This past week we had a special "called" staff meeting that was an hour of
worship sharing focused on the query, “What do we think a healthy Quaker organization should look like?”
The hour was filled with heartfelt spoken thoughts and ideas about this query, each staff member able to speak out of the silence from their unique perspective.
One member shared something quite unexpected ... the idea of The Candy Bowl as Ministry and Outreach. This bowl of treats sitting on the desk of a staff member down the hall was much more complex in meaning than I had imagined. The person spoke about how this candy bowl was ministry to the community. It was an enticement, a lure, a magnet ... to draw us in to their office. To give others the opportunity to rest, take a break, vent frustrations, enjoy candy, and otherwise make a connection between two community members that may not have happened without the candy bowl. I must admit, it is a powerful lure mid-day when you just need a break from the tasks at hand and want to get out of your chair, out of your office, and to walk a bit, to stretch, and to visit with another. I partake of the Ministry of The Candy Bowl with an increased frequency as of late. Chocolate has always been a favorite for me ... and the conversations around The Candy Bowl is therapeutic, and does help me in my efforts to live comfortably in this Quaker community.
I am grateful for this outreach ... and for the spoken words in our Worship Sharing that brought the idea of the Candy Bowl as Ministry into the light for me.
I think it is time again for a piece of chocolate ...
