Barnstable Friends Meeting

Quakers of the Light

559 Route 149 P.O. Box 718
Marstons Mills, MA 02648
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Barnstable Friends again worked and prayed on this year’s Working Paper of the NEYM Faith and Practice
Revision Committee: Chapter 3, Corporate Discernment in Meetings for Business. As before we appeal to
you to consider writing with more simplicity and clarity.
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Our Process
Following Meeting for Worship on 12/06 and 12/27/09, BFM discussed the Faith and Practice revision
currently under review. Prior to this, members of M&C prepared for this discussion by prayerfully
considering what stood out for us in this work. Our notes were then drafted, edited and approved at Business
Meeting 1/31/10.
Chapter 3: Corporate Discernment in Meetings for Business
We would like this chapter to be clearly and simply written so that a high school student could easily read
and understand it. We feel it would be of great value to come up with a clear, succinct and simple expression
on how a meeting arrives at unity.
Perhaps something like: “I often saw the necessity of keeping down to that root from whence our concern
proceeded, and to have cause, in reverent thankfulness, humbly to bow down before the Lord, who was near
to me, and preserved my mind in calmness under some sharp conflicts, and beget a spirit of sympathy and
tenderness in me towards some who were grievously entangled by the spirit of this world.” The Journal of
John Woolman and a Plea for the Poor
Barnstable Friends feel the opening paragraph (1) of definition was a very good place to start. However there
is some redundancy in paragraphs (2) and (4). In paragraph (3) we questioned the concept of humility: do
we always come with humility…yielding to God’s guidance or rather is it something for which we strive?
In these opening paragraphs there seems to be an emphasis on the concept that the sense of the meeting is not
necessarily unity of minds. Although this is true and should be mentioned, we feel it might be better for the
emphasis to be on corporate unity in Spirit. We as individuals might not always agree with a specific
decision, but to be in good order we all should be able, in the end, to say that the result is consistent with
how we see that Spirit is leading the group at that particular moment. If unity is not achieved, Friends need to
consider holding the issue over for a series of meetings, being extremely reluctant to proceed until such unity
of heart is achieved. This manner of doing business allows God to speak to the concern and often light a
path to a third way that might not have been revealed without this patient labor. Some of this is articulated in
paragraph (6), but we caution Friends not to make a fetish out of going slowly. This is only useful when it
serves a higher purpose, not to advance a personal or political agenda.
In paragraph (8) we think it unimportant where the clerk and recording clerk sit, as many meetings do not
have a table facing the group. However many clerks do find it useful to be able to see everyone’s faces, thus
it might be helpful for people to consider this as they make decisions on where to sit during meeting for
business. In paragraph 8-10 there were a couple of concepts that codify actions that may or may not prove
useful over time; such as “threshing session.” Some of us have found these to exacerbate division, problems,
hurts and to solidify personality conflicts rather then bring people to love and harmony. Paragraph 10 “A
Minute of Exercise” seems to be stated in language that might not be easily understood.

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In sections, (8-21) nuts and bolts aspects of a Meeting for Business are co-mingled with philosophy and
make it difficult to follow. While we liked paragraph 14 and 17, paragraph 13 seems redundant. We also
found troubling aspects in paragraph 19. This could be interpreted as stating that a Meeting’s job is to do the
clerk’s will, or that it’s advisable to follow group mentality rather then the still small voice. We think it
should be stressed that the clerk’s job is to follow the will of Spirit as it moves through the entire worshiping
group, not simply to follow the leadings of a select group of Friends. We were similarly troubled by the
language in paragraph 20 “the meeting as a whole may sense that it must proceed, not letting the carefully
examined concerns of a few people paralyze the meeting.” How can there be a reliably spirit-led way to
distinguish between the “few people” whose concern merits being a serious part of the deliberations and
those that are summarily rejected? We feel this whole idea contradicts an essential value of Friends’ process.
Sometimes a division in a meeting can be positive. It may lead to a new way of seeking together and a result
that no one could predict.
The complexity and responsibility of a clerk must never be taken lightly. This job requires both significant
effort and discernment. At times it is necessary for the clerk to share his/her concerns about a division taking
place in a meeting and the need for members to slow things down, to work with Friends to seek greater
understanding and unity as brothers and sisters of the Light. If some members are unable or unwilling to do
so, it is the role and responsibility of the clerk to help them to do so; meetings should strive for tolerance,
understanding, compassion, and good listening. A clerk’s heart should be heavy when these qualities are
lacking in meeting and the members should know of this sorrow and prayer. A clerk will be challenged at
times to rush or halt a process. It is the clerk’s role to emphasize the importance for members to listen, love
and work towards unity. When this does not happen, in order to provide ongoing guidance and until unity is
found, the clerk needs to ground him/herself in the ways of the Light.
Queries on Corporate Discernment
Beyond the problem with redundancy, we had some concern with paragraph 32 “trusting that Spirit has
guided those involved with decision-making.” Does this imply that there is a select group that has more
authority for being guided by Spirit then others? Does this not in practice set up a hierarchy of “priesthood”
for us? With these cases it can be difficult to determine whether Quaker process has been hijacked by the ego
of an entrenched elite or by a determined small group of “outsiders” each struggling to shift blame and
shame. We are all human, egos come up, issues of control arise, but Spirit, by definition, calls us to go
beyond power politics to the life of love and a respect for each and every individual. We feel that paragraph
#40 “How do we discern when God’s will for us is to feel the varying pieces of our apparent disunity and
seek for more guidance?” is a wonderful expression of the positive aspects of a spirit centered Meeting.
Extracts on Corporate Discernment
We found the extracts to be a mixed bag; some meaningful and very beautiful, some too wordy and dense.
#3.4 was troubling to us for we DO think of our business meeting as “meetings for worship for business.”
Sometimes we don’t do as good a job of staying-in-worship-in-business as we would like, but we feel the
distinction is one of either undirected, as in the meeting for worship or of directed worship as in a meeting
for Business. #3.7 was very confusing and not helpful.
We feel that there was simply too much presented, that a few choice quotes from Woolman, Penn or Fox
would be more effective. We wonder if the purpose of having so much material is to make Faith and
Practice more easily subject to interpretation? We were also concerned whether this text is easily accessible
to a new person coming into Friends and wanting to learn.
Finally we are wondering if perhaps we are taking ourselves too seriously. It might be a more accessible
book if there was some lightness, some humor.
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How many Friends does it take to change a light bulb?
Scenario 1--- None:
The Light shines by itself

Scenario 2 ----An infinite number

Step one: a concern in brought before a business Meeting
Step two: After discussion it is referred to a committee
Step three: The committee meets and discussed the need for the light in the coat room or whether it was not
in keeping with the testimony of simplicity
Step four: The committee reports back this concern to the Business Meeting
Step fiver: Older Friends speak about their difficulty finding their coats and the committee agrees to meet
again
Step six: Next Business Meeting the committee recommends proceeding and discussion ensues about
wattage to use
Step seven: It is again sent to committee, meanwhile Earthcare Ministry folks want to discuss whether to get
florescent, incandescent or LED
Step eight: By the time the committee reports back it is summer and no one is using the coat closet so the
issue is tabled until the following Autumn
The following autumn go back to Step one

Scenario 3 --- One

A long time Friend knowing the possibility of scenario 2 brings in a bulb and just changes it themselves;
other longtime Friends with similar ideas come and figure scenario 1 is in effect. Meanwhile the closet fills
up with an assortment of light bulbs.