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Reflections
Saturday afternoon one Friend asked me if I was feeling any culture shock. Since I come from the unprogrammed "liberal" tradition of Quakerism (as did my parents), I supposed this question referred to form of worship. So I gave a short answer: no. There was no culture shock, I explained, because for some years, during the summer, I have often worshiped with Mennonites in rural Maryland. What I have found in Mennonite worship is very much like what I found among Friends in Richmond: functional, unadorned architecture and furnishings; participatory worship including long warm hymns with guitar accompaniment and lyrics projected on the front wall for all to see; informal, flexible and friendly leadership; scripture-based preaching offering a window into historic witness as well as right-now implications; and a healthy community fabric in which anyone at any given moment is likely to take a caring interest in the person next to them.
The particular language of Christianity was a notable difference. Unprogrammed Friends in the Northeast generally don't like much certainty. Strong assertions about God, how God works, and what God wants, can make us uncomfortable. We are more likely to favor a sharing of diverse languages and opinions. We prefer individual freedom. We let each person choose a theology and a morality that fits within the generally agreed-upon framework of community non-interference in each spiritual journey.
This contrast in my experience at Richmond was deeply refreshing. I derive joy from a shared community language with particularity. I feel good about overtly expressed confidence in the saving power of Christ. I feel elevated by the types of assertions that are strong enough to sustain us in this life and at the hour of death. I hope and intend to meet my Creator equipped with more than a capacity to offer and consider diverse opinions.
So this experience was a joy for me, manifest not only in the strong sense of community spirituality and community morality. I also enjoyed the experience of hearing how such certainty can work in a person's life, in a faith community's growth, and in one sub-tradition's relationship with other Christian communities as we usher in the coming Kingdom. For me this gathering was time well spent or, I should say, gift of time received.
John Benson
Wilton, CT
203-834-0812