Iowa Conservative sessions 2007Part I

OVERVIEW

This summer was the third consecutive year I attended the annual sessions of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative). Though my membership is at a monthly meeting where I am still active and which is a part of Northern Yearly Meeting, and though the worship group where I also worship remains unaffiliated currently, my spiritual affinity continues among Conservative Friends.

Whether it is because I am that much more familiar with how things are done at IYM(C), or because I have had a particularly busy summer, or because of something else entirely, I found this year's sessions to be even-keeled. I had no "Wow, cool!" moments as I have had the other two years, but neither have I had any disillusioning "Eew, yuck!" moments. Maybe that accounts for my slowness to blog about my experiences, and for having a series of "tidbits" to offer.

TIDBITS

An invitation. The evening I had arrived, I sat underneath the large tree around which a circular bench was built any number of years ago. I was chatting with a Friend who I had seen at sessions the other two years and whose parents were long-time attenders of the yearly meeting. One of the Friends who helps arrange for and carry out the sessions this year approached the two of us from behind, put a hand on our shoulders, and said, "How would you both like to serve on the Exercise Committee?"

Here's Iowa's practice: Every year during annual sessions, the Yearly Meeting appoints an Exercise Committee to record the vocal ministry that arises during times of waiting worship as well as during Meetings for Worship with attention to Business--should something arise during business session that feels like spiritual counsel to the body. The committee gathers from time to time during sessions to compare notes on what was said and what the sense was of what the Spirit was intending for the body--how the body is exercised by the Spirit. Or such is my understanding, anyway.

Jeff and I looked at each other and shrugged. Jeff was quick to say, "Sure, I can do that." At first I added my own, "Sure." Then a half-beat later, before the Friend released her hand from our shoulders, I asked, "Is there any concern that I'm not affiliated with the yearly meeting?"

The Friend stood upright and said with a smile, "Liz, anyone can hear the Voice of God!"

It was just the right sort of committee to start to get involved in the life of the yearly meeting: I got to know a handful of Friends a bit better through the committee service, and I knew the work was completely done by the time yearly meeting ended!

Reminders of our roots. As we moved from our opening worship on Fourth Day and moved into the taking up of the business of the yearly meeting, the assistant clerk read this quote from William Penn's Primitive Christianity Revived:

That which the people called Quakers lay down as a main fundamental in religion is this— That God, through Christ, hath placed a principle in every man, to inform him of his duty, and to enable him to do it; and that those that live up to this principle are the people of God, and those that live in disobedience to it, are not God's people, whatever name they may bear, or profession they may make of religion. This is their ancient, first, and standing testimony: with this they began, and this they bore, and do bear to the world.

I was struck to hear that the "main fundamental" is that God "[has] placed a principle in [us]" which we strive to to live up to--and that this is in fact the "ancient, first, and standing testimony" from which the Quaker faith and the other testimonies among Friends emerge.

Hearing these words was one of those times when I realized that I knew something experientially, intuitively, and viscerally--that the basis of all Friends' testimonies are an outgrowth of this single one--before I understood that there were already words out there that described my own understanding.

Then there was this additional quote, lifted up another time during MfWfB, and also by William Penn:

"A good End cannot sanctify evil Means; nor must we ever do Evil, that Good may come of it.”

We were reminded of this quote when the yearly meeting considered approving a minute that supported the work of the Quaker Initiative to End Torture (QUIT), when Friends were wrestling with the intention of the minute, which in part to say that it is never right to use torture, regardless of the end result (e.g. acquiring information that is deemed "necessary").

A third time when I was struck by the call to remember some of our early roots was when the yearly meeting again took up the question of responding to immigration in the U.S. (see my 2006 IYMC post, about halfway down).

This year's report from the Peace and Social Concerns Committee--which meets everyday during sessions--lifted up as example how John Woolman stepped out of the existing paradigm of slavery in order to call Friends to work towards abolition. The committee called on the yearly meeting to step outside of the existing paradigm of whether to regulate or legalize immigration and work towards fulfilling a vision in which all people live into a decent life, and all nations have trade policies that would in effect help bring that vision to fruition.

Of course, words remain words unless and until the actions of the individual and of the body come into play. Still, I consider important and relevant the step of finding the words that clearly express the burden we carry, the vision we hold, the yearnings we feel.

And I won't be surprised at all if in 2008 the yearly meeting hears again from the Peace and Social Concerns Committee on this or related issues.

Blessings,
Liz

NEXT UP: Impact of epistles; a summary of Marshall Massey's accounting to the yearly meeting; a few other things, perhaps.

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES:
Iowa Conservative Sessions 2007: Part II and Part III: Marshall Massey
Learning the game Telephone Pictionary at 2007 sessions of IYM(C)

Some threads of who/what Convergent Friends are

This is a cross-post from a comment I made on Robin's post, in which she seeks a short-hand to explain to Friends just who or what Convergent Friends are:

"people who are engaged in the renewal movement within the Religious Society of Friends, across all the branches of Friends."

As Robin mentions in a reply to a comment on her post, it is a challenge to consider and craft a definition that isn't simply a perfect reflection of me!

-Liz

I've made a brief comment on Martin's post already but I realize I wanted to respond here as well.

I'm not sure this "short explanation" goes far enough or is specific enough. I'm thinking back to the "components" of the word convergent that Robin offered originally: emergent and conservative--as in, conservation of the faith and its practice.

Is there a way to include these in even a broad explanation? For example:

Convergent Friends are those who (1) are engaged in the emergence of the renewal movement that is occurring across the branches of the RSoF; (2) have a concern for exploring, conserving, and restoring what contributes to a vibrant, cohesive, intergenerational Quakerism; (3) are dedicated to re-examining and wrestling with our faith tradition's roots and practices; and (4) are not Christophobic, anti-Universalism, etc.

Okay, so it's a mouthful but it was a helpful exercise for ME, anyway, to pull out some of the threads, as Martin had done in a much earlier post on Quaker Ranter.

Blessings,
Liz

RELATED LINKS:

Martin's detailed post on the emergent church and Quaker renewal. (Ninth Month 2003)

Robin's original definition of convergent. (First Month 2006)

Robin's first re-consideration of the definition of convergent. (Third Month 2007)

Robin's second consideration of the definition of convergent. (Seventh Month 2007)

Martin's 2007 post on examining Robin's short explanation. (Seventh Month 2007)

Martin's subsequent post in reply to a Conservative Friend's comment, about how Ohio Yearly Meeting can help advance the conversation about renewal of some parts of our Quaker tradition. (Eighth Month 2007)

Seeking a definition of "opportunity"

Friends,

During a conversation tonight with a Friend, we stumbled across the word "opportunity," which is a word I have seen and heard Friends use in a way that differs from its secular use... but the Friend with whom I was speaking--and who has a longer history among Friends than I do--hadn't heard it before in a Quaker context.

So I thought I'd poll the Quaker blogosphere:

When have you heard, seen, or used the word "opportunity" in a way that differs from the secular meaning?

What working definition would you give it?

Do you have any knowledge of when or where this word appears in any Quaker texts...?

Do you have any other comments or thoughts about the use or meaning or origin of the word "opportunity"?

Thanks for any Llight you can shed on this subject!

Blessings,
Liz

P.S. I'll share a bit of how I explained this word to the Friend after a few of you have had a chance to respond.

UPDATE: Now that a few Friends have offered their own thoughts, here's a paraphrase of how I explained "opportunity" to this one particular Friend. You'll see that it mirrors some of what others have already mentioned:

In my own experience, there have been at least two uses of the word "opportunity."

One is when two or more Friends are gathered, usually for fellowship and conversation as compared to a workshop or worship--and the Friends find they have fallen into worship; the Spirit has covered them if only for a moment or a few passing minutes. So simply be being present to one another, we might experience this sort of Opportunity.

The other use of the word has been related to a planned event or a planned gathering of Friends, often with an intention of seeking to learn more of each other, to know one another more deeply in That Which Is Eternal, by way of engaging in the planned time and activity together.

I also made it clear to the Friend with whom I was talking that no one had ever given me a specific definition for this word, but rather I seem to have a small knack for picking up the nuances of terms and language over time. Quakerism and "Quakerese" is no exception.

And for Friends who happen to have the book that is mentioned in a comment below, On Living with a Concern for Gospel Ministry, Brian Drayton's own consideration of "opportunities" is on pp. 137-148. --Liz

A preview of posts to come

Oh my. So many weeks have gone by and I have much to write about but not enough time to write about it all!

Consider this a preview of topics I hope to cover, in no particular order, in Eighth Month 2007:

Demystifying the Gathering's workshop selection process (I plan to post something after I have submitted the final report from the Workshops Committee)

Directions to a game I learned at Iowa Yearly Meeting Conservative's annual sessions, called Telephone Pictionary.
UPDATE: Read about the game here.

A summary of Marshall Massey's plenary--that is, his accounting of his faithfulness to travel from Omaha to Harrisonburg, Virginia in 2006 (Marshall's own posts are contained at his Earthwitness Journal in reverse chronological order)

A post about everything else related to IYM(C) sessions: new insights and musings, points of interest that arose from Meeting for Worship with attention to Business, and my own opportunity to serve on an ad hoc committee.
UPDATE: I've completed Part I of my reflections.

I'll do my best to get to these things, and I believe they'll come more easily after I complete the final report on behalf of the Workshops Committee for the 2007 Gathering.

Whew!

Blessings,
Liz