World Quaker Day – 2021
Grand Rapids Friends Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA has just recently returned to a hybrid in-person Meeting for Worship format, with several people gathering at the Aquinas College Browne Center and others attending virtually by Zoom. On World Quaker Day, Sunday, October 3rd, eleven Friends attended virtually and four in-person. Our Meeting portrait shows those 15 smiling faces. You can see the smiling twinkle in the eyes of those with masks.
Though our World Quaker Day celebration was simple, our time together was heartwarming and the sharing of Friends during and after Worship was heartfelt, as always. We are all doing what we can to keep each other healthy and safe, while keeping our small Quaker community vital. Friends have joined us from all over Michigan and from many places around the U.S.
We continue to hold all of you in the Light, all over the world!
Author: Clerk
Meeting for Worship on Zoom – in the Manner of Friends
We are currently conducting our Meetings for Worship on Zoom in this manner:
We keep our microphones on “Mute” and the “Chat” option off during Worship. Halfway through the Clerk will read a query. Friends may respond out of the silence by unmuting and then muting again when finished.
Near the end of Meeting, the person closing Meeting will inquire if there is any ministry left unspoken, prayers needed, or joys to share. We respond to this, if moved to do so, in the manner of worship-sharing, with a moment of silence between responses.
Meeting closes after the question, “are Friends clear?”
After Meeting is closed, we enjoy visiting with one another.
If this is your first time attending a Quaker Meeting for worship, here is a link to what to expect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxjH4sa2RFI
World Quaker Day 2020
Grand Rapids Friends Meeting celebrated World Quaker Day this year by Zoom, with fellowship and a group photo following our Meeting for Worship on Sunday morning. There were 12 of us in attendance, and 10 stayed for the picture taking. Most of our fellowship centered around sharing about different experiences each of us has had with various Quaker communities around the World and also some stories about growing up in Friends Meeting or how we originally came to Quakerism. Our tradition during “normal times” is to host a homecoming potluck on World Quaker Day, and invite Friends who may not have attended for a while to join us. This year we have been able to expand our community to those who are too far away to attend in person, but can now join us by Zoom. Instead of potluck, each of us enjoyed our own snack or beverage at home while we visited. In doing so, we were all nurtured by sharing a simple meal, and precious time together.
Psalm for 2020
“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
“And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
“And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”
Virtual Meeting for Worship by Zoom
Friends,
In keeping with current public health policy, our first ever virtual Meeting for Worship on Zoom was held on Sunday, March 22nd. We had about 30 people in attendance, from both Grand Rapids Meeting and Holland Meeting, with a few attending from out of state. Thank you to those who attended, for being there and sharing part of your Sunday morning with us in Worship and visiting. It is so important that we help each other stay connected during this challenging time.
We will continue this method of communal worship each Sunday as long as necessary, If you need directions on how to attend, please contact the Clerk by emailing: clerk@grandrapidsfriends.org.