looking for a Friend?
ujima is a the third day of kwanzaa and comes from the swahili word meaning collective work and responsibility.
in a community with the custom of silent or unprogrammed worship, it is part of our ujima to make ourselves known to newcomers. in service of this, a brief list has been prepared for the Monthly Meeting
who's Who and what's What
who: friend/Friend/attender - the Meeting recognizes all those for whom Way has opened into community with us as Friends
who: unaffiliated Friends - Friends whom the spirit has Called, but not yet to us
who: returner/revert - a Friend for whom Way has opened through Quran
who: koran-centered - a Friend for whom Way has opened through Quran
who: thee/thine - pronouns for other people
who: active Friend - Friends have seen thee recently
Who: Friend-of-record - has served on a committee or otherwise
Who: convener - the person who called a meeting
Who: clerk - the person responsible for ensuring facilitation, discernment of the sense of the meeting, and record-keeping in the manner of friends (agenda/minutes/etc.)
who: the Prophet, peace be upon him - the Messenger of the Quran needs no introduction
who: Papa Jorge - george fox, widely considered to be the founder of the religious society of Friends
who: Zaddy Rusty* - bayard rustin, planner of THEE march of washington (), a weighty Friend
who: the OGs* - those who previously delivered the message
who: Ella Baker*
who: Issa ibn Maryam, Jesus of Nazareth*
who: Martin Luther King Jr.*
who: Malik al-Shabazz*
who: Fannie Lou Hamer*
who: Harriet Tubman*
who: Mary Fisher*
*weighty believers of bygone years including but not limited to the Messengers of God, peace upon them
what's What
what: the Word - that which has been divinely revealed in scripture
what: Spirit/Espiritu Santu/Holy Ghost - that of God which comes upon thee and is seeded in every body
what: listening in tongues
during meeting, Friends gather in silent waiting for the spirit to be opened among them; some may call this prayer, or waiting worship--the messages which are given as spoken ministry can be understood to be the product of 'listening (for the Spirit) in tongues'
this also applies to receiving messages; the Most High would not come to thee in a way that might be mistaken
for this reason Friends are reminded to listen for meaning and leadings of the Spirit rather than literal interpretation of the words spoken; Friends are joyfully invited to use the context and language which is authentic to them and to receive messages from other Friends in kind.
what: prophetic voice - that which the Most High communicates through the bodies of believers, may include art; we understand that this is not in line with teachings of hadith; we are a nonsectarian Meeting not a masjid
what: practice - submitting to the will of the Most High; discernment, gathering, communication, and commitment are part of this (see: islam)
what: islam - the Way revealed by the Quran, submission to God’s will (see: practice)
what: continuing revelation
what: Stewardship testimony (see also: ujima) - calls us to seek the leadings of Spirit in our collective work and responsibility
what: Truth testimony (see also: kuumba) - calls us to honor the Spirit as it appears and to inspire the same in others
what: Everybody* testimony (see also: Kujichagulia) - calls us to encourage actions which honor the inner Light of every one and discourage or prevent those actions which do not honor that of God in every body
what: Peace testimony (see also: ujaama)
what: Unity testimony (see also: ubuntu, umoja)
what: Plain (simplicity) testimony (see also: nia)
what: Spark - the inward Light present in every one and to which all have access (see also: E3)
what: s. t. e. p. u. p. or STEPUP - an active, decolonial approach to the SPICES