Do it yourself eye surgery and The Plague

RantWoman occasionally flirts with the idea of some kind of Quaker standup comedy gig. If RantWoman ever decides to do more about the idea than flirt, this morning's Meeting for Worship will be one reason.


(RantWoman heartily commends Friends who held ad-hoc discussion hour. RantWoman felt well-enriched.)

On to 11:00 Worship.

GOOD SILENCE

One modest pastoral care message and then blessed silence.

LONG SILENCE

Chronically Tardy Friend arrived.

Then a Friend rose with a message about the story from Matthew and Luke about the log in one's own eye and the mote in others'.

This Friend was questioning her right to judge the financial behaviors of someone she shares a house with. RantWoman has no clue what it was about this message that conjures of images of do-it-yourself eye surgery.



Well, the RantWoman visual experience includes blurred vision, double vision, a couple variants of grow-your-own-lava lamp and may or may not include any logs, or as RantWoman teases the providers who keep peering in with bright light, any bunnies and gerbils either. RantWoman's eyes have had different motes come and go due to various surgical interventions. These motes, scars actually, have been variously detectable or not to others, RantWoman a time or two has had almost literally to fight off some well-intentioned soul trying to remove something RantWoman knows is firmly attached. The point is that, NO, RantWoman cannot necessarily be counted on either to see the logs in her own eyes or to get sensible info on the motes front either and was seasoning a message about calling forth community to deal tenderly.


There were a couple more messages about motes and community.


By this time the hour was ending, but Spirit was definitely not done. along came another message, one that absolutely spoke to RantWoman's condition about altruism and the work of community. About this time, Eye-roller Friend had an outbreak of audible eye-rolling and Crusty Elderly Friend asked for a definition of altruism. EyeRoller Friend suggested the dictionary and there was vigorous shushhing before meaningful message continued with splendid articulation including references to The Plague by Camus and pneumonic plague arising when people turn away from each other.



A good spell of blessed silence and then close of worship.



RantWoman COULD just stop here, but since when has RantWoman ever known when to quit?



RantWoman, by her own estmation at least, did pretty well about a non-judgmental inquiry of Eye Roller Friend as to the cause of his distress. Eye Roller Friend mentioned the expiring clock; RantWoman probably could have said something more Quakerly in response, say "have you considered that your clock may not line up with that of....?" RantWoman supposes she could also aspire to channel whichever early Quaker she was reading about recently who addressed Oliver Cromwell as if the Inner Light were already at work within.



Alas, RantWoman was busy with one of her own motes in eyes problems: RantWoman has heard Eye Roller Friend say a number of interesting and soulful things, but Meeting for Worship seems mainly to evoke the sort of behaviors for which a four-year-old's grownups would say "use your words." RantWoman thus finds herself urgently beseeching whichever form and gender of Holy Presence keeps showing up among us: could you and Eye Roller Friend please work a little harder to get the words lined up in time for Meeting for Worship? RantWoman thanks you very much.




RantWoman reads:

http://livingasifthetruthwastrue.blogspot.com/2010/08/gifts-and-grunt-work.html

http://gatheringinlight.com/2010/08/23/but-the-good-of-others-this-love-is-lost/


Psalm 15 (RSV, Braille) "...may the words of our mouths and the meditations ofour hearts be acceptable in thy sight"