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Allen’s Neck Friends Meeting |
Rambling Around the Parsonage
Many of you will remember Katie A. from Halifax, Nova Scotia who visited with us all here at Allen’s Neck for four weeks last summer.
She sends a warm "hello" to all of you. One of her opportunities last summer was to visit with Virginia M. who was in a rehabilitation hospital in Fairhaven at the time. Visiting Virginia was an important formation experience for Katie. After arriving home to Halifax, she took a job as a chaplain in a hospital and much of her time is spent visiting with elderly patients. Katie told me that her experience with Virginia gave her some of the confidence she needed to take the job.
Katie thanks us for her time here and thanks Virginia for helping her take the next step in her vocational life. Katie is about to leave for Brazil, she is the Canadian Quaker representative to the meeting of the World Council of Churches. This coming summer, Katie will give the Bible halfhour each day at Canada Yearly Meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Thank you, Katie for spending time with us last summer.
I hope we will look for another intern this summer.
I love our little meeting at Allen’s Neck. We don’t all see things the same way--we are learning Quaker silent waiting worship--we are learning how to be a blessed community. Quaker spirituality is a "we" spirituality according to Rufus Jones.
Linked together in the spirit and the grace, the presence of God fills our hearts and spills out into the world.
"Whenever two or three are gathered together in my name…"
"My cup runneth over…"
Runners run, teachers teach, cooks cook, and seekers after God pray...and praying is more about turning towards God than it is about the right words. There is a Quaker query that we can hold in the cup of the palms of our hands like a baby bird.
Do you live in the thankful awareness of God’s constant presence in your life? Are you sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit? Do you seek to follow Jesus who shows us the way? Do you nurture your spiritual life with prayer and silent waiting and with regular study of the bible and other devotional literature? (New England Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 1986, p.211)
Some ancient codger told me that the soul (the inward life) is like an old woodstove:
On a winter morning - Clang!
The door opens and there are yesterday’s ashes. They look cold, but stir ‘em with a stick, and there...a glowing coal..
Heraclitus’ fire.
Peter
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