Meeting for Worship Once Again

By Sandy Robson on 10/14/2011 @ 06:36 PM

Tags: Quakers

Today we resumed the old FCNL practice of morning meeting for worship. Former Executive Secretary Joe Volk recalls that before the renovation staff used to meet in the Wilson conference room on Monday mornings. We often begin our staff and committee meetings with long periods of worship, but it was nice to gather together without another purpose. Staring out at the Hart Senate office across the street, I liked the notion that Quakers have practiced their faith on Capitol Hill since 1959 (and even before that!).

Here is the message I shared in meeting today (or at least, the gist of it):

In his book How to Meditate, Lawrence LeShan compares meditation to physical exercise. Just as one exercises for the effect it will have on the body, one meditates for the effect it will have on the mind and spirit. There isn’t really any way to cheat at physical fitness—my arms will only get stronger if I do push ups and I will only get faster if I run regularly. I’ve come to believe it’s the same with prayer. There are no short cuts or quick rewards, only the joy of growing closer and closer to God.

Can we practice our faith the way an athlete practices a sport or a musician practices an instrument? The word “practice” does not imply perfect execution from the outset; it suggests that we gradually improve over time. When I first started playing the guitar it felt awkward, frustrating, and pointless; I made mistakes and was too shy to play in front of others. When I watched seasoned musicians it felt like that they had some innate proclivity to perform that I sadly did not possess. Sometimes we don’t know what we’re practicing for or how long it will take to get better, but if we stick with it through the difficult times eventually we’ll be able to sit down in front of hundreds of people and play a complex melody as naturally as a bird sings. (Take “Freebird,” for instance.)

It’s helpful to have coaches and teachers to learn from, and it’s nice to have teammates and fellow musicians to play with. I like to think that by practicing faith together in meeting for worship, we can learn to play our solos loud and long.