Threads: Kenya, and...

RantWoman thanks Elizabeth Bathurst over at The Quaking Harlot
http://quakingharlot.blogspot.com/2012/03/fwcc-world-gathering-thoughts-on-my.html  for the temptation to go read about Thread Groups at the upcoming World Gathering.

http://saltandlight2012.org/thread-groups

RantWoman's general observations:

If RantWoman were going to travel thousands of miles to be in the presence of Friends she does not see every day, RantWoman THINKS she might like specifically to choose sessions either led or co-led by Friends from Africa or Latin America, especially Friends who might have barriers to regular swims in the global electronic infoglut. RantWoman is considering whether to be crabby about the comparatively small percentage of threads for which this is true.

In that vein, RantWoman also considered being crabby about a sense of the global North bringing lots of missionary topics to Africa. RantWoman considered being crabby but has decided that sometimes when seeds fall in new ground growth is especially lively and perhaps having different ears would cause a new sense of spiritual flourishing. In this case, RantWoman might specifically wait and see which of such workshops seemed to draw a range of Friends.

Oh heck, maybe RantWoman would do well to start with something centered in prayer and spiritual practices.

But RantWoman already kind of has a ministry of multicultural meetings so maybe seeing how Arthur Larrabee's workshop on clerking plays out would be just the thing.

RantWoman always seems to have a flair for the practical and is impressed by the thread groups on Food Security, the Quaker UN Office, and Violencia en Latin America, or Water Giving Life as well as how Quakers are working around the world oh and several other topics.

Wait, sometimes at gatherings the blessings of a rich banquet of choices mena RantWoman winds up deciding among wonderful items on an overflowing menu simply based on which building she is in when she has to make a decision or which group she has figured out the location for. This applies certain understandable parameters to leaving things in the hands of God, but it's still basically leaving things in the hands of God.

Sometimes when RantWoman goes to an event without a clear leading, something crystalizes early on to help her decide about key points.

RantWoman has done enough ad-hoc interpreting around Quaker events to have put willingness in that direction on her application even though RantWoman has done nothing to help way open to get herself there to be available. BUT if RantWoman were called to interpret, she might make some effort to prepare in advance for some or another topic. Alternatively RantWoman might try to help facilitate match between interpreter fluency about different topic and corresponding thread groups.

Bottom line: RantWoman of course like thousands of other Friends around the world might very much like to BE in Kenya for the World Gathering. RantWoman would like this, but RantWoman would have had to do a good deal more to have way open than she has done. Most of the time, RantWoman is fine and centered about this reality, but this would not be RantWoman without an occasional sigh! And then RantWoman will be clear to center where she is for now. And then RantWoman will center. And then....

RantWoman will be holding everyone who actually has to choose and their discernment process in the Light. RantWoman will especially be holding in the Light an atmosphere of listening and hearing across lines of language and culture and tradition and particular the interpreters with language gifts called to be bridges.