The historic meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Quaker City, Unity, was built in 1820. Quakers had come to Unity and Acworth from Weare, NH, around 1800. In 1813 the Weare meeting of Friends authorized these Friends to hold meetings for worship in their new community. These were first held in people’s homes, but in 1820 Amos Johnson gave the Weare meeting a small piece of land adjacent to the town cemetery, and the present meeting house was erected. (Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce)
When we are led to, and accept a share in the work of the ministry, that’s the work and reward we are prepared for, and commissioned to. It is no small thing to help unleash more love, more patience, more daring, more of the life and power of Christ into the world, through such simple and humble means as we are given. We are called to be imaginative, and ambitious in the work, abandoning ourselves to it when we feel the Spirit flowing towards and through us. – Brian Drayton, “To Ministering Friends gathering in Northwest Quarterly Meeting”
This past first day I had the blessing of being with traveling Friends of New England Yearly Meeting, at Quaker City Meeting in Unity, NH. This fall I have felt a clear growing sense of travel among New England Friends, always present on my heart, but growing in this time.
It seemed at first this visit would be a contrast to some of my other work – I often travel (in person, and digitally) to share my experience of the movement of Spirit in digital spaces. And here I found myself, in a meetinghouse from the early 1800’s, with no running water, heated by a wood stove, with an outhouse as its most modern convenience.
The Spirit we found there, in quiet listening together, was no different than that I encounter in other places. Our shared sense of Hope, of Love in community, in answering to queries about how we were striving to be faithful in this time, was ever present in our conversations.
Sometimes the Work finds us. And when we are quiet enough, and attentive enough, and open to the ever present Teacher who always extends invitation, that message can come in any platform. To touch that space that transcends time, is to share in a process that is not determined by how many Wifi “signal bars” we have – or how many Friends gathered on a particular day, or what Queries we answer. The invitation is always waiting, seeking us out, to a place of greater faithfulness in our practice of worship. Our call, in 1800, in 1900, and today – is to show up, be present in the Presence of Love, and speak to where we are in this time.
Would you like to visit this meeting? Information here.