Centering on Peace

By Gregory A. Barnes, via peace@friendsjournal.org

“Heeding God’s Call: A Gathering on Peace” was coming up--on Tuesday, January 13. Liz Perch, the Gathering coordinator, had already invited registrants “to make prayer a central part of your preparation . . . . Our gathering depends on the transforming power of God.” At the same time, Wade Wright, Regional Field Secretary for Upper Susquehanna Quarter of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, challenged Friends who were participating to meet with him at Pendle Hill on the 12th to “prepare ourselves for the gathering.” That seemed like a good idea to this unprogrammed Friend: since silence looked to be in short supply in the week of the gathering, it might be wise to start centering on Monday.

Thus, the already full week ahead became even fuller. Still, where was the challenge in a small group of Quakers talking about peace? It should have been a snap—maybe even boring. But because of the questions and challenges Wade and co-planner Mac Lemann of South Central Yearly Meeting set for us, it didn’t turn out that way. It became a richer week as well.

We began over lunch in the Main House at Pendle Hill, ten strangers trying to cohere. The closest to a common denominator among our group was that three of the participants had come from Britain Yearly Meeting. The Americans arrived from various parts of the land—from Oregon, New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York--and had various spiritual gifts and inclinations. One was an Evangelical Friends pastor, one an atheist (and a communist, to boot), and one confessed to being “no pacifist.” Oh yes—and one had departed from a long history of Quakerism to join a community church. As Wade noted, we were diverse.

What linked us was a longing for peace and for a peace conference that might make a difference. When we had gathered for discussion in Pendle Hill’s Upmeads House, Wade and Mac asked us to focus on peace and on our own histories as peace-makers. We broke into two groups, and after a few minutes of quiet time making notes of our own experiences, shared these recollections. Some of the participants had devoted their lives from an early age to peace-making, whereas others had come slowly or more modestly to the work.

There were times when the groups fell silent, not in worship but in thoughtfully confronting our pasts—doubtless in some cases (my own, anyway) remembering missed opportunities. Back in the larger circle we reviewed highlights from what we had heard from one another.

By 4:30 a break was needed. Most of us went out for a walk in the cold air, or joined a tour for newcomers to Pendle Hill. Thus refreshed, we spent the hour before dinner setting out our leadings for peace, our hopes for the conference, and plans for our own lives. We drew matters together as though we had arrived at a sense of the meeting, as we might have done in our home meetings for business: we should all listen deeply and expectantly for God, for our own calls; listen to ourselves and to others; and find our own voices. We labored then over the motto, “Be faithful.” It didn’t work for the group as a whole, but we found unity in “Be in harmony with Truth.”

By dinner time we were chatting like old friends, but we were not done laboring. When we had walked back through the dark to Upmeads House, Wade and Mac had a final, difficult task for us: to explore our own comfort with prayer in its various manifestations. We were to consider what prayer we would propose for the success of the gathering ahead; what prayers we would want from others for ourselves; how comfortable we were with having prayer voiced; and what role should laying on of hands have? After all, we were headed to an ecumenical gathering where our fellow worshippers—principally Mennonites and Church of the Brethren members, but representatives of many other denominations as well—might well take these concepts literally as a matter of faith.

It was agreed that we should talk in our original small groups till “all hearts were clear.” We ended by inadvertently creating a picture of the diversity among Friends. One group doubted the value of intercessory prayer, preferred praying in silence to raising their voices, and confined their touch to the circle of hands so often associated with Quaker grace.

The other group was visibly and audibly at variance. They prayed together vocally in a deeply physical embrace past the hour at which the others had finished, and past the time set to join other Pendle Hill Friends in worship. They stayed behind as the first group slipped out. No call came from Wade for us to explain ourselves. Each of us in our individual ways had prepared for the Gathering.