A transcript of messages for State of the Meeting 1/28/18

A transcript of messages for State of the Meeting 1/28/18
 
Responses to the queries: How has our meeting changed me? Are there ways we would like meeting to change us? What might some of the Mechanisms be?
 
A snapshot of our meeting:
Today’s worship was deep and gathered. This gives me strength and hope.  Messages were from divine love, knitting us together towards a common purpose. The physical space is warm and welcoming and full.  As a side note, I almost didn’t come today; I couldn’t sleep for thinking of Elisabeth.  But our corporate worship has invigorated me. As I reflect over the past year, this is one way the meeting/corporate worship has changed me: My personal relationship with Jesus/God is exponentially better when shared among friends.
 
Courage, openness, warmth, devotion to Quaker values, determination to move forward in the Light and the light of these values.
 
Safe space and supportive community make one feel comfortable, welcome and - especially supportive of people in need of extra care.
 
The meeting has given me an outlet for my need to be involved in good causes and has helped me to always look for nonviolent perspectives.
 
People keep me going and have changed me for the better.
 
Being part of our meeting community enriches my life and that of family members.  Worship, spiritual exploration and depth call for and accompaniment with witness activity in the world – all this and more old Chatham meeting offers week after week and month after month.
 
Has made me better.
 
How does our meeting nurture contemplative practice and grounding in spirit?  Perhaps this is our growing edge? Balancing the “doing” of service in the deep “being” that changes even our neurons in the direction of compassion, trust and service this is our calling.
 
Meeting has helped me to listen deeply… To be more tolerant of views that are different from mine. To feel part of the “gathered meeting”, to value being in community, to feel the support of others in the meeting.
 
I have been coming to this meeting for so long that I can’t tell how it has changed me. I think it has helped me grow that is if I have.  I would like to deep and spiritually I’m not sure how.
 
Our meeting helps me realize I’m not alone – spiritually, politically, etc. so I feel stronger in knowing that I’m supported as I grow and act.  In our meeting I find silence from the empty noises of the world.  I would like to meeting to support us in our healing the world as a meeting but also our individual efforts.  In our meeting I find kind, gentle people.
 
Meeting has changed me by helping develop my sense of how tradition is the foundation of new openings.  “Way will open…”
 
How has the meeting changed me? I have become more appreciative of activist friends and the struggle to make the world a better place.  I have deepened my understanding of service and have come to value the opportunity and the gift of seeking to serve a group who is temperamentally and ideologically different from my natural inclinations.
 
Good people – universal concern for the nonviolent pursuit of peace.
 
As a non-Christian I appreciate all opportunities to practice acceptance of other religions – spiritual viewpoints. My continued attendance here does provide me contact with Christianity, Bible stories for the youth and children etc. As far as change in myself, it grows more and more easy to integrate my complete acceptance of a viewpoint that is not my own.  Our world needs this capacity.