Homesick in the Best Way Possible

By Emily Temple on 10/13/2011 @ 01:01 PM

There is nothing quite like the experience of sitting in a Quaker Meeting when all the smells, sounds, and colors are new. I recently had the pleasure of being welcomed in at Frederick Monthly Meeting in Frederick, Maryland. While I spent many wonderful summers in and around Frederick at Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Camp Catoctin, I had not the joy of worshipping in the downtown Meeting House. Since moving to Washington, DC, in early September, I had yet to visit a Meeting in the area. When Sandy Robson offered that we might head to Frederick together, I was thrilled.

Frederick Friends greeted us warmly and openly. We had great conversation and food following worship, including a cake welcoming new members that they very generously offered to us to take back to FCNL. After a lovely little lunch, we discussed what it meant to lobby, how Sandy and I each grew up in Young Friends programs, and how FCNL views this as the best moment for cuts to be made in the Pentagon budget. I was fortunate enough to speak with a Friend that day who was already planning her visit to Representative Bartlett’s office. She and several others in the community are interested in asking Bartlett to communicate with those on the Supercommittee about the necessary local funding and programs that would be lost if the Pentagon budget is not cut.

Spending time at Frederick Meeting made me feel homesick in the best way possible. It reminded me what it means to be lifted up and truly welcomed in by a faith community. Visiting Frederick Meeting also reminded me of all the incredible FCNL supporters there are across the country who believe in our work and mission. I feel empowered and honored by the trust our constituents have in us, and look forward to visiting as many Meetings and encountering as many Friends/friends of FCNL as possible. FCNL could not continue without the attention and care of individuals like those I met on Sunday.