Clear Creek Friends Meeting News

For 350 years, Quakers have talked about the light in each person. But what is it? Is our experience of the light today the same that gathered early Friends and forged them into a dynamic movement? ‘Experiment with Light’ draws upon the spiritual counsel of Quaker founder George Fox. It provides an opportunity to center our awareness in the light in a focused, intentional way. This renewal began over a decade ago with the work of Rex Ambler, a British Friend, who immersed himself in Fox’s letters of spiritual guidance and devised a guided meditation based on them. I have attended one of Rex Ambler’s workshops and found his guided meditation a powerful experience. It is non-manipulative and does not assume any particular system of belief.

‘Experiment with Light’ has been taken up in North America by Mel Keiser, retired professor of religion from Guilford College. Mel led a short workshop in Richmond last spring with the annual gathering of the Quakers in Pastoral Care and Counseling. He will lead a more extensive workshop Saturday, November 7, at the Earlham School of Religion. We will begin at 10:00 am with coffee and rolls, then move into Mel’s introduction and our first meditation at 10:30. A free, simple lunch will be provided around noon. More meditations will follow the afternoon. We will close by 4:30. The focus of meditation sessions will move from a personal focus in the morning, to meditations in the afternoon on one’s community, Meeting, or the world. This free workshop is co-sponsored by Earlham’s Newlin Center for Quaker Thought and Practice and by First Friends Meeting. It will help planning for lunch and refreshments if you call the Newlin Center (983-1605) in advance.

Do you encourage and support the educational activities of Friends? Are you interested in the schools of your community and concerned to establish practices in these consistent with the values you cherish as Friends? What efforts are you making to increase your understanding of your Quaker and other religious heritages and their relation to other religions?

Satya Stark-Benjar is participating once again in the presidential election year effort by college students and other young people to make a difference by working for progressive efforts for a ten week program. Participants are matched with progressive city resident hosts in swing states. To find out more and to donate online go to www.swingsemester.org . You may also mail a check to “Swing Semester” at 1133 19th Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20036. Satya asks us to consider sending our stimulus rebate checks to support this historic political immersion program initiated by young people.