Goose Creek Friends Meeting
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
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G
oose Creek is a warm and welcoming community where we support each other in our shared journeys of the Spirit. We believe, in the words of the Quaker writer Thomas Kelly, that “deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return.” In our worship and in our daily lives we seek to remain always with our hearts turned toward that Divine Center.
Quakerism is not defined by creeds or doctrine. Rather it is a lived spiritual practice where we seek God in our experiences and live out our faith in our shared world. We believe that there is that of God within each and every human being – adults and children – regardless of faith, race, nationality, sexual orientation, or life experiences. We are called to answer that Divine spark, that Light Within, both in ourselves and in others.
We welcome all seekers, find deep kinship in our shared humanity, and value our differences.
Home and Family
- Do you regularly seek God’s guidance?
- Do you make your home a place of affection where God’s presence is felt?
- Do you allow time for family worship and spiritual exploration, taking care to include both the very young and very old?
- How do you take care that commitments outside the home do not encroach upon the time and loving attention the family needs for its health and well-being?
- How does the Meeting support families of all kinds in their attempts to improve communication, family life, and the rearing of children in an atmosphere of love?
- Do you cultivate healthful and moderate habits, avoiding the hazards of drugs, intoxicants, and over-indulgence generally?
- Can you keep a sense of humor and avoid taking yourself too seriously?
From Baltimore Yearly Meeting “Advices.”
Our Meetings and communities are composed of persons who live in many kinds of home situations. Our home life is enriched when we embrace with tender regard the needs and abilities of all members and their unique contributions. In the eyes of our children, in the loving expression among adults, in the concern we have for the well-being of all in the Meeting family, we feel God’s love at work on earth.
Families are strengthened when we live our testimonies: engaging in various forms of stewardship; practicing equality and being aware of its limitations; living with integrity; pursuing simplicity in all its complexities; and finding the satisfaction of a peaceful approach to the world.
Voices
“A Quaker home seeks to bind its family members together. Such a home cultivates recognition of authority while at the same time allowing each member appropriate freedom to develop fully. Conflict in a family is natural; when lovingly and constructively dealt with, it is an opportunity for growth and sometimes also an affirmation of individual leadings…Learning to handle disagreements in a calm and fair manner prepares the way for solving differences in school, the neighborhood, and the larger society.”
— Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 2002
“In the busy years of home life the family members are upheld and strengthened by their dependence upon God and upon each other…Homemaking is a Quaker service in its own right. It should be recognized as such and a proper balance preserve, so that other activities — even the claims of Quaker service in other fields — are not allowed to hinder its growth.”
— New England Yearly Meeting, 1986
“Love reaches further than words, and we experience the Spirit long before any words. The family is a precious spiritual community, and we rejoice and are nourished in homes full of friendliness, refreshment, and peace, where God becomes real to those who live there and all who visit. We joyfully acknowledge the sustaining, enriching presence of loving unions among us, and we want the Meeting’s strength to undergird these covenants.”
— New York Yearly Meeting, 1998
Calendar
The Goose Creek meeting house is open for in-person worship. Masking is optional. We are also continuing to offer Meeting for Worship via Zoom. Please use the link below to join us at 9:45 a.m. if you prefer to worship online.
Link for Meeting for Worship:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83350737205?pwd=Z0pNM2xZRTBpSDQwa2ZaMmRiRHM0UT09
Meeting ID: 833 5073 7205
Passcode: 061785
For all other online gatherings listed in the calendar, please request link at gcmmlincoln@gmail.com.
Help us extend hospitality to Friends and visitors! Sign up to provide after-meeting refreshments here.
Sunday, September 3
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
11:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business
Wednesday, September 6
7:00 p.m. Discussion Group
Saturday, September 9
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Forest Therapy Nurtured by Nature – Friends Wilderness Center
Sunday, September 10
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
Wednesday, September 13
7:00 p.m. Discussion Group
7:00 p.m. Our Ridge in Reflection: Lives of People Enslaved during the Civil War Era — Friends Wilderness Center
Sunday, September 17
8:45 a.m. Unity with Nature Committee meeting
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
11:00 a.m. Second Hour: “The Religious Society of Friends: The Story Thus Far…” A quick tour of Quaker history with a short detour into Goose Creek history specifically. Soup and bread luncheon to follow.
Wednesday, September 20
7:00 p.m. Discussion Group
Sunday, September 24
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
11:00 a.m. Ministry & Worship Committee Meeting
4:00 p.m. Goose Creek Jam — Music get-together
Wednesday, September 27
7:00 p.m. “What do Quakers Believe?” Session 8: “Our inward experience of God transforms us and leads us into outward expressions of faithful living, witness, and action.” Via Zoom.
Thursday, September 28
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Online guided nature meditation
Sunday, October 1
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
11:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business
Wednesday, October 4
7:00 p.m. Discussion Group
Sunday, October 8
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
Wednesday, October 11
7:00 p.m. Discussion Group
Saturday, October 14
12 noon Ring of Fire Potluck and Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing Party — Friends Wilderness Center
1 p.m. HikeAsana: Yoga Excursion in Nature — Friends Wilderness Center
Sunday, October 15
8:45 a.m. Unity with Nature Committee meeting
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
Wednesday, October 18
7:00 p.m. Discussion Group
Wednesday, October 21
12 — 7 a.m. Meteors on the Meadow: Orionids — Friends Wilderness Center
Sunday, October 22
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
Wednesday, October 25
7:00 p.m. “What do Quakers Believe?” Session 9: “Modeling God’s presence in our lives is more important than espousing beliefs.”
Thursday, October 26
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Online guided nature meditation
Saturday, October 28
1:00 p.m. Mt. Olive Music Celebration, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Lincoln, VA
Sunday, October 29
9:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
11:00 a.m. Ministry & Worship Committee meeting
To request an email announcement or addition to the calendar, please contact us at goosecreeknews@gmail.com. Please read our Goose Creek Email Protocol for further guidance.
Street Address:
18204 Lincoln Road
Purcellville, VA 20132
Postal Address:
PO Box 105
Lincoln, VA 20160
