Beyond consensus : salvaging sense of the meeting

This essential pamphlet explains the fundamental Quaker practice of decision making, that is often not well understood among Quakers, and will be quite new to new Friends. While this pamphlet is not really introductory for Quakerism, it explains one of its foundations.
Sense of the meeting is a

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gift of enormous worth, more valuable perhaps than any other Quaker gift or practice, says Barry Morley. The purpose of seeking the sense of the meeting is to gather ourselves in unity in the presence of the Light; the decision is a by-product. He explains that sense of the meeting is not at all the same as consensus, but arises from a process of the group opening to being guided to unity in the collective inward Presence. The decision is just one aspect of the process of coming together as God's presence settles over us in silence. Morley describes three components essential in the process which leads to sense of the meeting. Commitment to the work and commitment to each other are also results of the sense of the meeting. The process through which Quakers reach the sense of the meeting is transformative, and brings us into the life of the Spirit, in unity and harmony. It is the Quaker equivalent of Communion.

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