I know who you are but your photo isn't much more help in that than the painting I've been using. I have looked at your blog and will certainly be reading it more often.<BR/><BR/>So, was your PYM like my PYM this year? I'm finding a lot of Friends who seem to have been in an alternate universe at the time.forresthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214745625847174676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33242988.post-1158033699883411772006-09-11T21:01:00.000-07:002006-09-11T21:01:00.000-07:00Oh Forrest, this is great. I don't think we've act...Oh Forrest, this is great. <BR/><BR/>I don't think we've actually been introduced but I certainly know who you are, and I hope you might have an idea of who I am, from seeing each other at PYM. I'm from San Francisco Monthly Meeting.<BR/><BR/>I'm so glad to have found your blog and I invite you to read mine, quiet though it has been the last month or so. <A HREF="http://robinmsf.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow">What Canst Thou Say?</A>Robin M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10336915224193704866noreply@blogger.com