Not too many years ago when I attended seminary, one of my
mentors on ESR’s faculty encouraged my cohort and me to participate in a
worship community outside of the seminary.
I am not sure I entirely understood why this was so important at the
time. In my experience, ESR was a
vibrant setting that provided me plenty of opportunities for creative worship,
deep spiritual friendships and space to flex my emerging leadership
muscles. I honestly didn’t feel a
pressing need to engage with a local meeting or church. I ate, slept, and breathed religion
throughout my week, so I didn’t see the point in rolling out of bed on a Sunday
morning to make it to meeting.
Having
pastored a few years, I’ve discovered the wisdom in my mentor’s words. I wish I had spent more time in a local faith
community during seminary. There is
value in venturing beyond the corner of National Road and College Avenue. I remember reading in Supervised Ministry
that seminaries attract intuitive types; however, most congregations are composed
of folks who fall on the sensate side of the Myers-Briggs spectrum. As an intuitive myself, I have had to learn
how to package many of the challenging ideas I explored in seminary in ways
that are accessible to folks who don’t spend time reading scholarly religious
literature. Worshiping in a local
congregation reminds an emerging minister of the concerns and thoughts of real
life people. Karl Barth is said to have
commented "we must hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the
other.” Seeking God in a local meeting
or church is one way of exploring where theology and the concrete concerns of
people intersect.
If you are
looking for a place to belong, or just to stop in to visit, know that you are
welcome at First Friends. We are a
semi-programmed meeting, which means we seek God in hymns, prayers, and joys
and concerns as well as in a period of open worship in which all are invited to
speak, as they feel led. Once a month we
set aside the pastoral sermon to create more space for open worship.
First
Friends was Richmond’s first church, and we existed prior to our yearly
meeting, Indiana Yearly Meeting. Our
rich Quaker heritage continues to be important to us. We nurture our Quaker identity in conducting
our Meetings for Business through Quaker process, weekly readings of queries
and advices, and regular forums on Quaker spirituality and history.
In the past year, First Friends has
spent a fair amount of time exploring who we are and who we want to be as a
meeting. From this work, we have been
able to articulate gifts in hospitality, community and acceptance. Within our fold, one can find Friends who
identify as evangelicals as well as those who describe themselves as
Universalists. We are comfortable with
theological diversity and see this as one of our strengths.
My first
encounter with First Friends was as a seminary student. At the time, I was taking a course on prayer,
and one of the requirements was leading a six-week class, exploring various
prayer forms. Several members of First
Friends were receptive, allowing me a safe place to exercise my ministerial
skills. At other times, First Friends
has embraced seminarians’ gifts for an extended period during Supervised
Ministry. If you are looking for a
chance to practice pastoral care or assist in worship planning and leadership,
you are welcome at First Friends.
There is
more that I could say about the meeting, yet the best way to get a feel for
First Friends is to stop in for a visit.
We are located at 2010 Chester Boulevard, and meeting for worship begins
at 9:30 am. After meeting is an informal
time of fellowship, which is followed by First Day School for children as well
an adult forum. If the topic of
Quakerism and evil fascinates you, I would put in a plug for April Vanlonden’s
evening Bible study, which begins on September 6th.
We would
love to have you visit!
--Jeff
Wolfe
Thanks for sharing. I like the idea of setting aside extra time for open worship. :) Andrea Long
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