Like many things, Quakerism has its own language. We use some words in very specific ways, and it can get confusing. It's all the more complicated because not all Friends agree on what the terms mean! Here are a few key terms and some possible meanings.

• "Hold in the light"/"I'll hold you in the light": The easy translation for this is "I'll pray for you," but Friends do not use set prayers. Holding someone in the light may mean specifically asking for divine help, or it may mean picturing someone surrounded by light, or it may mean simply loving them. See also "The Light." (Some Friends have noted that "holding someone in the light" can imply that darkness is bad, which can have negative implications for those who identify positively with darkness. One Friend has coined the phrase, "I'll hold you in God's chocolate.")
• "the Light": one very old Quaker term for the divine or divine leading. Therefore "holding in the Light" and "seeking new Light."
• "threshing session": a meeting held to discuss an issue but not to decide it.

A few Eastside Meeting-specific terms:

• Simple Meal: our Thanksgiving tradition, on the Sunday following the holiday. We meet and eat, usually potluck fashion. Donations are collected for worth causes selected by the meeting's children. 
• Candlelight Meeting: our Christmas tradition. The meeting room lights are turned off, and one candle is lit to begin meeting. We take turns lighting our candles and adding them to the overall light.
• Mildred, Agnes, Jessie... : founders of our meeting who have died. We particularly miss Mildred Joyce, who was our guiding voice for over fifty years.

Confused by something not on this list? Ask Paul Christiansen to add it!