Commitment to Community
“Dearly beloved Friends, these things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by…… (They are instead) intended to remind us that all aspects of our lives are under divine guidance and to heighten our awareness that in all our relationships we act in the sight of God.”
Aiming to be spiritual, joyful, and always building connections with one another, Lexington Friends Meeting is a covenant community, spirit-centered and spirit-led. We are committed to our collective journey in the spirit as well as to each friend’s spiritual growth. Becoming a trauma-aware faith community means we learn to bring compassion, rather than shame or blame, to the broken places in ourselves and others. As Isaac Pennington said long ago, we aim to help one another up with a tender hand. We are a community where all belong and we feel safe to be ourselves, to share, and to grow. Inviting joy and love to be our constant guides, we hold ourselves and one another accountable to living lives of loving care and mutual support, and we invite supportive feedback from one another to keep us on course.
As members and attenders of Lexington Friends Meeting, we commit to
- Look to our Meeting as a spiritual community where we share our journeys and support each other’s spiritual growth.
- Stay in touch with each other to build a culture of belonging, paying attention to those who may be lonely and need connection.
- Share with the children and newcomers to our meeting a sense of adventure and wonder, letting them know that they are surrounded by love.
- Share our relative wealth with the local and global communities of which we are a part. Minimize consumption and waste in order to steward and protect the resources of others.
- Welcome all people who may have felt marginalized by inequities or prejudice, including LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color. Further, we pledge to act and speak out boldly against the divisive forces (including sexism, racism, able-ism, ageism and others) that promote oppressive treatment of people and communities.
- Provide ongoing care for anyone in our Meeting who has felt deeply hurt by another in our midst.
- If friends exhibit hurtful or non-inclusive behavior, we meet without delay to seek greater understanding and labor to recall them to their spiritual center.
- Do I seek continually to discern how spirit is leading me, so that my life speaks to others and to the larger communities of which I am a part?
- Do I demonstrate care, respect, honesty, patience, and non-judgment in my interactions with others, online as well as in person?
- Do I work to overcome in my own heart the emotions that lie at the root of violence?
- Do I avoid speaking ill of others and seek to settle conflicts promptly and without resentment?
- Do I value people‘s expression of opinions and stand ready to discuss rather than dismiss?
- Do I explore Quaker history and other resources to nurture my ongoing spiritual growth?
- Do I hold myself accountable and welcome the gift of feedback from others to keep me on course?
- Do I work to build a social order free of violence and oppression in which no person’s development is thwarted by poverty, warfare, or the lack of health care, education, or freedom?
Approved at Meeting for Business, August 11, 2024