On Sunday, longtime Quaker and traveling Friends minister Chris Stern came to speak to Cropwell Meeting in Marlton, N.J. about the center of Quaker faith. The talk was titled “What Are We Waiting For?” He was accompanied by Joe Stratton, a second generation Quaker farmer. They are both members of Middletown Meeting in Delaware County, Pa.
Chris began by expanding on some of the ministry that had been given during worship: “We can’t do it all by ourselves. That’s the starting point. We need help both in our individual and in our meeting community. We feel it’s all up to us to straighten out our lives or our partner’s lives, our meeting’s life, the town’s life. Somewhere along the way we realize we need help—divine help or others’ help. It’s often the little things.”
He told stories of growing up as a teenager in Rockland Meeting in New York State.”I didn’t like silence. I didn’t feel I was a good person. I was searching for the kingdom of God out there somewhere. Even changing my beliefs wasn’t changing what was happening inside. I really felt lost trying to navigate the world.”
Eventually he started to read the Journal of George Fox with a Friend from meeting and felt a kindred spirit in the Quaker founder’s tales of youthful religious seeking. Chris told us he realized he had been “looking for something on the outside that could change the inside. but realized that maybe if it’s coming from the inside it will work better.” He started reading more historic Quaker journals to understand what early Friends saw as the center of their faith.
Chris said part of the answer came from Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” He said this is what early Friends were waiting for: “All of the practices and rituals didn’t have any meaning any more. They started waiting because Jesus had said he’d show up. Early friends were averse to doctrines but had a recognition that there was something inside urging them to connect with God and urging them connect with each other—urging them to love. They realized that this was Jesus.”
A lively discussion followed. There’s a Cropwell tradition that guest speakers are presented a cutting board made by meeting clerk Earl Evens. Cropwell has a special love of community and had a conversation-filled potluck meal together following the talk.
Chris was featured last year in a Quakerspeak series:
