Reflections on Peace Sabbath
Sorry this has taken so long! I wanted to get the audio up before I made my post...
Our Valentine's Day Peace Sabbath was a wonderful time of prayer and witness (to read more about the motivation for the event, read the previous post). From 9am - 5pm the Meeting House was open for prayer. Several people from the Meeting began to come for prayer in the afternoon and it was a very worshipful time. Then, at 5pm, we had a seminar on Quaker Peace and Justice, which an unprogrammed Friend who splits her time between the programmed and unprogrammed meeting, and I led together. We covered the history of schisms within Quakerism, and practices for community reconciliation, such as the Victim Offender Reconciliation Project (VORP). During our seminar, we emphasized that part of what the Peace Sabbath was all about was that an unprogrammed Friend and a programmed Friend could take together about the history and testimonies that bring us together. After the seminar, at approximately 6pm, we had a half hour of worship with singing, a prayer for peace and a reflection on peace as a holistic reality. Following our time of worship, we shared a meal together and embodied true fellowship.
I sent letters of invitations to temples, mosques, Native American tribes, other churches, and unprogrammed meetings. No one outside of Olympic View Friends Church attended the Sabbath, but I know that the unprogrammed meeting published my letter of invitation in their newsletter and so I feel that the message of reconciliation and love was adequately extended to those around us.
For me, this was a simple but exciting way to participate in God's reconciliation. It was wonderful to have the freedom to say, "this day is a free gift of love, we expect nothing in return." I think that we were freed to be open to whatever the Spirit might bring our way!
Our Valentine's Day Peace Sabbath was a wonderful time of prayer and witness (to read more about the motivation for the event, read the previous post). From 9am - 5pm the Meeting House was open for prayer. Several people from the Meeting began to come for prayer in the afternoon and it was a very worshipful time. Then, at 5pm, we had a seminar on Quaker Peace and Justice, which an unprogrammed Friend who splits her time between the programmed and unprogrammed meeting, and I led together. We covered the history of schisms within Quakerism, and practices for community reconciliation, such as the Victim Offender Reconciliation Project (VORP). During our seminar, we emphasized that part of what the Peace Sabbath was all about was that an unprogrammed Friend and a programmed Friend could take together about the history and testimonies that bring us together. After the seminar, at approximately 6pm, we had a half hour of worship with singing, a prayer for peace and a reflection on peace as a holistic reality. Following our time of worship, we shared a meal together and embodied true fellowship.
I sent letters of invitations to temples, mosques, Native American tribes, other churches, and unprogrammed meetings. No one outside of Olympic View Friends Church attended the Sabbath, but I know that the unprogrammed meeting published my letter of invitation in their newsletter and so I feel that the message of reconciliation and love was adequately extended to those around us.
For me, this was a simple but exciting way to participate in God's reconciliation. It was wonderful to have the freedom to say, "this day is a free gift of love, we expect nothing in return." I think that we were freed to be open to whatever the Spirit might bring our way!
posted by Jon at 11:14 AM
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