We found that the severe challenges of 2020 inspired growth and creativity for Richmond Friends Meeting. Members found fruitful paths in both activism and contemplation. Many of us made both practical and spiritual adaptations to difficult circumstances.
After the normal activities of January and February, the Meeting began grappling with emerging COVID news. Questions about stopping in-person Meetings for Worship in response to the pandemic brought further awareness of how precious our shared worship and sacred space are to us. When in-person Meetings were reluctantly laid down, we began on-line Meetings for First Day mornings and found them to be surprisingly gathered. Our spring retreat group found creative ways to interact virtually which inspired and influenced our other efforts through the year.
We began a Wednesday night Worship Sharing using queries to encourage discussion after shared silence. These have been well attended and many have reported feeling a heightened sense of community there. In the fall, outdoor First Day Meeting were held twice a month at our retreat center, The Clearing. In general, all the forms of Meeting have had a sense of gathering despite their virtual nature. Verbal messages have reflected spirit guidance. Friends expressed thankfulness and joy about being able to see each other.
The Meeting is deeply grateful to our technologically gifted members who have made all this possible, including tutoring the less adept of us. While we have missed our physical togetherness, many of us have learned how and chosen to gather in worship and committee work using Zoom. In addition, breakout rooms for visiting after Meetings, a telephone member-pairing system, the Wednesday Worship Sharing format and Friendly Eights have allowed mutual care and support to flow among us. Shut-in and distant Friends have been able to join Meetings. A number of new young adults have come, moving easily into the on-line process. At the same time, we have felt the loss of those unable to join in this way.
Committee work on-line has often felt more intently connected and spirit-led as we tended to focus more deeply on matters at hand. Many Friends mentioned feeling closer than before to others in the community in this work as well as in the Worship Sharing. On-going Spiritual Formation and Bible Workbench groups report enhanced sense of their value. These spiritual gathering places have stood in contrast to the turmoil, conflict and illness dominating the national news and the world scene.
Those entrusted with spiritual education, both for adults and children, rose to the new circumstances. Innovative, interactive programs engaged our young children, while adults had opportunities to explore deeper contemplation and mysticism. Our social concerns, especially racial justice and understanding, were addressed with a vigorous film discussion program and a thoughtful, on-going authors of color book group. Friends responding to racial justice issues found consensus for a Black Lives Matter sign on the Meeting House grounds. A group was moved to collect warm clothing and coats for homeless people.
The practical necessity of maintaining our buildings led us to delegate tasks to individuals and small groups who were able to work independently, even making significant progress on long-standing issues like energy conservation for our worship room and facility repairs at the Clearing. With the building sitting empty, we hired professionals to paint the interior of the Meetinghouse education rooms, something that had been needed for years. Friends were moved to contribute financially even more generously than in some prior years so that our budget is on firm footing.
Meetings for Worship with Attention to Business presented new challenges and different requirements. Our clerk modeled patience and sensitivity, negotiating screens to convey complex information and to seek the spirit of each gathering. Members were largely able to maintain focus and presence despite the unfamiliar context.
Our continuing concerns include a sense of having been unable to fully mourn our losses together and fears that we may have lost touch with some who did not find the on-line connection satisfying. We are hopeful that our learnings from this year will flow into blended in-person and on-line forms of worship when that becomes possible.
Overall, there is a strong feeling that Grace has moved among us this year. Our blessings have been abundant, and the Light has shone brightly through the dark circumstances.