A Gathered Community

“[We do not want to] discount the experience of Friends who live at too great a distance from their meeting to participate regularly, nor to deny that each of us must come individually to a sense of what is right and true and essential in spiritual matters. But time and experience have proven the value of a close, responsive community in fostering individual spiritual growth, in testing and tempering individual leadings and individual understanding, and in supporting individuals as they are called to act or to suffer for religious principle. Worship in a gathered community is different in valuable ways from private devotion, and a coordinated group can accomplish far more in service and advocacy than individuals acting alone.“

— Faith and Practice of Illinois Yearly Meeting, 2020

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Today’s Invitation

What do you get out of seeking Spirit alone? As part of a community?

Make a list of similarities and differences.

Query of the Week

How have your relationships with other people shaped your spirituality?

How does it feel to worship alone? As part of a community?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Author

  • Illinois Yearly Meeting

    Illinois Yearly Meeting (ILYM) has 21 affiliated local Meetings across four states. Each summer the Meeting gathers in a retreat near McNabb, Illinois to worship together and to conduct the business of the community. The ILYM Meetinghouse is also the worship site for Clear Creek Friends, as well as for workshops, retreats and committee meetings.

    View all posts