This month we'll look at how Friends support, guide and correct one another. We Friends often talk about taking someone or something "under our care." When someone's married in the meetinghouse, that marriage is under its care. When a new worship group is forming, we try to find a nearby meeting to take it under its care. And at the most basic level, there's some expectation of care when an individual joins a meeting. There's an intentionality to this relationship, a formality that we might describe as "convental."

But what exactly does all this mean? The corporate body of a meeting might agree to something but what burden does that put on the individuals of a meeting? It can be hard to strike the right balance. In my own experiences, I've seen meetings too quickly sign off on projects which they are not really committed to, and I've seen the reverse—paralyzing hand-wringing around a decision that should come easily. 

How have you experienced care? Have you given it? Have you gotten too much care, in the form of unwanted attention. What is the kind of care you want from your spiritual community? Does your Friends meeting or church have structures in place for care?