Mullica Hill Friends are renewed with the joy of welcoming many new regular attenders, including a family of three. Each has blessed the Meeting community. They all have participated vocally and expressed valuing Meeting for Worship.
Our Meeting format includes the invitation, “Is there more to be shared?” near the end of an hour’s worship. After that we have informal exchanges, thoughts and questions which take place as Friends remain seated with adequate spacing and wearing masks respectful of Covid concerns. Both the new and the “old” appreciate this fellowship and opportunity to learn from one another.
Friends on Zoom participate as well. While our technology has periodic glitches, it is generally successful allowing hearing from both meetinghouse and virtual participants. Friends seem truly happy to be gathered together in worship whether via zoom or in the meetinghouse as fits their needs. A worship highlight is the voice of 11 month old Addae as he explores his full spectrum of articulated sounds. Old hymns, understanding communion, the fall berries of bittersweet, the concept of ‘ploughing the heart’, Bible readings, and expression of painful loss have been some of the topics in worship messages in the past year.
Everyone works together to help the Meeting. There are so few of us we need all of us to do what we can. It is remarkable that we continue with an active nucleus of just a few members, most of whom are seniors. But we do continue. Encouraging words from a senior member were, “There was always a way through times of uncertainty.” One faithful member has led us in Healing Prayer consistently throughout the year. We hold friends in Light and Love, including those who will be coming to the Meeting that we do not yet know! How heartening it is to see prayer being answered! The presence of new friends and their contributions make a difference in Meeting for Worship and Meeting for Business.
One member led Care and Council to create an Affiliate Membership category to keep ties with former members who have geographically moved, but wish to maintain participation in the Meeting Community. An outreach and summary letter of Meeting activity was sent out by email or USPS to the entire Meeting community in June. Phone calls are made in an effort to keep in touch and check on the well being of our people.
The Meeting has embraced the challenge of kindly sharing the use of our property with the larger community including the municipality and local businesses for special events. Concerns for safety, mutual respect, fairness and simplicity in managing details has been time consuming generating a great deal of finesse and diplomacy. It is a continued work in progress with hope of simplification and insurance coverage.
July minutes note a comment from a senior member that this Meeting has not been burdened with conflict. Respect for the individual and loving kindness are priorities in our Meeting.
A memorial was written for Betsy Stanton Gray and help was given to the family who arranged a graveside service and refreshment in September, 2021. Members worked together to hold the 91st Thanksgiving Day Service via Zoom, an ecumenical community effort.
As of this writing, we hope that Care and Counsel can meet via Zoom to look afresh in the new year of 2022 to see what we might do with a focus on the new life coming into our Meeting. As requested, a bi-monthly midweek Bible study is planned.
Submitted by Peggy Warner, 1/11/22 and revised 1/13/22
