Middleton Friends Meeting: January 2023

1.13.2023

"The True Christian's Faith and Experience" via Zoom

“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” I Cor. 12:12-14 (Selected from 1/8/23 Monthly Minutes)

Online Sessions/Calendar

As Conservative Quakers, we know the importance of being together even though many of us are in various locations. Ohio Yearly Meeting (OYM) hosts many online opportunities. Henry Jason, a member of Middleton Meeting, hosts "The True Christian's Faith and Experience" by William Shewan every Fifth day (Thursday) via zoom. This is a study of the truth that distinguished Conservative/Wilburite Friends from other denominations. For more information and links to the online zoom sessions and calendar of events, please visit https://ohioyearlymeeting.org/calendar/.

Resources Galore!

Additionally, OYM has podcasts of previous online events via https://www.buzzsprout.com/1335421. Still have questions about Conservative Quakers and our beliefs? The Stillwater Meeting has a nice summary at https://www.conservativefriend.org/whatdowebelieve.htm

Middleton Meeting Update

Monthly Meeting was held on 1/8/23. Clerk Mary Alice Pino has emailed the minutes to members.

As always, we worship in person on Fifth Day at Middleton Meeting or another chosen location. We always meet in person on First Day at Middleton Meeting. If thee has questions please contact us by leaving a comment below. We look forward to seeing thee online or in person.

1.04.2023

Celebrating a New Year and a special birthday

On 1/1 we celebrated the new year by being together in worship. We had 2 visitors, Dave and Melody Goff, from New Castle, PA. Dave will be giving a series of talks about Quaker History and will be available on "FaceTime Live" through this website: https://www.facebook.com/GraceNewCastle. We also celebrated Verna's 101st birthday on 12/14/22.

As we start this new year, we hope the following will resonate with thee.

The Narrow Path:

Oh, that men would come to that true teaching of the heavenly anointing within them, which would abide in them and teach them all things, and which Truth itself is no lie. Then would they be sensible that they needed no man to teach them, for the teachings of man would be to them as that water, of which "whomever drinks, shall thirst again," but when they have tasted of the water given them by the Prince of life Himself, which should be in them "a well of water springing up unto everlasting life, whosoever drinks of this, shall never thirst". --Daniel Wheeler

Middleton Friends Meeting

Welcome to Friends

Meeting for Worship

Only God knows the inward states and spiritual need of each individual. When all sit as one body, and look to Jesus Christ, His Power is intensified. It usually takes a little while to get your mind still and to set aside your own thoughts so that God’s Spirit can do it’s work in you.We invite you to participate in our worship of God together silently, to prayerfully wait upon the Lord. “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. With the help of the Holy Spirit, who directs the worship, our minds are withdrawn from all outward and distracting things, and we are enabled to maintain a solemn, waiting attitude of spirit.

God is able to direct the worship, by which we receive guidance and direction for our lives. As we come to know God’s will God also gives us strength to do His will, consolation, comfort, conviction of sin, forgiveness and a reordering of our lives according to His priorities.

In John 4:13 & 14 Jesus spoke to the woman at the well saying, "whosoever drinketh of the water that I give him shall never thirst again." In that same chapter verse 23 He told her, "The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth."

Someone may be led by God to stand and communicate a spiritual message, usually brief, or to kneel and pray vocally.

1st Peter 4:11 directs, "If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God; If any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever, amen."

God may call anyone to this ministry. “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” Matthew 10:20. And none go beyond the measure of the spirit of God, nor quench it; for where it is quenched, it cannot try things. So if you have anything upon them to speak, in the life, that you may answer that of God in every man upon the earth. (George Fox)"

So as we sit in silence with our hearts resting in Him. Anyone may be given some words of Wisdom from God to speak aloud, or learn silently for one's own edification

We extend a cordial welcome to all present at our Meeting for Worship.

The Meeting for Worship closes with the shaking of hands.