Concerns which weigh heavily on a member or attender of meeting might find resolution or point to a decision in a clearness committee. Examples of good questions for clearness committees: Should I move? retire? divorce? change jobs? How will I apply Quaker teachings to a specific everyday situation? Parenting? Friendship? A defeat? An opportunity? Examples of questions not appropriate for clearness committees: Should I pay my rent? Who should I vote for? Is my neighbor a criminal?

Clearness committees remind us that we are a community which ministers to each other. Dealing with weighty matters or l coming to a decision in a difficult time can be lonely experiences. Asking the Ministry and Oversight Committee for the aid of a clearness committee is not a guarantee of an immediate and perfect answer. It does however begin a process of sharing a burden, reflecting on options, and listening together for a leading of Spirit. The purpose of the committee is not to give answers but to ask clarifying questions, to be fellow seekers, and to reflect the Light within the one who is struggling to find his or her way.

by Donnie Morehouse