tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post3750188314163460614..comments2023-03-20T05:46:29.855-04:00Comments on Chronicler's Minutiae: Weighing the call to travel in the ministryChroniclerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09975664843098264401noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-69481292106918213562011-01-23T09:29:35.746-05:002011-01-23T09:29:35.746-05:00Chronicler, I want to affirm that some of us who w...Chronicler, I want to affirm that some of us who would be more content to stay planted in one place are called to travel at times.<br /><br />There have been different tones for some of the travels I have been called to. In one case, the call was as clear as if I had heard it with my ears, and my heart was set. I still checked in with a trusted person who confirmed it. It was of a somewhat urgent nature, so I went. And all that followed continued to affirm the leading.<br /><br />Sometimes the pull seems more muted. Perhaps the urgency seems less, I don't know.<br /><br />Once, I was called to cancel travel plans, which, due to the nature of the situation, I carefully reviewed with trusted elders. Again, all that followed affirmed the rightness of the leading.<br /><br />So, I pray that thee and all around thee in their roles to help and advise thee in the Spirit of the Lord will hear clearly and move in the Strength of the Lord.Rayenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-71036654340767992922011-01-22T18:38:07.609-05:002011-01-22T18:38:07.609-05:00In my experience many of the things that thee wond...In my experience many of the things that thee wonders about are revealed while visiting the meeting. In most instances I have written to the clerk so that they knew I was coming. It does feel awkward to tell the clerk what to do with ones own traveling minute, but the few times when the meeting seemed at a loss I just asked the members of the meeting to sign there names, explaining that the signed minute was the way my own meeting could participate a way that I could be accountable to them. Does that make sense?Nancy Hawkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04205972089730618717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-91785660687918632432010-09-27T08:47:55.737-04:002010-09-27T08:47:55.737-04:00Dear Chronicler
As long as it feels like it will ...Dear Chronicler<br /><br />As long as it feels like it will not interfere with your primary calling, I would encourage you to use the opportunity to build up a stronger culture of eldership in the meetings you visit by developing some way to help them deal with your minute. We are losing the traditions surrounding ministry, especially traveling ministry, and that is a shame. You may be the only opportunity these meetings get to recover their tradition, or at least, to consider whether they want to.<br /><br />Perhaps a letter sent ahead of time to the clerk and to whoever oversees ministry in each meeting, outlining your process with your own meeting, the traditions of endorsement and opportunities and the corporate effort and discernment they require, and expressing hope that they will be willing to prepare the meeting for your visit. We do much the same with meetings for marriage and memorial meetings, when we expect non-Friends to attend, giving a little orientation at the beginning somehow, so that visitors feel comfortable rather than confused and so that we can have some hope of real worship.Steven Davisonhttp://www.biblemonster.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-39607981125678670392010-09-26T23:13:38.505-04:002010-09-26T23:13:38.505-04:00Hmm .... questions, questions.
Marty - Quaker ge...Hmm .... questions, questions. <br /><br />Marty - Quaker geography has become a challenge of late. The meetings that I have in mind are not part of Iowa or North Carolina YMs. Since Ohio Friends consider Columbiana and Mahoning Counties to be Salem QM and what's left of the world to be Stillwater QM, none of these potential visits will be outside of Stillwater QM. <br /><br />Richard - thy insights are entirely correct. I have been rather busy of late - if I get a chance, I may adjust part of the posting to reflect thy more precise wording. <br /><br />Bill - I do not travel anonymously. The reason that I do not have my name identified here is that for some reason I am perceived to be controversial outside of my YM, though I do not have a desire to be so. As a result, my words have to stand on their own. I have known thee for about 17 years, and I think thee can figure out who I am if thy curiosity requires it.<br /><br />Martin - thank thee for this information! I will check out these materials.Chroniclerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975664843098264401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-20991024414425143622010-09-25T20:20:55.542-04:002010-09-25T20:20:55.542-04:00Hi Chronicler: if the travel is going to be among ...Hi Chronicler: if the travel is going to be among liberal Friends, thee might be able to direct them to the <a href="http://www.fgcquaker.org/traveling/home" rel="nofollow">resources that FGC has put together</a>. Most of them are old (I put them online!) but they're still good and it might ease the way to show that recovering traveling ministries is not "just" a Conservative Friends concern.<br /><br />I've found that visiting ministers often plant seeds that aren't immediately noticeable. Has thee heard my story of teaching a Quakerism 101 class at Moorestown Meeting? When we got to the section on Conservative Friends, participants eagerly wanted to talk about two plain visitors to quarterly meeting a few months before (I later deduced that Chip T was one). The visit had sparked a curiosity that had gone unnamed since and my class was a place to talk about it and ask questions.<br /><br />If thee does move forward in traveling, I'd love to coordinate something with QuakerQuaker. There's a lot of isolated Christian Friends on the list and I think it should be possible to use real-life travels as a way to make connections.<br /><br />Thank thee for sharing this!Martin Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06999620933648327663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-81551518031181448232010-09-25T12:47:06.616-04:002010-09-25T12:47:06.616-04:00Could you travel anonymously? I've never hear...Could you travel anonymously? I've never heard of that, but I don't know who you are because you don't reveal your name. Have you tested this with your meeting?Bill Samuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752443575410023776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-33173379027275462612010-09-24T14:02:48.566-04:002010-09-24T14:02:48.566-04:00Thank thee for this, Chronicler. I especially lik...Thank thee for this, Chronicler. I especially liked to hear the queries about expectations, along with thy own responses. This is helpful for many situations for which discernment is useful.<br /><br />Would thee please explain what is meant by traveling outside thy own quarterly meeting? Does that refer to the geographical area of thy quarterly, or to meetings outside thy branch of Friends, or something else?Marty Callihamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734763.post-22183811319976975722010-09-24T13:17:39.813-04:002010-09-24T13:17:39.813-04:00I would advise that you not harbor expectations ab...I would advise that you not harbor expectations about how the visited meeting will respond. Especially you should not harbor any expectations that it will be significant. That sound's a little too much like your ego talking. If you are genuinely led to visit you will feel an internal push to go. And when you go you will feel a sense of rightness and release even if you get no visible response at all from the visited meeting. Just be faithful and don't try to control what happens or use your intellect to create results of your choosing.RichardMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08564152237574253857noreply@blogger.com