Eldering Story by Anonymous

Anonymous said...
Judy, what a lovely post about eldering. RichardM, my husband, has been trying to get more people to discuss eldering as well. I think my first experience with eldering was the day an older, grandmotherly looking woman approached me at a pot luck, and said, 'I hear you're moving, is there a meeting, maybe you'll start one'. My response was total bafflement, I was only a relative newcomer to Friends. That was 23 years ago. We are in North Carolina and similar to you, there was a worship group here, and we were sufficient catalyst to get the meeting to weekly meeting for worship. We have over the years become the elders of the meeting. This past summer, the meeting was clear to appoint us both elders. (there has been a great deal of coming and going in membership over the years within the meeting and previous members were against appointing elders). Today after meeting we spent some time with a new attender at meeting who is very new to Quakerism and hopefully answered his questions. (Another form of eldering). Within our Yearly Meeting, eldering is a regular practice, at least at the Yearly meeting itself. I am still surprised when I am thanked for my work as elder. I hope I am a vehicle for God's work.MaryM
March 30, 2008 8:58 PM Anonymou, Thank you for your story. It helps me understand how we are being lead to eldering. Not something I thought I would be doing.
Blessings, Judy

What are your stories on eldering?

Will T.'s post on "Growing Together in the Light: Ministry, humility and community" helped me to recognize that I have taken on the function of elder in an isolated unaffiliated worship group.

The question that kept coming to me and still does - Don't experienced Friends have a responsibility and obligation to encourage, support, teach people, new to friends in situations of isolation, what Friends practices and discipline are?

The situation is that when my husband and I moved from the midwest to Idaho, we discoverd a Friends Worship Group in our new home. The WG was unafiliated, isolated, met for worship twice a month, and worship was always silent. There were four individuals who made up the group, a member of Friends and three people who wnted to become Friends.

I asked if we could meet weekly? With that question I was beginning to take on the role of elder, although I didn't realize it. During the eighteen months that have followed, I continued to ask questions such as: how do you make decisions as a WG? What can we do to make ourselves more visible in the larger community? Do you want to be affiliated with the Society of Friends? What does it mean to be a Friend?

Personally I struggled with what I was doing. I felt like I was being pushy. I wondered if I was bringing about conflict in the group because the one Friend was resistent to any change, and the others wanted to move on. Many times I wanted to slip into the woodwork, but I couldn't, the question of responsibility would raise its head.

What has happend in the eighteen months? We are now under the care of Logan MM, Utah. People feel prompted to speak in meeting for worship. We are connected to one another. We laugh and enjoy one another. While the one Friend has difficulties with the movement, she is still with us. I am now teaching Quakerism 101.

What is your experience in eldering? What was the opening that resulted in your eldering? With your permission, I would like to publish your stories to my blog.

Blessings, Judy

Growing Together in the Light: Ministry, humility and community

Growing Together in the Light: Ministry, humility and community

Come Lord Jesus, Come

blank pages
waiting
come Lord Jesus,come

Parkinson's is a wise teacher. I've not wanted to learn, at times. Layers are pulled back and lessons are presented about "Letting go." How to stop the basic drive I have to push forward no matter how tired I am? no matter how debilitated?

waiting
listening for deeper places
wondering, stopped

no matter how much I want to keep going? no matter, no matter? Yet, a new teacher comes, chronic progressive bronchitis. My body speaks loudly and I have to pay attention, no more pushing, or keeping on going no matter what.

considering
blessings
in disguise

There are new blessing here to claim - blessed quietness and the Presence of One who loves and fills me with peace.

spring snows
on the pavement
a yellow jacket

Forgiveness and Blessing

This elderly pastor has been housebound for 7 years after having a stroke. Now he has received a wheelchair and will again be able to travel the 2 miles to church. Santa, Cameroon. Noel F. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

During the Lenten season, I've been focusing on "forgiveness." For many Christians today is Good Friday. For me the heart of Christianity is forgiveness and blessing.

Here is a question for you: What is the difference between forgiveness and blessing?

Please share your thinking, feelings, stories relating to this question in Comments.

Blessings,
Judy

Long Winter

It has been a long winter, mixed with illness and pleasures, even joys. I stop and ask what energy do I have? How do I use it? How do I know when enough is enough?

We saw "Bucket List." Timely. The question now is: if you have a prognosis of one year or less to live, what do you decide - in what ways will you live blessings?

What if your prognosis is longer, indefinite, but your energies lessen and there is an increase in non-motor symptoms?

What if you or I have, say, two or three years? Then what? These are the questions I am living with.

More than ever, it is time to relax and to trust in my Beloved Creator. "All will be well, I say. All will be well again." I manage to be trusting, but then the trust evaporates. How to stay centered in the eternal?

A wonderful, joyful pleasure is that my Pocatello family, David and I, our daughter and our two granddaughters, ages eleven and nine, are knitting a wedding quilt for our second oldest granddaughter who lives in Ohio. David agrees to knit one square, so he is learning to knit, imagine that? The colors and designs are rich. There are lots of mistakes, just as in life and marriage, yet they are knitted into the fabric and life is strengthened, love grows and wraps us in warmth.

Blessing is living in the moment, surrounded by love and held close.

Judy

Meeting for Worship, Diversity and Participation in . . .

I agreed to represent Friends in the Community Interfaith Thanksgiving and to speak on Gratitude for Diversity


Gratitude for Diversity
Judy Brutz


This morning the Quakers sat in silent worship as we considered the query, “What is gratitude for diversity? Why is it important?”

One Friend told us, “When I think of diversity, I think of colors and shapes found in Nature, among the animals, the plant life, the minerals and the people, all people – all of life. If we moved away from the diversity of color and shapes towards a monochromatic palette, life would be so boring. The survival of the planet depends on diversity.”

Another message shared, “I no longer think of community as my local community, nor as our national community, but as the world community. If we are to live peace we must embrace the diversity of all people, cultures, and spirituality, as well as the health of the planet.

I meditate on the question, “Who is my neighbor?” To walk the earth as a Peacemaker means to consider every human being, throughout the world as my neighbor. I must also embrace the life of the planet and do all that I can to bring about health for our Mother Earth. We must reach out to the poor, the starving, the disposed, those imprisoned, those enslaved, those forced into sexual slavery, those in military and violent conflict. The list seems to have no end. The question comes to what does the Divine Healer ask of me?

I commit to:
Journey with an open mind and gentle heart
Accept with grace and gratitude the diversity I encounter
Revere and protect the natural environment, which sustains all life
Appreciate all cultures I discover
Respect and thank my hosts for their welcome
Offer my hand in friendship to everyone I meet

I believe that we must offer hospitality to those who come to our homes and our borders. Quakers have a saying which is we must answer that of God in every person.

Beloved Creator, we offer thanks for the diversity found in the world. Bless us that we might love with your heart all of life. Bless us that we might embrace those who are different than ourselves. Bless us that we might end the wars and conflicts in which we take part. Bless us that we might bless those who shoot at us. Bless us that we might become attuned to the world and the planet, not in monochromatic shades but as a full rich palette of colors.
AMEN.


Pocatello Community Thanksgiving Service, November 18, 2007
First Presbyterian Church, Pocatello, Idaho