Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Conservative Friends Mtg

Sunday I had a very Friendly day. First I attended a joint meeting of the Ministry & Nurture and Advancement committees in the Grand Rapids Friends Meeting, so we could begin to address some needs of our Meeting. Then I went to Bible Study and Meeting for Worship of the Crossroads Friends Worship Group (under the care of the Stillwater Monthly Meeting in the Ohio Yearly Meeting of Friends). I had been feeling the need for Bible Study since I have been away from the Seventh-day Adventists, and as soon as I wrote this in a letter to my sister, the Crossroads meeting was announced. Well, put the need out there....

Some (about half, perhaps) of the Conservative Friends are also "Plain Friends" -- they dress similarly to the Amish or Old Order Mennonites as a testimony to simplicity. Yet they drive cars and have electricity in their homes. Conservative Friends differ from Liberal Friends (Friends General Conference) in their Christocentrism and more devoted study of the Bible. Like Liberal Friends, they have silent meetings for worship, waiting upon the movement of Christ through the Holy Spirit for spoken ministry. As a "convergent" Friend, I found much joy in this meeting of F/friends. As they meet in Flint, I may not be able to be present with them often.

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