We have an attender to our Quaker Worship Group who started off more as an accidental participant, but has become quite the regular. She often arrives a little late and comes in telling us all about what's going on even if we've already settled into silence. But with a little encouragement she soon quietens down and joins the circle.
We're a quiet lot mostly, not given to vocal ministry beyond reading something out of Advices and Queries as we reach towards a gathered silence. So often our Friend's pronouncements, and mutterings if the seating isn't quite to her satisfaction, is as close to ministry as we get. We do miss her when she doesn't join us.
Today though rather than being late she was chastising us for taking far too long over our cups of tea after our shared meal, one by one she approached us and tried to persuade us to head through to the lounge. Never having been much for one to one communication with most members of the group this was quite a step for her, and shows how comfortable she must feel as part of the group these days.
Gradually we took the hint and settled down in our circle, not quite in the seating arrangement she would have liked, and there were some pointed looks cast in my direction. I was not in the 'right' chair. But I explained if I sat in the more comfortable chair I might fall asleep! So she finally accepted that I was not going to move.
She then jumped up into my lap, and started to purr.
It really wasn't the right chair though, so after 5 minutes she found a chair of her own and settled down to enjoy the silence.
We had a wonderfully gathered meeting.
2 comments:
I love that you were in the "wrong" chair.
dawn
Better than the 'wrong trousers!' I was sitting in an upright chair rather than my usual evenings armchair, so my lap was all at the wrong angle and the arms of the chair were wooden, not nice and comfortable to use as a headrest, or for bracing ones feet against.
It was so funny watching Rosie try to round us up for MfW, I've never seen her do anything quite like that before other than getting people to open doors or feed her, and what was most amazing was she didn't just come for me, but each of us in turn. MfW is obviously important to her!
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