Hm, it's been a few days since we came back from the Friends General Conference Gathering of Friends in Wisconsin. Though I've already put up a post or two, it will take some time to process the week.
My workshop, which I blogged about ahead of time, turned out to be rich and deep. In meeting for worship back in San Francisco last Sunday, I took time to remember the names and faces of each of the 20 or so friends around the circle in our workshop, or "worship shop" as co-leader Peter Crysdale called it. (One of the other participants is the brother of a long-time attender of our meeting.) And then I spent time remembering who was actually in the room with me at that moment in San Francisco. The two exercises complemented each other nicely.
I appreciate Paul L.'s series of on-the-spot posts about the gathering. His blog, Showers of Blessings, is named for his favorite Sacred Harp tune. I joined the afternoon singing of the Sacred Harp group every afternoon, and also for the incidental music at the Heart of the Beast production on Wednesday evening. It is stirring stuff to sing loudly together about life and death, especially the latter.
Liz's "evaluation" of her "workshop" -- serving as co-clerk of the workshops committee -- is wonderful. It should show up on QuakerQuaker soon...
I didn't have the space to blog much while there. Robin served as "Friend in Residence" to the Junior Gathering (aka children's programs), so she was out of the dorm by 6:30 every morning to get breakfast and organize meeting for worship for the Junior Gathering staff. I got the boys up and breakfasted and to their programs and then myself to my workshop. Most days I had to choose between getting the boys and me to brush our teeth or getting on time to my workshop's opening worship. Usually, I chose toothbrushing. A friend in the workshop said she didn't like to say people are late, they're there whenever they get there. While I don't have that same sense of detachment, and believe it is better when I arrive on time, it was a comfort to me during the week.
For now, I must take the The Parting Hand...
1 comment:
I'm really glad you were at the singings each day. The more Quakers who learn to sing and love the Sacred Harp, the better, in my opinion. A woman in our workshop said that she didn't know what else could bind people together so quickly other than singing. I might argue for an expanded list that includes gathering in silent worship, breaking bread together, and knitting. That's highly personal and subjective list, of course. The more channels we have for communion, though, the more our hearts are bound together and the better we know one another in the Spirit.
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