Friendly Connections?

Saturday, November 10th, 2007 in quakerism, convergence, convergent Friends by thefriendlyfunnel

During my Worship & Ministry committee meeting today, an idea came to me as I spoke a little bit about convergence. Back when I was in elementary school, my school had a “sister school” in Africa. We exchanged letters back and forth and the idea was that we’d learn what life was like for each of us. What if we did something like that at my Monthly Meeting?

Here’s my idea: My Monthly Meeting would pair up with a Monthly Meeting of a different kind, pastoral or semi-programmed. We’d correspond regularly, sharing news of our MMs, the trials we were facing and the blessings. The goal wouldn’t be to “convert” the other MM to our way of worship, but to exchange ideas and foster dialog. Then maybe once a year, we’d do an exchange: my MM would send one member to visit the other MM’s Meeting for Worship, and they would do likewise.

I didn’t have a name for this until right at the end of the committee meeting, but I think “Friendly Connections” might be a good one. It will take my committee a while to get this organized, if we choose to do it, as we’re between clerks right now; in the meantime, if any of you like this idea and want to run with it, please feel free.

Also in the meantime, if any of you from a different tradition would like to correspond with me in an informal way, I’d love that. I’d prefer letters, but email would also be a possibility. (Marshall Massey, I thought of you in particular as this idea came up… Are you interested at all?)

Thoughts?

“I am the fool whose life’s been spent between what’s said and what is meant.” Carrie Newcomer

“All the suffering in the world comes from wanting happiness for oneself. All the happiness in the world comes from wanting happiness for others.”

“Harmful beings are everywhere like space itself. Impossible it is that all should be suppressed. But let this angry mind alone be overthrown, And it’s as though all foes had been subdued.

To cover all the earth with sheets of leather—Where could such amounts of skin be found? But with the leather soles of just my shoes It is as though I cover all the earth!”
Shantideva

“We behave spiritually as I sometimes do in the gym: taking the elevator to the third floor in order to use the stair-climbing machine.” Mary Rose O’Reilley

“Let your life speak.” George Fox

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3 comments

November 14th, 2007 at 2:59 pm

Liz Wine

My name is Liz and I was brought up as an unprogrammed Quaker but have for the last 7 years attended a programmed church and enjoy participating in the dialouge between branches–I would be VERY interested in this!

Liz
lovinlifeliz.blogspot.com

November 19th, 2007 at 1:22 am

Zach Alexander

Hi Tania,
I know NEYM and Cuba YM do this at the YM level, called Puente de Amigos. I think there *may* be some MM pairing, but I might be wrong. It’s a good idea in any case.

Peace,
Zach

November 26th, 2007 at 3:26 pm

thefriendlyfunnel

Liz, can you send me an email with your name and address? You can email me at thefriendlyfunnel@quakerism.net . I’m not sure when I’ll get my first letter out, but I’ll try to do it before Christmas. Thanks for being willing to participate in this with me.