Aj Schwanz

I made sure to motor to church early today: why? Because we attend the 9:45am service at Newberg Friends, and on yearly meeting Sunday, so do all the youth. Who sit in the balcony. With anti-social us (shhh: donít tell emergent folk. I think being anti-social would get us kicked out. And then weíd have to be *really* anti-social, and thatíd just be sad). We dropped Judah off in the nursery - first kid there - and ran into the childrenís pastor: I may now be teaching kindergartners at VBS . . .

So we ran upstairs and secured our usual pew. Soon the youth piled in. I used to work with the youth; in fact, one year I put on junior high yearly meeting. Most high schoolers and junior highers knew who I was, or at least they knew I was a ìcoolî young adult. Now, not so much. Since Iíve done those adult things, like get married and procreate, I am no longer cool. How do I know this? Because no one sat by us. People *did* come sit with us - my former youth leaders: we were a pew of youth department oldies (but still goodies).

The yearly meeting speaker generally speaks at NFC on Sunday mornings, and this year followed in that tradition. Our general superintendent Colin Saxton spoke on the story in Luke in which the ìwoman of ill reputeî wept over Jesusí feet, poured perfume on his head, was forgiven of her sins, and modeled for the church men what true honor and hospitality looks like. Colin discussed how we are graced to experience that sort of freedom and transformation in Christ, but that weíre also called to help others experience the same. He ended with the question of what happened to the woman: she didnít fit in with her old life, she didnít fit in with the Pharisees/church people of the time - where could she go? Our yearly meeting is called to be the sort of community that she could come to, be part of, contribute to, journey with.

Normally I wouldíve tried to make the afternoon Missions rally, but naptime for a certain someone won out (I figure heís going to be in nursery shock by the end of the week: I should be as kind at the beginning as possible).

Then came the evening service. Again, Jason and I were there uber-early: had to make sure to check Judah in okay. Some friends of mine from college sat with us (along with their children - who actually sit - as opposed to squirming uncontrollably: I didn’t know that was possible). We worshiped together, a great menís choir from the local Friends retirement community sang, and then Colin delivered the keynote address. The topic this year is ìBeing Incarnational Christians - Where Do I Fit In?î Having had the superintendent position for a year, I believe Colin (pronounced cole-in, not the typical American call-in) is sharing some of his findings.

Some of his thoughts addressed tonight:

• He just finished speaking at another yearly meeting, and that was an easier talk because he could point out problems and leave; here, he says things and has to be around for the mess
• We can only be an incarnational presence in community (this is his year long message)
• Interesting dichotomy: denominations are beginning to cooperate, and yet their also noticing something special about their spiritual integrity and distinctives
  Colin is excited about the yearly meeting: wants to see its identity and sense of community strengthened
• Membership is a covenant we make as a response to a call
• Individualism has crippled the church: turned it into a volunteer organization
• The yearly meeting needs to learn to submit to Christís leadership, not our own agendas
• We should not look for what to do, but to recognize where we belong
• Closing query: ìHow will I live differently in this community because we are ìwritten on one anotherís heartsî (George Fox)

Judah was delighted at meeting my old pastors, friends from other states, but he also was quite content at getting home: poor kidís going to develop a twitch from overstimulation - you think thatíd be hard to get at a Quaker gathering (not necessarily the most charismatic of folks), but he must be very sensitive to the Spirit.