The essentials of Quaker practice, translated where necessary into
secular terms, are as follows (no special order):
1. grounding of all participants in the desire for the common
good
2. ensuring that all voices are heard and listened to
3. respect for all-both participants and those outside (but
affected by) the decision making process
4. respect and caring for the agreed legitimate interests of
all
5. maintaining community-loving relationship-as a primary
concern
6. grounding of all participants in their own humanity and their
experience of it during the meeting
7. sensitivity to interdependence-open systems thinking
8. speaking out of the silence (the state of being personally
grounded)
9. addressing the clerk/facilitator not one another
10. speaking simply and not repeating what has already been
offered
11. contributing personal perceptions and convictions-speaking
one's own truth- without advocating that all should act on it
12. the commitment to air dissent
13. not using emotion to sway others while being authentic with the
expression of feeling
14. distinguishing "threshing" meetings from meetings for decision
making
15. preparing factual and analytical material for assimilation
prior to meetings for decision
16. the role of the clerk in offering syntheses of the "sense of
the meeting" that are progressively modified until there is
unity
17. the role of the clerk in resolving difficulty in coming to
unity (see appended notes page)
18. decisions are made not by majority vote, nor by consensus, but
by unity
19. the organizational structures that bring to bear the voices of
many collectivities
Quaker sense of a meeting. Apprentice practice of the clerk
The assumption is that God is present in the decision-making group
and is equally accessible by every member of the group ("that of
God in everyone", "the Inner Light"). The group seeks unity by
seeking a decision ("sense of the meeting") which is consistent
with the promptings of this Light. The unity is a unity of the
heart as well as the head, and is not necessarily unanimity.
Friends try to allow the Spirit to work among them and lead them to
a wise decision. The group becomes wiser than the individual
because it partakes of the wisdom of all its members, empowered by
the Spirit.
The following practices, also called Quaker process, foster wisdom
and a spirit of forbearance and love. Quaker process calls upon
Friends to:
Begin with centering worship.
Listen to all messages with openness, receive them in worship, and
allow for silence between them.
Respond to the heart of the message, not to the messenger.
Wait for recognition from the clerk before speaking.
Speak, as standard practice, to the clerk, not to individual
Friends.
Speak only once to a given issue unless it is clear that more is
appropriate; allow all present to speak before seeking to speak a
second time.
Avoid interrupting or engaging in asides or side conversations
(maintaining one's center).
Seek God's guidance before speaking.
Avoid inappropriate emotional attachment to one's own
opinion.
Consider introducing potentially contentious ideas and expressing
deep convictions by means of queries rather than statements.
Call for silence (anyone can do this) to re-center in a spirit of
worship.
Defer a decision if there is not clearness.
When personally disagreeing with the sense of the meeting, either
stand aside (accept the meeting's decision while expressing
disagreement with it) or stand in the way (gently insist that the
meeting consider your concern before acting).
Learn to trust Quaker process to work and leave the outcome to the
Spirit.
"Sense of the meeting is a gift. It came to the Quakers through
their commitment to continuing revelation. They discovered that the
Light which had come to teach the people could lead them to
revealed corporate decisions. The Quakers cherished the gift. They
handed it down as a spiritual heirloom from generation to
generation, even as the Jews hand down their covenant with God."
"Consensus is the product of willfulness. We will ourselves to a
decision. Sense of the Meeting is a product of willingness in which
we allow ourselves to be led. It is the difference between reason
and faith."
"Sense of the meeting is a gift. It came to the Quakers through
their commitment to continuing revelation. They discovered that the
Light which had come to teach the people could lead them to
revealed corporate decisions. The Quakers cherished the gift. They
handed it down as a spiritual heirloom from generation to
generation, even as the Jews hand down their covenant with God."
"Consensus is the product of willfulness. We will ourselves to a
decision. Sense of the Meeting is a product of willingness in which
we allow ourselves to be led. It is the difference between reason
and faith."
"______________________________________________________"
"Sense of the meeting is a gift. It came to the Quakers through
their commitment to continuing revelation. They discovered that the
Light which had come to teach the people could lead them to
revealed corporate decisions. The Quakers cherished the gift. They
handed it down as a spiritual heirloom from generation to
generation, even as the Jews hand down their covenant with God."
"Consensus is the product of willfulness. We will ourselves to a
decision. Sense of the Meeting is a product of willingness in which
we allow ourselves to be led. It is the difference between reason
and faith."
"______________________________________________________"
"Sense of the meeting is a gift. It came to the Quakers through
their commitment to continuing revelation. They discovered that the
Light which had come to teach the people could lead them to
revealed corporate decisions. The Quakers cherished the gift. They
handed it down as a spiritual heirloom from generation to
generation, even as the Jews hand down their covenant with God."
"Consensus is the product of willfulness. We will ourselves to a
decision. Sense of the Meeting is a product of willingness in which
we allow ourselves to be led. It is the difference between reason
and faith."
"Sense of the meeting is a gift. It came to the Quakers through
their commitment to continuing revelation. They discovered that the
Light which had come to teach the people could lead them to
revealed corporate decisions. The Quakers cherished the gift. They
handed it down as a spiritual heirloom from generation to
generation, even as the Jews hand down their covenant with God."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Consensus is the product of willfulness. We will ourselves to a
decision. Sense of the Meeting is a product of willingness in which
we allow ourselves to be led. It is the difference between reason
and faith."
1. grounding of all participants in the desire for the common good
2. ensuring that all voices are heard and listened to
3. respect for all-both participants and those outside (but affected by) the decision making process
4. respect and caring for the agreed legitimate interests of all
5. maintaining community-loving relationship-as a primary concern
6. grounding of all participants in their own humanity and their experience of it during the meeting
7. sensitivity to interdependence-open systems thinking
8. speaking out of the silence (the state of being personally grounded)
9. addressing the clerk/facilitator not one another
10. speaking simply and not repeating what has already been offered
11. contributing personal perceptions and convictions-speaking one's own truth- without advocating that all should act on it
12. the commitment to air dissent
13. not using emotion to sway others while being authentic with the expression of feeling
14. distinguishing "threshing" meetings from meetings for decision making
15. preparing factual and analytical material for assimilation prior to meetings for decision
16. the role of the clerk in offering syntheses of the "sense of the meeting" that are progressively modified until there is unity
17. the role of the clerk in resolving difficulty in coming to unity (see appended notes page)
18. decisions are made not by majority vote, nor by consensus, but by unity
19. the organizational structures that bring to bear the voices of many collectivities
The assumption is that God is present in the decision-making group and is equally accessible by every member of the group ("that of God in everyone", "the Inner Light"). The group seeks unity by seeking a decision ("sense of the meeting") which is consistent with the promptings of this Light. The unity is a unity of the heart as well as the head, and is not necessarily unanimity. Friends try to allow the Spirit to work among them and lead them to a wise decision. The group becomes wiser than the individual because it partakes of the wisdom of all its members, empowered by the Spirit.
The following practices, also called Quaker process, foster wisdom and a spirit of forbearance and love. Quaker process calls upon Friends to:
Begin with centering worship.
Listen to all messages with openness, receive them in worship, and allow for silence between them.
Respond to the heart of the message, not to the messenger.
Wait for recognition from the clerk before speaking.
Speak, as standard practice, to the clerk, not to individual Friends.
Speak only once to a given issue unless it is clear that more is appropriate; allow all present to speak before seeking to speak a second time.
Avoid interrupting or engaging in asides or side conversations (maintaining one's center).
Seek God's guidance before speaking.
Avoid inappropriate emotional attachment to one's own opinion.
Consider introducing potentially contentious ideas and expressing deep convictions by means of queries rather than statements.
Call for silence (anyone can do this) to re-center in a spirit of worship.
Defer a decision if there is not clearness.
When personally disagreeing with the sense of the meeting, either stand aside (accept the meeting's decision while expressing disagreement with it) or stand in the way (gently insist that the meeting consider your concern before acting).
Learn to trust Quaker process to work and leave the outcome to the Spirit.
"Consensus is the product of willfulness. We will ourselves to a decision. Sense of the Meeting is a product of willingness in which we allow ourselves to be led. It is the difference between reason and faith."