GIL February

We had our small Growing In the Light group meeting last night. It was wonderful. It was my turn to facilitate. I have been struggling with "what is God", so that was what I asked us to contemplate and share about. Nothing like a light, easy topic (or maybe Light, not so easy). I asked that we allow a lot of silence between speaking. We took turns talking about our perceptions, and to a small extent, our experiences of God. My dear friends were accepting of the question, although there was some amount of frustration in trying to communicate about Something Indescribable. The only way to attempt is through metaphor or allegory and even then there is so much unspoken, unknown.

I feel (yes, I'm gonna say it) blessed to have this group. I can ask a question that is so huge as to be overwhelming and I am held with love and answered from each person's heart with utmost sincerity. Each of us has concerns, problems, frustrations and we are all LISTENED to and truly cared for. If we don't understand, we wait and keep listening until at least one of us says, "yes!"

The first hour, we spoke out of silence about God. The second hour we talked more freely about where we are in our spiritual development. I talked a little but listened more. It was good. God (whatever, whoever, however God is) was with us, uniting us, guiding us. I am touched to be with a group of people who desire to know, to feel, to experience Spirit in each moment.

Before we went into the warm room that we call the grotto, we talked a bit about Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business. Sylvia has been reading "Beyond Consensus" and said that we should do a class for everyone using it and also hand it to newcomers when they come for worship on business day. I told Sylvia that what Barry Morley describes in that pamplet is what I'd been trying to express to her months ago: That I want my every action to be a prayer, and that it can be if my intentions are to glorify God. Before, she couldn't quite get what I was trying to say, but now understands. Kit said that just coming and sitting in silent worship, holding our meeting in the Light is a gift for everyone. Geoffrey explained how he had been very opposed to combining the business with worship but his attitude has been transformed by his experience. Andy, who has avoided MfWftCoB, said he is willing to give it another shot.