Every Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. ET, FCNL hosts a gathering on zoom for F/friends around the country. This is an opportunity to engage in silent worship and reflection with one another. It is a time to come together in community.
The intention is to provide space for whatever each attender needs, whether that be a time to sit with God, or just a moment to breathe after a long day. Everyone is welcome!
What to expect as we center
Each week, a host shares a short quote and/or query to prompt reflection. The purpose of this sharing is to provide guidance for reflection and to center the group’s focus.
Hosts share something that speaks to them. Past centering readings have included passages from the Bible or other sacred texts, poetry, excerpts from Quaker writing, songs, and words from peace and justice advocates.
The following are some examples of queries or reflections that have guided our time together:
“Give over thine own willing, give over thy own running, give over thine own desiring to know or be anything and sink down to the seed which God sows in the heart, and let that grow in thee and be in thee and breathe in thee and act in thee; and thou shalt find by sweet experience that the Lord knows that and loves and owns that, and will lead it to the inheritance of Life, which is its portion.”
“Search out whatever in your own way of life may contain the seeds of war. Stand firm in our [peace] testimony, even when others commit or prepare to commit acts of violence, yet always remember that they too are children of God.”
“Courage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work; a future. To be courageous is not necessarily to go anywhere or do anything except to make conscious those things we already feel deeply and then to live through the unending vulnerabilities of those consequences. To be courageous is to stay close to the way we are made.”
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgent, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.”
“My life flows on in endless song above Earth’s limitations, I hear the real, though far-off hymn that hails the new creation. Above the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing; It sounds an echo in my soul, how can I keep from singing?”
Query: In this difficult time, how do you balance wants and needs of your community with your own wants and needs? Does playing a role as an ally change how we prioritize this balance? How can we consistently work as activists while also tending to our own needs?
Query: What do I need to grieve right now so I can envision a better world?
Please join us!
We’d love to have you join us! Additionally, please reach out to ehulbert@fcnl.org with any quote or query ideas you’d like to reflect on each Wednesday. We’d love to hear from you!
