CLAREMONT MONTHLY MEETING
OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

727 HARRISON AVENUE, CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA 91711
(909) 624-9114
http://friends.claremont.ca.us
Meeting for Worship: Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

THE NOTICES

JULY 2010

Clerk: Cathy DeHaven Alternate Clerk: Charleen Krueger-Pitassi

Recording Clerk: Karen Vance Corresponding Clerk: Katrina Mason

Recorder: Charles Summers Treasurer: Mary Cooper

Notices: Jim Winn

JULY CALENDAR

Sat. July 3 Property Com. mtg., 9:00 (workday to follow, 9:00 - 12 Noon - all are welcome)

Sun. July 4 Meeting for Worship, 9:30 a.m., potluck to follow

Wed. July 7 Mid-week potluck, 6:00 p.m., Fellowship Room

Sat. July 10 Caring Concerns Committee, 9:30 am., Library

Sun. July 11 Meeting for Worship, 9:30 a.m., Discussion Com. presentation following Fellowship [see Committee Notices for details]

Wed. July 14 Mid-week potluck, 6:00 p.m., Fellowship Room

Sun. July 18 Meeting for Worship, 9:30 a.m., Peace & Social Justice Com. discussion following Fellowship; [see Committee Notices for details] Food Collection Sunday

Tues. July 20 Ministry & Counsel Com. meeting, 7:00 p.m., Fellowship Rm.

Wed. July 21 Mid-week potluck, 6:00 p.m., Fellowship Room

Sun. July 25 Meeting for Worship, 9:30 a.m., Meeting for Business to follow

Wed July 28 Mid-week potluck, 6:00 p.m., Fellowship Room;

Notices info to Jim Winn at: jimwinn[at]gmail.com- by Wed. July 28, please

ADVICES AND QUERIES for July: Meeting for Worship for Business

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the Month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The advices]:

Come to Meeting with hearts and minds prepared to be open and faithful to the leadings of the Spirit. Then the conduct of business will lead to truth, unity, and love.

When a matter is before the Meeting for Business, each person present contributes to the corporate search for a decision that accords with the will of God. Inaction is a form of action. Silent worship in the Meeting for Business contributes to the process of achieving unity.

Listen attentively to others' words and use the silence between messages to reflect carefully on what you might contribute. When you are clear, speak simply what is in your heart, without repeating what has already been offered. While making your insights clear, lay aside personal opinions and attend to what God requires.

[The queries]:

Do I attend Meeting for Business regularly?

Do I speak in Meeting for Business only when I am led to speak?

Is the Meeting for Business held as a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions?

Are we tender and considerate of different views, coming to a decision only when we have found unity?

Do we give prayerful support for our clerks that they may be sensitive to the movement of the Spirit among us?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

COMMITTEE NOTICES

Discussion Committee: Sunday, July 11, following Meeting for Worship, the Discussion Committee invites everyone to attend a discussion led by Langdon Elsbree. The topic is "How Shadowy is Our Shadow Side : How do we Quakers Understand the Nature of Evil in Ourselves and in the World ? "

Ministry and Counsel: a reminder that Ministry and Counsel meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship room and that members or attenders of Claremont Monthly Meeting who have a concern may contact Anne Davenport of M&C to request that the concern be added to the agenda. There is no named clerk for M&C at this time. Clerking will rotate among members with Anne Davenport serving as contact person to funnel info to the appropriate person.

Peace and Social Justice: Sunday, July 18, 11:00 a.m., following Meeting for Worship and a brief fellowship time, the Peace and Social Justice Committee will facilitate a discussion of building community with the query: What do I need to do in my relation to others to build community in our Meeting?

Discussion on Sunday, June 20, 2010

We would like to share the thoughts expressed about Community in the discussion on Sunday, June 20. It was not possible to catch all of the ideas expressed in the discussion or the quotations exactly as expressed, but we have tried to include the main ideas about Building Our Community.

The queries for the discussion were:

How do I look for that of God in those with whom I feel and think most differently?

Of whom am I a Friend?

Does community result from my wanting it for others, or from living my values?

Some regard civility to be a spiritual discipline that they need to observe as a means to building community. What would such a discipline involve?

How can I Be the Community that I want our Community to be?

Discussion:

A highly recommended book mentioned was Ill Fares the Land, by Tony Judt who cites Aristotle to the effect that we are most human when we are both reasoning beings and living in community, and Pogo: We have met the enemy and it is us.

In answer to the Query, How do we look for that of God in every person? one answer was: "I use the mantra, I see love. There is that of God behind what I see. "

Describing the difficulty in relating with a co-worker, she tried thinking, "Just listen, rather than thinking about what I will say next." She then found new things that she agreed with, and could then ask herself: "What can I add to that idea?"

Another, thinking about a loud character with a sharp edge, thought, "I wish that he would just go away," but was then impressed on watching another person welcome the loud one, mainly by listening, and thought, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Another told of her experience with angry neighbors who had many complaints. She listened, allowing her neighbors become unburdened. They became good friends.

Another thought that we were talking around the elephant in the corner, that he found that recently, he dreaded coming to Meeting because of the acrimony, and conflict. He also found that he was grieving now after a separation and broken relationships.

Others also missed absent ones.

One thought she had found what she wanted here, a home, but was shocked and saddened because of the continuing problems. It seemed to be unQuakerly. "But," she said, "This is my community."

Another felt discomfort also. She thought that forgiveness and trust are needed

Tony Judt was again quoted: "Trust is at center of community" which led to a series of comments about trust.

"How do we build trust?"

"We may have neglected our mission together."

"Trust has to be earned. The challenge is finding the kind of openness that makes the other welcome."

"Things happen here as they do in families. We fall short. Things happen prior to the explosions. We never expected everyone to be perfect. We have to watch our words. Saying one rough thing could turn someone off completely."

"We're not listening carefully."

"We are still a community despite the conflict. We are in process, in a human condition. "

"There is much strength in our community. Being new, what is the elephant? How do we practice the Buddhist idea of passion without attachment? We have to deal with conflicts and disagreements. It's OK to be in conflict with someone. The sky doesn't fall. We have many of the feelings of our family of origin."

"We need to affirm openness and acceptance of expression of different thoughts and feelings. I have heard it said here that "I don't want to hurt someone's feelings by disagreeing with them" Expressing some of these differences could avoid conflicts. When the differences are expressed and known, they can be dealt with. If they are not known, they cannot be discussed or dealt with."

"We need openness; we are too much influenced by not wanting to hurt other people's feelings. It is good to speak openly."

"Quakers try to work individually first, and only then bring a problem to the Meeting. We need to build trust."

"We can look to our spiritual practice and discipline for healing."

"We are making progress in speaking openly."

Questions that newcomers to Claremont Meeting have raised:

How does CM resolve conflict? What is the Quaker way? How does conflict get resolved in a way that strengthens community? It seems that conflict results in people leaving CM, at least in the time that I have been attending. This is not compatible with community building. Is there a Quaker Process for resolving community in a way that builds community? If not, then I think we need to expand the process.

As a relative newcomer to CMM I think I will continue to stand back and wait to see if the Meeting membership actually decides to continue to look at this. There is a saying "If you always do what you've always done, you always get what you always got."

* * * * * * * * * *

PACIFIC YEARLY MEETING CALL TO ANNUAL SESSION

ENGAGING ONE ANOTHER IN THE SPIRIT

JULY 26 - 31, 2010

Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California

Come with joy and anticipation to the 64th Annual Session of Pacific Yearly Meeting to be held at Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA from July 26-31, 2010. The theme, Engaging One Another in the Spirit, invites us to deepen our awareness of God and each other.

Two seasoned Friends will provide ministry on this theme. George Lakey, Director of Training for Change and author of Powerful Peacemaking: A Strategy for a Living Revolution, and New Theory, Old Practice: Nonviolence and Quakers, among other books, will address us on Tuesday morning on 'Expect the Unexpected: Engaging One Another in the Spirit' and will lead a couple of Interest Groups. He is well known at Friends General Conference and comes to us with years of activism guided by the Spirit.

Returning Friend, Vanessa Julye, Friends General Conference Coordinator for the Committee on Ministry and Racism, and co-author of Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship, will speak to us from her ministry and will also lead an Interest Group. Fit for Freedom is an important recent book. The breadth and depth of this history of Quakers and African Americans is profound.

Unity with Nature Committee is celebrating its 25th Anniversary and has some special events planned.

Registration forms are on PYM's website, http://pacificyearlymeeting.org <http://pacificyearlymeeting.org/> .

Please respond quickly so that suitable accommodations can be made. Early bird date ends June 4th and a late fee will be charged after a July 1st postmark.

Ready, set, come for worship, friendship, heady conversation, music, and dance as we live and work together in spirit.

Marilee Eusebio, Presiding Clerk

* * * * * * * * * *

Thirteenth Annual Friends' Silent Retreat, Friday, Sept. 3 - Sunday, Sept. 5, Prince of Peace Abbey, Oceanside, CA. See flyers on round table in foyer, or Davetta Williams if none appear available, for further details.

Third Quaker Conference on Torture, Sept. 24 - 26, Quaker Center, Ben Lomond, CA, sponsored by QUIT, the Quaker Initiative to End Torture. Further info to be forthcoming from the Peace & Social Justice Committee.

JUNE 2010

ADVICES AND QUERIES for June: Spiritual Life

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The Advices]

The life of the spirit gains depth and vigor through devotional practices, prayer, study and meditation. Take time regularly for individual and family worship, discussions, readings from sacred texts, and other spiritual refreshment in order to live a more centered life and to bring a deeper presence to the Meeting for Worship.

Friends believe that the spiritual path is best found in community. Create opportunities in your Meeting for people of all ages to explore and express their evolving relationship with the Divine, their spiritual highs and their doubts. If different metaphors and language interfere with communication, listen more deeply, honoring the Spirit in which the thought and words have their beginnings.

[The Queries]

Do I live in thankful awareness of God's constant presence in my life?

Am I sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit?

When do I take time for contemplation and spiritual refreshment?

What steps am I taking to center my life and to stay open to continuing revelation?

Do we share our spiritual lives with others in the Meeting, seeking to know one another in that which is eternal?

Does the Meeting provide religious education including study of the Bible and Friends' history and practices?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

PACIFIC YEARLY MEETING CALL TO ANNUAL SESSION

ENGAGING ONE ANOTHER IN THE SPIRIT

JULY 26 - 31, 2010

Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California

Two seasoned Friends will provide ministry on this theme. George Lakey, Director of Training for Change and author of Powerful Peacemaking: A Strategy for a Living Revolution,and New Theory, Old Practice: Nonviolence and Quakers, among other books, will address us on Tuesday morning on 'Expect the Unexpected: Engaging One Another in the Spirit' and will lead a couple of Interest Groups. He is well known at Friends General Conference and comes to us with years of activism guided by the Spirit.

Unity with Nature Committee is celebrating its 25th Anniversary and has some special events planned.

Registration forms are on PYM's website, http://pacificyearlymeeting.org <http://pacificyearlymeeting.org/> .

Please respond quickly so that suitable accommodations can be made. Early bird date ends June 4th and a late fee will be charged after a July 1st postmark.

Ready, set, come for worship, friendship, heady conversation, music, and dance as we live and work together in spirit.

Marilee Eusebio, Presiding Clerk

* * * * * * * * * *

MAY 2010

ADVICES AND QUERIES for May: Meeting for Worship

[The Advices]

The heart of the Religious Society of Friends is the Meeting for Worship. In direct communication with God, we offer ourselves for God's will. Our daily lives are linked with the Meeting for Worship, the Meeting for Worship with our daily lives.

Come regularly to Meeting for Worship, even when you are angry, tired, or spiritually cold. Bring your joys and your hurts, and the needs of other people. Accept and support each other in the community where God dwells among us. As you do so, you may find the grace of prayer.

At times the Spirit may prompt you to speak in Meeting. Wait patiently to know that the sense and time are right. When you are sure, have confidence that the words will be given to you. Listen to the ministry of others with open spirit. If it is not God's word for you, it may be for others. After a message has been given, allow time to ponder its meaning and to let the Meeting return to silent worship. In speech and in silence, each person contributes to the Meeting.

[The Queries]

Do I come to Meeting with heart and mind prepared for worship?

In both silent and vocal ministry, do I respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, without pre-arrangement and in simplicity and truth?

Am I careful not to speak at undue length or beyond personal spiritual experience?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the promptings of the Divine Spirit?

Are we drawn together in a living silence by the power of God in our midst?

25 April 2010 Opening Reading and Silence by Clerk

Thomas S. Brown, "When Friends attend to business"

APRIL 2010

ADVICES AND QUERIES for April: The Meeting Community

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The Advices]

Meetings for Worship and Business are the center of our spiritual community. There, as we come to know each other in the Spirit, we build the "beloved community."

Mutual respect and care in the Meeting form the foundation from which we can test, support, and exercise leadings of the Spirit. At its best, the Meeting community provides a framework for us to learn and practice mutual care, which strengthens us as we act in the world.

All members of the Meeting community should share in the care of one another. While respecting privacy, we must be aware and sensitive to each other's needs. We must also be willing to ask for assistance when we are in need.

[The Queries]

Do I strive to be inclusive in my relationships within the Meeting?

Do I care for the reputation of others, refraining fro gossip or disparaging remarks?

Am I committed to the difficult work of forgiveness, and affirming God's love for the whole community?

How are love and unity maintained among us?

Do we practice the art of listening, even beyond words?

How have we been sensitive to the personal needs and difficulties of members and attender, young and old?

Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Quiet Worship and Reading by Clerk:

"My appetite is whetted for more experiences in business meetings because they often provide the stimuli for spiritual growth and the rejoicing in the affirmation of a practical, working faith."

David O. Stanfield, PYM Faith and Practice

MARCH 2010

ADVICES AND QUERIES for March: Peace

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The Advices]

Friends oppose all war as inconsistent with God's will. As every person is a child of God, we recognize God's Light also in our adversaries. Violence and injustice deny this reality and violate the teachings of Jesus and other prophets.

Friends challenge their governments and take personal risks in the cause of peace. We urge one another to refuse to participate in war as soldiers, or as arms manufacturers. We seek ways to support those who refrain from paying taxes that support war. We work to end violence within our own borders, our homes, our streets, and our communities. We support international order, justice, and understanding.

Become an instrument of peace. At every opportunity, be peacemakers in your homes, workplaces and communities. Steep yourself in the power of the universal Spirit. Examine your actions for the seeds of violence, degradation and destructiveness. Overcome the emotions that lie at the root of violence and nurture instead a spirit of reconciliation and love. Come to know the oneness of all creation and oppose the destruction of the natural world.

[The Queries]

Do I live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?

How do I nourish peace within myself as I work for peace in the world?

Do I confront violence wherever it occurs, even when my personal relationships are involved?

Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred, how am I am instrument of reconciliation and love?

What are we doing to remove the causes of war and destruction of the planet, and to bring about lasting peace?

Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Reading for the MEETING FOR BUSINESS 2/21/10

If it were necessary for every member to feel equally happy about the decisions to be reached, we should be presuming to be settling matters in an angelic community, and not among flesh and blood members of a Quaker meeting! From the point of view of myself as a member of a meeting, the kind of unanimity that is referred to is a realization on my part that the matter has been carefully and patiently considered. I have had a chance at different stages of the process of arriving at this decision of making my point of view known to the group, of having it seriously considered and weighed. Even if the decision finally goes against what I initially proposed, I know that my contribution has helped to sift the issue, perhaps to temper it.

I have also come to realize that the group as a whole finds this resolution what seems best to them. I emerge from the meeting not as a member of a bitter minority who feels he has been outflanked and rejected but rather as one who has been thru the process of the decision and is willing to abide by it even though my accent would not have put it in this form.

Douglas Steere

February 2010: Personal Relationships

ADVICES AND QUERIES

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The Advices]

In daily relationships with others, both inside and outside the home, our lives as Friends speak immediately and lastingly. In these relationships, our faith may also be severely tested. We are called to respond to that of God in everyone: we are all children of God.

Friends celebrate any union that is dedicated to mutual love and respect, regardless of the unique make-up of the family. We strive to create homes where the Spirit of the Divine resides at the enter and where the individual genius of each member is respected and nurtured.

Human sexuality is a divine gift, forming part of the complex union of body, mind and spirit that is our humanity. In a loving adult relationship in context of mutual responsibility, sexuality brings delight, fulfillment and celebration.

The presence of children carries a special blessing as well as responsibility. Children bring unique spiritual gifts -- wonder, resiliency, playfulness and more. Recognize and honor the Divine Light within children and treat them with the dignity and respect that is due to all people. Listen to and learn from children; share with them those values and practices that are central to our own lives. Special care must be given to resolving problems between adults and children in a manner that gives equal weight to the feelings and needs of both children and adults. Tender parenting is one of the critically important vocations in our society. Make every effort to offer all parents the personal and institutional support that this challenging work requires.

Take a strong stand against any form of abuse, whether that abuse is minor or severe, and whether it is emotional, physical or sexual in nature. The terrible impact of abuse on the most vulnerable members of our families creates lifelong suffering for its victims and is a major source of violence in our society. Perpetrators are themselves usually victims of similar violence and should be approached with compassion as well as firmness.

[the Queries]

Do I make my home a place of friendliness, joy, and peace, where residents and visitors feel God's presence?

Are my sexual practices consistent with my spiritual beliefs and free of manipulation and exploitation?

What barriers keep me from responding openly and lovingly to each person?

Do we open our thoughts, beliefs, and deep understandings to our children and others who share our lives and our hospitality?

Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in the Meeting?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

January 2010

Reading and Silence by Clerk 

From a Moravian church medallion:

"In the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, liberty; but in all things, Love."

In Quaker terms:

"In the essentials, unity with the Spirit; in the non-essentials, liberty; but in all things, Love."

December, 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES for December: Simplicity

[The Advices]

Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center . . . a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time.

Thomas R. Kelly, Testament of Devotion, 1941

A life centered in God will be directed toward keeping communication with God opened and unencumbered. Simplicity is best achieved by a right ordering of priorities, maintaining humility of spirit, avoiding self-indulgence, resisting the accumulation of unnecessary possessions, and avoiding over-busy lives.

Elise Boulding writes in My Part in the Quaker Adventure, "Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a by-product of a concern for something more important than ourselves."

[The Queries]

Do I center my life in an awareness of God's presence so that all things take their rightful place?

Do I live simply, and promote the right sharing of the world's bounty?

Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?

How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work?

Do I recognize when I have enough?

Is the life of our Meeting so ordered that it helps us to simplify our lives?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

November 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES : Reaching Out

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The Advices]

Friends fellowship begins and is nurtured within the home and Meeting. It reaches greater fulfillment as we carry our beliefs into the wider community.

Share your Quaker faith. Take time to learn about other people's experiences of the Light and, as you learn, give freely from what you have gained. Respect the experiences and opinions of others, but do not be afraid to say what you value. Welcome the diversity of culture, language, and expressions of faith in your Monthly Meeting, the Yearly Meeting, and the world community Friends. Encourage discourse with Friends of pastoral and programmed traditions, and with members of other faiths.

Friends have a long history of involvement in public and private education, sharing our values with the world and nurturing future generations. Be mindful of the needs of children in your community and of avenues for deepening understanding between peoples.

[The Queries]

How does my life reflect Friends beliefs and thus encourage others to be interested in the Religious Society of Friends?

Do I respond openly to inquiries about Quaker experience and belief?

What does our Meeting do to make others aware of Friends principles and practices?

What are we doing to help people of various races, cultures, and backgrounds feel at home among us and we among them?

How do we encourage newcomers to return and participate in activities of the Meeting?

In what ways do we participate in the life of the interfaith community and in the wider fellowship of Friends?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

MEETING FOR BUSINESS

Opening Reading and Silence by Clerk 

According to the Quaker method, decisions are reached not by voting nor gathering the majority opinion, but by gathering the "sense of the meeting". It was the experience of the early Friends that faithful following of the Light of Christ Within led them into unity with one another, and their experience has been repeated generation after generation to the present time. Their great affirmation that the Light is given in some measure to everyone implied that each may also be led, if not in the same path, at least in the same direction. Thus the nearer the members of a group come to this one Light, the nearer they will be to one another.

~ New England Yearly Meeting, Faith and Practice, 1985

OCTOBER 2009

Social and Civic Responsibility

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The Advices]

In the words of William Penn, "True godliness don't draw men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it." Elsewhere he commented: "It is a reproach to religion and government to suffer so much poverty and excess."

Poverty within a wealthy society is unjust, cruel, and often linked to skin color, gender, and language. We must examine our own privilege and role in the economic order that deepens this disparity. Friends should be alert to oppression and injustice, and and persistent in working against them.

We value our part in shaping the laws of the country. Our task is to see that laws serve God's purposes and build a just social order. Our first allegiance should be to God, and if this conflicts with any compulsion of the state, we serve our country best to remaining true to our higher loyalty.

If, by divine leading, our attention is focused on a law that is contrary to God's law, we must proceed with care. Before acting, Friends should pray for further guidance and speak with the Meeting, family members, and all those who might be affected by the decision. If a decision involves civil disobedience to the law, we should make the grounds of our action clear to all concerned and be prepared to suffer any penalties without evasion. As a community, we must care for those who suffer for conscience's sake.

[The Queries]

What am I doing to carry my share of responsibility for the government of our community, nation, and the world?

Am I persistent in my efforts to promote constructive change?

How do we attend to the suffering of others in our local community, in our state and nation, and in the world community?

Do we try to understand the causes of suffering, and do we address them as a Meeting?

How do we, individually and as a Meeting, support the organizations that work to bring the testimonies of Friends into reality in our society?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Intense Quaker Dialogue on the Web

Following up on an announcement made in Meeting a few weeks back, here are some websites that may be of special interest to Friends:

· http://www.quakerquaker.org/ - The QuakerQuaker Team (in their own words) "sifts through the web every day picking out the best Quaker blog posts and videos."

· http://quakerpedia.org/index.php?title=Home - A new Quaker encyclopedia on the web. Lots of information on Quakers in the world today.

· "Convergent Friends" - A fascinating new movement within Quakerism. The Quaker Encyclopedia defines it as "Friends who are seeking dialog between (and perhaps even a merging of) the different branches of Quakerism." Another person describes it as "a coming together of the Christian part of liberal Friends and the liberal part of Conservative and/or Evangelical Friends." Search "convergent Friends" on Google, and you'll find a wide range of articles and commentaries some great, and some controversial.

· http://thegoodraisedup.blogspot.com/ - Described as "A Quaker woman's journey to be faithful in the face of her and others' humanness," this is a rich source of Quaker reflections and links to other online sites. The blog posts by the author, Liz Opp, provide a rich window into cutting-edge discussions among Friends today.

SEPTEMBER 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES for September: Harmony with Creation

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The Advices]

It would go a long way to caution and direct people in their use of the world, that they were better studied and knowing in the Creation of it. For how could [they] find the confidence to abuse it, while they should see the Great Creator stare them in the face, in all and every part thereof?

WILLIAM PENN, SOME FRUITS OF SOLITUDE, 1693

God is revealed in all Creation. We humans belong to the whole interdependent community of life on earth. Rejoice in the beauty, complexity, and mystery of creation, with gratitude to be part of its unfolding. Take time to learn how this community of life is organized and how it interacts. Live according to principles of right relationship and right action within the larger whole.

Be aware of the influence humans have on the health and viability of life on earth. Call attention to what fosters or harms earth's exquisite beauty, balances and interdependencies. Guided by Spirit, work to translate this understanding into ways of living that reflect our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

[The Queries]

In what ways do I express gratitude for the wondrous expressions of life on Earth?

Do I consider the damages I might do to the Earth's vulnerable systems in choices I make of what I do, what I buy, and how I spend my time?

In our witness for the global environment, are we careful to consider justice and the well-being of the world's poorest people?

Does our way of life threaten the viability of life on Earth?

-- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

AUGUST 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES for August: Stewardship and Vocation

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the Month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The advices]:

John Woolman said, "As Christians all we possess are the gifts of God .... To turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of Universal Love becomes the business of our lives." The principle of stewardship applies to all we have and are. As individuals, we are called to use our time, our various abilities, our strength, our money, and our material possessions with care, managing them wisely and sharing them generously.

From the indwelling Seed of God, we discover our particular gifts and discern the service to which we are called. In making choices about occupation or education, consider the way that offers the fullest opportunity to develop your individual abilities and contribute to the world community while providing for yourself and your family. In daily work, manifest a spirit of justice and understanding, and thus give a living witness to the truth.

Be ready to limit engagements, to withdraw for a time, or even to retire from an activity that inhibits your ability to follow a higher call. Try to discern the right moment to accept new responsibilities as well as to relinquish responsibility that can pass to others. Be open to your calling in different stages of life. Meetings need the strength and vigor of young people as well as the experience and wisdom of elders. Although they may not be able to contribute great financial support, their energy and insight invigorate the community. As people begin careers and families, they may need the spiritual and experienced help of the Meeting. Later, when families are growing and careers are established, greater participation in the Meeting and greater financial support may become possible. Welcome the approach of old age, your own and others', as an opportunity for wisdom and greater attachment to the Light. Meetings should be ready with material and spiritual support for those suffering from unemployment or facing difficult vocational decisions.

How have I been faithful to the leadings of the Spirit in choosing work or vocation?

What am I doing with my talents, time, money, and possessions? Am I sharing them according to the Light I am given?

Is my conduct at the workplace consistent with my life as a Friend?

How does my daily work enhance my spiritual life?

How does the Meeting help and support members who are in job transitions?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

ADVICES AND QUERIES for July: Meeting for Worship for Business

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the Month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The advices]:

Come to Meeting with hearts and minds prepared to be open and faithful to the leadings of the Spirit. Then the conduct of business will lead to truth, unity, and love.

[The queries]:

Do I attend Meeting for Business regularly?

Do I speak in Meeting for Business only when I am led to speak?

Is the Meeting for Business held as a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions?

Are we tender and considerate of different views, coming to a decision only when we have found unity?

Do we give prayerful support for our clerks that they may be sensitive to the movement of the Spirit among us?

 Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

ADVICES AND QUERIES for June 2009: Spiritual Life

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the Month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

[The advices]:

Friends believe that the spiritual path is best found in community. Create opportunities in your Meeting for people of all ages to explore and express their evolving relationship with the Devine, their spiritual highs and their doubts. If different metaphors and language interfere with communication, listen more deeply, honoring the Spirit in which the thought and words have their beginnings.

[the Queries]

Do I live in thankful awareness of God's constant presence in my life?

Am I sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit?

When do I take time for contemplation and spiritual refreshment?

What steps am I taking to center my life and stay open to continuing revelation?

Do we share our spiritual lives with others in the Meeting, seeking to know one another in that which is eternal?

Does the Meeting provide religious education including study of the Bible and Friends' history and practices?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Reading by Clerk From PYM Faith and Practice pp 31-32

Friends strive to observe a discipline of plain speaking, expressing themselves simply and directly. This discipline extends to not interrupting or interjecting remarks. The occasional "That Friend speaks my mind" shows support for a viewpoint. Friends maintain order and ensure full participation by waiting to be recognized by the Clerk and usually standing to speak, addressing all comments to the Clerk and not to one another.

Although Friends study and discuss issues in advance, they should not come to Meeting for Business with minds made up. Seeking to be reverent to that of God in themselves and others,

May 2009

[The advices]:

At times the Spirit may prompt you to speak in Meeting. Wait patiently to know that the sense and time are right. When you are sure, have confidence that the words will be given to you. Listen to the ministry of others with an open spirit. If it is not God's word for you, it may be for others. After a message has been given, allow time to ponder its meaning and to let the Meeting return to silent worship. In speech and in silence, each person contributes to the Meeting.

Queries:

Do I come to Meeting with heart and mind prepared for worship?

In both silent and vocal ministry, do I respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, without pre-arrangement and in simplicity and truth?

Am I careful not to speak at undue length or beyond personal spiritual experience?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the promptings of the Divine Spirit?

Are we drawn together in a living silence by the power of God in our midst?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

April 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES: The Meeting Community

Meetings for Worship and Business are the center of our spiritual community. There, as we come to know each other in the Spirit, we build the "beloved community."

All members of the community should share in the care of one another. While respecting privacy, we must be aware of and sensitive to each other's needs. We must also be willing to ask for assistance when we are in need.

Do I strive to be inclusive in my relationships within the Meeting?

Do I care for the reputation of others, refraining from gossip or disparaging remarks?

Am I committed to the difficult work of forgiveness, and affirming God's love for the whole community?

How are love and unity maintained among us?

Do we practice the art of listening, even beyond words?

How have been sensitive to the personal needs and difficulties of members and attenders, young and old?

Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

STATE OF THE MEETING REPORT

Claremont Friends Monthly Meeting

Spring 2009

Members and regular attenders of Claremont Friends Meeting continue to describe our Meeting in terms of a community, a spiritual family and a source of wisdom, refuge and replenishment.

We have, as always, faced challenges during the past year and have attempted to address them. To address feedback that our Meeting has at times been perceived as lukewarm in its welcoming of persons of Color, in early November we hosted Vanessa Julye from FGC, who led us in an exploration of diversity issues within the Religious Society of Friends

We struggled with issues of outreach: How do we attract and welcome visitors without resorting to inappropriate levels of promotion? We continue to be an aging Meeting and thus especially endeavor to attract younger potential Members and attenders. To this end we erected a new, more attractive and visible sign in front of the Meeting House. We researched the practicality of presenting Quaker Quest on our site, which would allow us to look deeply inward while providing outreach to the community. By year's end a core group of Friends had volunteered who are dedicated to making Quaker Quest a reality.

Despite the successful incorporation of "Joys and Concerns" into our Meeting for Worship, we continued to experience some internal tensions with regard to discernment. We struggled as to whether it is possible to distinguish speaking in Meeting that grows from deep personal need, from that which comes from a wider definition of spirit. We ponder such questions as: Can we and should we attempt to define something as "spirit-led" or not? Do we place unnecessary and/or value-laden restrictions on Friends' ministry if we do? Further, do we as Quakers continue our history of political and social involvement without deviating from the spirit-led? We are concerned that at times our attempts at discussing these and related issues have led to critical remarks and a degree of polarization.

We also explored such questions as: How do we reach out to the needy communities around us in these difficult economic times? Currently our Interfaith Council representative has been very active in getting us involved with a low income feeding program, and others in our Meeting collect monthly donations for a local food bank.

Several Friends have expressed a desire to form one or more Bible study groups. What do we as Quakers believe about the Bible? Do we view it as history? As literature? As metaphor? How much emphasis should be placed on the teachings of Jesus in our Bible studies? Toward this end, our Discussion Committee is planning a study of Scripture and Quaker use of it.

We took great joy in our sharing of personal spiritual journeys and may endeavor to collect them and make them available in print. We strengthened and supported one another in Clearness Committees and in helping one another meet personal, financial and life-adjustment needs. We have seen increased numbers of younger Members moving into clerkship and leadership roles. Despite our many challenges, most of us continue to see our Meeting as a source of joy, strength and nurturing.

Opening Silence and Reading by Clerk

Since our method of transacting business presumes that in a given matter there is a way that is in harmony with God's plan, our search is for that right way, and not simply for a way which is either victory for some faction, or an expedient compromise. In a Meeting that is rightly ordered no one wins or loses, but Truth prevails . . . Everyone has the privilege and the duty to lay before the Meeting whatever relevant insight one may possess. Out of this sharing of light may come a greater light which would not have been possible had some refrained from speaking . . . Our conviction of God's care for this world and respect for the dignity of man must be carried over into the conduct of our Meetings for Business. We are called to love those present enough to listen to what they have to say and to speak what is worth their hearing.

Thomas S. Brown, "When Friends Attend to Business"

MARCH 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES for March: Personal Relationships

Friends celebrate any union that is dedicated to mutual love and respect, regardless of the unique make-up of the family. We strive to create homes where the Spirit of the Divine resides at the center and where the individual genius of each member is respected and nurtured.

Human sexuality is a divine gift, forming part of the complex union of body, mind and spirit that is our humanity. In a loving adult relationship in a context of mutual responsibility, sexuality brings delight, fulfillment and celebration.

The presence of children carries a special blessing as well as responsibility. Children bring unique spiritual gifts wonder, resiliency, playfulness and more. Recognize and honor the Divine Light within children and treat them with dignity and respect that is due to all people. Listen to and learn from children; share with them those values and practices that are central to our own lives. Special care must be given to resolving problems between adults and children in a manner that gives equal weight to the feelings and needs of both children and adults. Tender parenting is one of the critically important peace vocations in our society. Make every effort to offer all parents the personal and institutional support that this challenging work requires.

Do I make my home a place of friendliness, joy, and peace, where residents and visitors feel God's presence?

Are my sexual practices consistent with my spiritual beliefs and free of manipulation and exploitation?

What barriers keep me from responding openly and lovingly to each person?

Do we open our thoughts, beliefs, and deep understandings to our children and others who share our lives and hospitality?

Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in the Meeting?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Opening Silence and Reading by Clerk

"The unity we seek depends on the willingness of us all to seek the truth in each other's utterances; on our being open to persuasion; and in the last resort on a willingness to recognize and accept the sense of the meeting as recorded in the minute, knowing that our dissenting views have been heard and considered." BYM Quaker Faith and Practice, 3.06

FEBRUARY 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES for February: Integrity and Personal Conduct

Integrity has always been a goal of Friends. It is essential to trust, to all communications between people and between people and God. Integrity grounds our beliefs, thoughts, and actions in our spiritual center and makes us whole.

Friends believe we are called to speak the truth. A single standard of truth requires us to conduct ourselves in ways that are honest, direct, and plain, and to make our choices, both large and small, in accordance with the urgings of the Spirit. It follows that we object to taking an oath, which presupposes a variable standard of truth. Be true to your word.

. . . let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay.

James 5:15 KING JAMES VERSION

From early days Friends have opposed gambling and practices based on chance. These activities profit from the inevitable loss of others, promote greed, and conflict with good stewardship. Public lotteries have not furthered their purported benefit to the public good. All addictions are of concern. As the use of alcohol and tobacco all too often entail serious risks to self and others, Friends who serve alcohol at home should be diligent in offering alternatives. Alcohol should not be served at Meeting gatherings.

Find recreation that brings you joy and energy. Be aware of how your choices affect yourself and others.

QUERIES:

How do I strive to maintain the integrity of my inner and outer lives?

Do I act on my principles even when this entails difficult consequences?

Am I honest and truthful in all that I say and do, even when a compromise might be easier or more popular?

Am I reflective about the ways I gain my wealth and income and sensitive to their impact on others?

Is my life so filled with the Spirit that I am free from the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, and of excesses of any kind?

Do we, in our Meeting, hold ourselves accountable to one another as do members of a healthy family?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

JANUARY 2009

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Simplicity

Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine center . . . a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time.

THOMAS R. KELLY, TESTAMENT OF DEVOTION, 1941

A life centered in God will be directed toward keeping communication with God open and unencumbered. Simplicity is best achieved through a right ordering of priorities, maintaining humility of spirit, avoiding self-indulgence, resisting the accumulation of unnecessary possessions, and avoiding over-busy lives.

Elise Boulding writes in My Part in the Quaker Adventure, "Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a by-product of a concern for something more important than ourselves."

Do I center my life in an awareness of God's presence so that all things take their rightful place?

Do I live simply, and promote the right sharing of the world's bounty?

Do I live my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?

How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work?

Do I recognize when I have enough?

Is the life of our Meeting so ordered that it helps us to simplify our lives?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

DECEMBER 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES for October: Meeting for Worship

It is our custom on the first Sunday of the Month to read from the Advices and Queries written in the current Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting. Our meetings for worship bring us to a special place now when the holiday season is set in a climate of change, suffering, and deep uneasiness. We may find it helpful to be guided by the Advices and Queries on the Meeting for Worship.

[The advices]:

At times the Spirit may prompt you to speak in Meeting. Wait patiently to know that the sense and time are right. When you are sure, have confidence that the words will be given to you. Listen to the ministry of others with an open spirit. If it is not God's word for you, it may be for others. After a message has been given, allow time to ponder its meaning and to let the Meeting return to silent worship. In speech and in silence, each person contributes to the Meeting.

[the Queries]:

Do I come to Meeting with heart and mind prepared for worship?

In both silent and vocal ministry, do I respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, without pre-arrangement and in simplicity and truth?

Am I careful not to speak at undue length or beyond personal spiritual experience?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the promptings of the Divine Spirit?

Are we drawn together in a living silence by the power of God in our midst?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

NOVEMBER 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES for October: Reaching Out

Friends fellowship begins and is nurtured within the home and Meeting. It reaches greater fulfillment as we carry out our beliefs into the wider community.

Share your Quaker faith. Take time to learn about other's experiences of the Light and, as you learn, give freely from what you have gained. Respect the experiences of others, but do not be afraid to say what you value. Welcome the diversity of culture, language, and expressions of faith in your Monthly Meeting, the Yearly Meeting, and the world community of Friends. Encourage discourse with Friends of pastoral and programmed traditions, and with members of other faiths.

How does my life reflect Friends beliefs and thus encourage others to be interested in the Religious Society of Friends?

Do I respond openly to inquiries about Quaker experience and belief?

What does our Meeting do to make others aware of Friends principles and practices?

What are we doing to help people of various races, cultures, and backgrounds feel at home among us and we among them?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Also, please be reminded that we do have for checking out the seven booklets developed and printed by Quaker Quest in London over the past four years. These booklets (none over 35 pages in length) do not tell us what we should believe, but each simply contains the views of 12 seasoned Quakers as they attempt to express how they came to their Quaker beliefs. The titles are Twelve Quakers and God, Twelve Quakers and Pacifism, Twelve Quakers and Worship, Twelve Quakers and Evil, Twelve Quakers and Simplicity, Twelve Quakers and Jesus, and Twelve Quakers and Equality.

QUAKER QUEST - BASIC CORE GROUP DUTIES

Initial duties:

Set dates for Quaker Quest & reserve the meetinghouse

Decide on possible publicity and propose a budget to the Meeting

Schedule a date for a core group training session by an FGC representative

Recruiting:

Work on finding presenters (some can be from the Core Group)

Work with presenters to prepare a draft program (samples available) and decide which topics will be covered.

Invite interested Friends to be greeters and caterers.

Miscellaneous Items:

Put together pamphlets to hand out to visitors

Plan the publicity schedule

Review the meetinghouse and how it welcomes and informs newcomers

The core group needs to attend all sessions, if possible, and be passionate about the success of the program.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"To be present is to be vulnerable, to be able to be hurt, to be willing to be spent but it is also to be awake, alive and engaged actively in the immediate assignment that has been laid upon us."

On Being Present Where You Are by Douglas Steere

"Friends' way of conducting business is of central importance. It is the Quaker way of living and working together. It can create and preserve the sense of fellowship in the Meeting, and from there it can spread to other groups and decisions in which individual Friends and Meetings have a part. Thus it contributes to the way of peace in the world."

George Selleck, New England Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 1966

OCTOBER 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES for October: Social and Civic Responsibility

In the words of William Penn, "True godliness don't draw men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it." Elsewhere, he commented:

"It is a reproach to religion and government to suffer so much poverty and excess."

We value our part in shaping the laws of our country. Our task is to see that laws serve God's purposes and build a just social order. Our first allegiance should be to God, and if this conflicts with any compulsion of the state, we serve our country best by remaining true to our higher loyalty.

If, by divine leading, our attention is focused on a law that is contrary to God's law, we must proceed with care. Before acting, Friends should pray for further guidance and speak with the Meeting, family members and all those who might be affected by the decision. If a decision involves disobedience to the law, we should make the grounds of our action clear to all concerned and be prepared to suffer any penalties without any evasion. As a community, we must care for those who suffer for conscience's sake.

What am I doing to carry my share of responsibility for the government of our community, nation, and the world?

Am I persistent in my efforts to promote constructive change?

How do we attend to the suffering of others in our local community, in our state and nation, and in the world community?

Do we try to understand the causes of suffering, and do we address them as a Meeting?

How do we, individually and as a Meeting, support the organizations that work to bring the testimonies of Friends into reality in our society?

 Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

SEPTEMBER 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES for September: Harmony with Creation

William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude, 1693

In what ways do I express gratitude for the wondrous expressions of life on Earth?

Do I consider the damage I might do to the Earth's vulnerable systems in choices I make of what I do, what I buy, and how I spend my time?

In our witness for the global environment, are we careful to consider justice and the well-being of the world's poorest people?

Does our way of life threaten the viability of life on Earth?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

AUGUST 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES for August: Stewardship and Vocation

How have I been faithful to the leadings of the Spirit in choosing work or vocation?

What am I doing with my talents, time, money, and possessions? Am I sharing them according to the Light I am given?

Is my conduct at the workplace consistent with my life as a Friend?

How does my daily work enhance my spiritual life?

How does the Meeting help and support members who are in job transitions?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

08 07 05 Gay Marriage Pat Smith

The two minutes, previously approved by Claremont Meeting were read:

· October 1989 "Lesbian and gay persons should enjoy opportunity and protection under the law equal to that of all other persons. We affirm the power and joy of all non-exploitive, loving relationships. We seek to become more supportive of such commitments."

· February 1990 "Claremont Monthly Meeting will consider requests for marriage and for other forms of solemn commitment under the care of the Meeting without discrimination based on gender. Procedures for clearness are described in Faith and Practice."

Today we APPROVED the following minute:

· "We oppose any and all efforts to undermine marriage equality in California, as previously affirmed in our minutes of 1989 and 1990."

This minute will be considered for publication in local newspapers and for inclusion in l

JULY 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES for July: Meeting for Worship for Business

Come to Meeting with hearts and minds prepared to be open and faithful to the leadings of the Spirit. Then the conduct of business will lead to truth, unity, and love.

Do I attend Meeting for Business regularly?

Do I speak in Meeting for Business only when I am led to speak?

Is the Meeting for Business held as a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions?

Are we tender and considerate of different views, coming to a decision only when we have found unity?

Do we give prayerful support for our clerks that they may be sensitive to the movement of the Spirit among us?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Peace & Social Justice Committee: The Peace & Social Justice Committee would like to share some of the valuable comments made in the discussion of Simplicity and its part in protecting the environment with those who were not present for the discussion on June 15th:

- Faith and Practice describes Simplicity as an approach that has ordered priorities, is focused on the important, and is proportionate. It is uncluttered, undistracted, and unhurried.

- Peace in the world may depend on our right sharing.

- There are insufficient resources in the world for everyone to enjoy the present American lifestyle.

- We need to act personally and collectively.

- Aristotle said, "People are destined to live in community. Only those who do so fully are fully human."

- Live simply so that other can simply live.

- Give your excess belongings to one who needs them, or can use them.

- Achieve the joy of feeling unburdened by accumulations.

- Drive consciously to increase your mpg - drive less, drive more slowly, drive smoothly.

- Bring bags with you to the grocery store.

- Plastic is oil.

- One's family and close friends are more important than material things.

- Increased crime results from the increased cost of food and gas.

- Take the opportunity to discuss with others any of the above as you are involved in doing them, to share your concerns for peace, right sharing, and minimizing the effects of global climate change and global warming.

JUNE 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Spiritual Life

Do I live in thankful awareness of God's constant presence in my life?

Am I sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit?

When do I take time for contemplation and spiritual refreshment?

What steps am I taking to center my life and to stay open to continuing revelation?

Do we share our spiritual lives with others in the Meeting, seeking to know one another in that which is eternal?

Does the Meeting provide religious education including study of the Bible and Friends' history and practices?

 Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

MAY 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Meeting for Worship

The heart of the Religious Society of Friends is the Meeting for Worship. In direct communion with God, we offer ourselves for God's will. Our daily lives are linked with the Meeting for Worship, the Meeting for Worship with our daily lives.

At times the Spirit may prompt you to speak in Meeting. Wait patiently to know that the sense and the time are right. When you are sure, have confidence that the words will be given to you. Listen to the ministry of others with an open spirit. If it is not God's word for you, it may be for others. After a message has been given, allow time to ponder its meaning and to let the Meeting return to silent worship. In speech and in silence, each person contributes to the Meeting.

Do I come to Meeting with heart and mind prepared for worship?

In both silence and vocal ministry, do I respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, without pre-arrangement and in simplicity and truth?

Am I careful not to speak at undue length or beyond personal spiritual experience?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the promptings of the Divine Spirit?

Are we drawn together in a living silence by the power of God in our midst?

 Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious

APRIL 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Peace

Friends oppose all war as inconsistent with God's will. As every person is a child of God, we recognize God's light also in our adversaries. Violence and injustice deny this reality and violate the teachings of Jesus and other prophets.

Friends challenge their governments and take personal risks in the cause of peace. We urge one another to refuse to participate in war as soldiers, or as arms manufacturers. We seek ways to support those who refrain from paying their taxes that support war. We work to end violence within our borders, our homes, our streets, and our communities. We support international order, justice, and understanding.

Become an instrument of peace. At every opportunity, be peacemakers in your homes, workplaces and communities. Steep yourself in the power of the universal Spirit. Examine your actions for the seeds of violence and nurture instead a spirit of reconciliation and love. Come to know the oneness of all creation and oppose the destruction of the natural world.

Do I live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?

How do I nourish peace within myself as I work for peace in the world?

Do I confront violence wherever it occurs, even when my personal relationships are involved?

Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred, how am I an instrument of reconciliation and love?

What are we doing to remove the causes of war and destruction of the planet, and to bring about lasting peace?

Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love?

 Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

MARCH 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Personal Relationships

Friends celebrate any union that is dedicated to mutual love and respect, regardless of the unique make-up of the family. We strive to create homes where the Spirit of the Divine resides at the center and where the individual genius of each member is respected and nurtured.

Take a strong stand against any form of abuse, whether that abuse is minor or severe, and whether that abuse is minor or severe, and whether it is emotional, physical or sexual in naturel. The terrible impact of abuse on the most vulnerable members of our families create lifelong suffering for its victims and is a major source of violence in our society. Perpetrators are themselves usually victims of similar violence and should be approached with compassion as well as firmness.

Do I make my home a place of friendliness, joy, and peace, where residents and visitors feel God's presence?

Are my sexual practices consistent with my spiritual beliefs and free of manipulation and exploitation?

What barriers keep me from responding openly and lovingly to each person?

Do we open our thoughts, beliefs, and deep understandings to our children and others who share our lives and hospitality?

Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in the Meeting?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

From the Peace & Social Justice Committee: Louis Cox and Ruah Swennerfelt are a Quaker couple from Vermont who are taking seriously the testimony of living in right relationship with all of Creation. They work for Quaker Earthcare Witness, (formerly Friends Committee on Unity with Nature), an organization that is seeking to "develop a testimony for an earth restored as clear as that held by Friends for peace and justice." A major inspiration for their work is John Woolman, an 18th century Quaker who traveled within the Religious Society of Friends to witness against slavery. He also warned that the seeds of war, injustice, and environmental deterioration can be fed when people strive after greater ease and luxury than is consistent with "Divine Wisdom" and their own spiritual well-being. Following the pattern of John Woolman, from November 2007 through April 2008, Ruah and Louis are undertaking a 1,400-mile "Peace for Earth Walk" from Vancouver, B.C. to San Diego, Calif., to explore with Friends and others how John Woolman's message is relevant in the 21st century.

They will be walking from Pasadena through Claremont and on to Riverside from April 11 - 15, and will be with us here at Claremont Meeting on Sunday, April 13. After Meeting for Worship, they will make a presentation and have a discussion with Friends and others about their spiritual and physical journeys. Friends are encouraged to invite friends to this presentation. We are still working out details, but there will most likely be some sort of meal for continued sharing after the presentation. If you are interested in helping plan or just in attending this event, please contact Beverly Speak at (909) 455-4832 or <mailto:bspeak@kidscomefirstclinic.org>bspeak@kidscomefirstclinic.org. For more information, you may wish to check their informative and comprehensive website: <http://www.peaceforearth.org>www.peaceforearth.org.

Louis and Ruah have prepared a booklet, Walking in the Light, a short study Guide for the 2007-2008 Peace for Earth Walk that relates John Woolman's life and writings to our environmental concerns today. We have a few copies of this booklet that we will have on the Library table to borrow for a week and then return for others to read.

In addition to their formal presentation, folks are invited/encouraged to join Ruah and Louis for some time on their walk through Southern California. Beverly and David Speak will be hosting them overnight on Sunday, and they will set off for a two-day walk to Riverside Monday morning. We are coordinating this phase of the journey with Friends from Inland Valley Meeting. If you know of someone who could host them overnight somewhere half-way (Ontario? Rancho Cucamonga (southern side?), please let Beverly know ASAP.

FEBRUARY 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Integrity and Personal Conduct

Friends believe that we are called to speak the truth. A single standard of truth requires us to conduct ourselves in ways that are honest, direct, and plain, and to make our choices, both large and small, in accord with the urgings of the Spirit. It follows that we object to taking an oath, which presupposes a variable standard of truth. Be true to your word.

. . . let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay.

JAMES 5:12 KING JAMES VERSION

Find recreation that brings you joy and energy. Be aware of how your choices affect yourself and others.

How do I strive to maintain the integrity of my inner and outer lives?

Do I act on my principles even when this entails difficult consequences?

Am I honest and truthful in all that I say and do, even when a compromise might be easier or more popular?

Am I reflective about the ways I gain my wealth and income and sensitive to their impacts on others?

Is my life so filled with the Spirit that I am free from the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, and of excesses of any kind?

Do we, in our Meeting, hold ourselves accountable to one another as do members of a healthy family?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

JANUARY 2008

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Simplicity

Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center. . . a life of unhurried peace and power. It it simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time.

Thomas R. Kelly, Testament of Devotion, 1941

[Four of the queries are these]:

Do I center my life in an awareness of God's presence so that all things take their rightful place?

Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?

Do I recognize when I have enough?

Is the life of our Meeting so ordered that it helps us to simplify our lives?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

DECEMBER 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES for December: Reaching Out

Friends fellowship begins and is nurtured within the home and Meeting. It reaches greater fulfillment as we carry our beliefs into the wider community.

Share your Quaker faith. Take time to learn about other people's experiences of the Light and, as you learn, give freely from what you have gained. Respect the experiences and opinions of others, but do not be afraid to say what you value. Welcome the diversity of culture, language and expressions of faith in our Monthly Meeting, Yearly Meeting and the world community of Friends. Encourage discourse with Friends of pastoral and programmed traditions, and with members of other faiths.

Friends have a long history of involvement in public and private education, sharing our values with the world and nurturing future generations. Be mindful of the needs of children in our community and of avenues for deepening understanding between peoples.

How does my life reflect Friends beliefs and thus encourage others to be interested in the Religious Society of Friends?

Do I respond openly to inquiries about Quaker experience and belief?

What does our Meeting do to make others aware of Friends principles and practices?

What are we doing to help people of various races, cultures and backgrounds feel at home among us and we among them?

How do we encourage newcomers to return and participate in activities of the Meeting?

In what ways do we participate in the life of the interfaith community and in the wider fellowship of Friends?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

Helen-Jeanne's prayer: Several people have asked Helen-Jeanne for copies of her prayer, based on The Lord's Prayer, which she shared in Meeting for Worship on November 18. Both are set forth below:

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever.

Helen-Jeanne Munter's version

Oh Light and Love that dwells within us all, help us to honor you and to follow the leadings that come from you.

In every part of our lives, fill us with your spirit to sustain us,

Help us to forgive ourselves when we turn from you, and help us to recognize you in everyone

Show us that light and love and spirit are always available to us as we make choices,

Help us turn away from envy, jealousy and selfishness to giving, loving and sharing.

We know you are everywhere and that you will give us the strength to live loving lives.

Some Useful Tips

The PYM Faith & Practice is easily available online:

The complete text of Faith & Practice is available on the PYM web site, with index and all. You can consult it on the web site, or copy and paste and print any part that you want to use.

Go to <http://www.pacificyearlymeeting.org><http://www.pacificyearlymeeting.org> and click on the link to Faith & Practice, or just go to: <http://www.pacificyearlymeeting.org/fp/index.html><http://www.pacificyearlymeeting.org/fp/index.html> and you will find the entire text there. It is easy to use.

If you forget the above address, just ask Google for "Pacific Yearly Meeting, Faith & Practice", and it will give you the link to the same page. [tip from Myron Chapman]

Save trees and oil! Remove yourself from catalog lists by using the website catalogchoice.org. You will receive a confirmation email to which you must reply.

The Meeting APPROVED the following minute on torture:

"The Claremont Friends Meeting declares its opposition to the use of torture any place, any time, by any person or agency. We view torture as a violation of our belief that there is that of God in every person. It is a crime against humanity and a violation of international agreements that we have made. It injures both the tortured and the torturer. We are also persuaded by experts that it is not only immoral but ineffectual as a means to elicit information.

We therefore declare our support for the Torture Prevention and Effective Interrogation Act, introduced by Senator Kennedy and currently before the Congress.

We urge the Peace and Social Justice Committee of our Meeting to communicate our sentiments to our legislators and to suggest additional actions we might take to make our views known

November 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Social and Civil Responsibility

Poverty within a wealthy society is unjust, cruel, and often linked to skin color, gender, and language. We must examine our own privilege and role in economic order that deepens this disparity. Friends should be alert to oppression and injustice, and persistent in working against them.

If, by divine leading, our attention is focused on a law that is contrary to God's law, we must proceed with care. Before acting Friends should pray for further guidance and speak with the Meting, family members, and all those who might be affected by the decision. If a decision involves disobedience to the law, we should make the grounds of our acting clear to all concerned and be prepared to suffer any penalties without evasion. As a community, we must care for those who suffer for conscience's sake.

What am I doing to carry my share of responsibility for the government of our community, nation, and world?

Am I persistent in my efforts to promote constructive change?

How to we attend to the suffering of others in our local community, in our state and nation, and in the world community?

Do we try to understand the causes of suffering, and do we address them as a Meeting?

How do we, individually and as a Meeting, support the organizations that work to bring the testimonies of Friends into reality in our society?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

OCTOBER 2007

Clerk: Patricia Smith

Alternate Clerk: Aimee Elsbree

Recording Clerk: Pat Smith

Corresponding Clerk: Charleen Krueger

Recorders: Aimee Elsbree, Dan Randal

Treasurer: Mary Cooper

Notices: Sherrill Walker

ADVICES AND QUERIES for October: The Meeting Community

Meetings for Worship and Business are the center of our spiritual community. There, as we come to know each other in the Spirit, we build the "beloved community."

Mutual respect and care in the Meeting for the foundation from which we can test, support, and exercise leadings of the Spirit. At its best, the Meeting community provides a framework for us to learn and practice mutual care, which strengthens us as we act in the world.

All members of the Meeting community should share in the care of one another. While respecting privacy, we must be aware of and sensitive to each other's needs. We must be willing to ask for assistance when we are in need.

Do I strive to be inclusive in my relationships within the Meeting?

Do I care for the reputation of others, refraining from gossip or disparaging remarks?

Am I committed to the difficult work of forgiveness, and affirming God's love for the whole community?

How are love and unity maintained among us?

Do we practice the art of listening, even beyond words?

How have we been sensitive to the personal needs and difficulties of members and attenders, young and old?

Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distance members?

- Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

ADVICES AND QUERIES for September

Harmony with Creation

William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude, 1693

In what ways do I express gratitude for the wondrous expressions of life on Earth?

Do I consider the damage I might do to the Earth's vulnerable systems in choices I make of what I do, what I buy, and how I spend my time?

In our witness for the global environment, are we careful to consider justice and the well-being of the world's poorest people?

Does our way of life threaten the viability of life on Earth?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

JULY 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES for July: Spiritual Life

The queries:

Do I live in thankful awareness of God's constant presence in my life?

Am I sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit?

When do I take time for contemplation and spiritual refreshment?

What steps am I taking to center my life and to stay open to continuing revelation?

Do we share our spiritual lives with others in the Meeting, seeking to know one another in that which is internal?

Does the Meeting provide religious education including study of the Bible and Friends' history and practices?

June 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES : Meeting for Worship for Business

Come to Meeting with hearts and minds prepared to be open and faithful to the leadings of the Spirit. Then conduct of business will lead to truth, unity, and love.

Listen attentively to others' word and use silence between messages to reflect carefully on what you may contribute. When you are clear, speak simply what is in your heart, without repeating what has already been offered. While making your insights clear, lay aside personal opinions and attend to what God requires.

The queries:

Do I attend Meeting for Business regularly?

Do I speak in Meeting for Business only when I am led to speak?

Is the Meeting for Business held as a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions?

Do we give prayerful support for our clerks that they may be sensitive to the movement of the Spirit among us?

From the Peace and Social Justice Com.:

We were surprised last Sunday at the P & SJ discussion by the number of suggestions that those in attendance made in answer to the question asked, and we would like to share these suggestions with others who could not be there.

The question: "What can I do now to end the war?"

Here are some of the suggestions made by those attending P& SJ Com.'s discussion on May 20, 2007:

Letter writing or calling members of the Senate and House of Representatives

Call, email, or fax about bills in Congress: Bring the Troops Home; End Funding for the War; Withdraw Authorization for War

Be visible write letters to the editor

Support FCNL, Peace Action, MoveOn, and other groups working for peace Work for candidates and leaders who are for Peace

Support Presidential candidates who will work to end the war now and bring the troops home.

Support ads urging peaceful actions

Sign petitions

Circulate telephone numbers of government officials

Support impeachment of the President and Vice President

Publicize activities to support peaceful action

Demonstrate for Peace at Arrow and Indian Hill Friday afternoons

Have a Peace booth at Claremont city activities such as 4th of July celebration, Village Venture

Unite with women of the world to stand for Peace

Send letters of encouragement to Iraqi Parliament how we can work together

Redefine problem, as an occupation, a police action, terrorism as a method

Understand causes of conflict

Formulate specific proposal re problems of withdrawal from Iraq

Consider how we relate to persons with whem we disagree, Listen

Look for the common ground

Encourage serious study before signing up for the military

Encourage other kinds of work - other than the military

Be peaceful and thoughtful with young relatives and friends, try to understand them

Find common ground with returning veterans from the war

Examine my daily life - what am I doing that contributes to war?

Choose to work for love and life and not focus on tragedy and everyday news

Don't get caught up with terrorism, fear

Deepen my spiritual, peaceful life - that can radiate to others

I can't afford the luxury of hopelessness (Allan Hunter)

Learn about the history of religious conflicts

Discuss our American empire

Listen to Democracy Now on FM or TV

Stand by our principles

Engage in interfaith work with other churches

Encourage AVP programs - to create a peaceful climate

Push for legislation for AVP in schools

Keep up our own international contacts around the world

May, 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES : Meeting for Worship

The queries:

Do I come to Meeting with heart and mind prepared for worship?

In both silent and vocal ministry, do I respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, without pre-arrangement and in simplicity and truth?

Am I careful not to speak at undue length or beyond personal spiritual experience?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the promptings of the Divine Spirit?

Are we drawn together in a living silence by the power of God in our midst?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

APRIL 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES for April: The Meeting Community

Meetings for Worship and Business are the center of our spiritual community. There, as we come to know each other in the Spirit, we build the "beloved community".

All members of the Meeting community should share in the care of one another. While respecting privacy, we must be aware of and sensitive to each other's needs. We must also be willing to ask for assistance when we are in need.

The queries:

Do I strive to be inclusive in my relationships within the Meeting?

Do I care for the reputation of others, refraining from gossip or disparaging remarks?

Am I committed to the difficult work of forgiveness, and affirming God's love for the whole community?

How are love and unity maintained among us?

How have we been sensitive to the personal needs and difficulties of members and attenders, young and old?

Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?

 Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

MARCH 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES for March: PEACE

Friends challenge their governments and take personal risks in the cause of peace. We urge one another to refuse participation in war as soldiers, or as arms manufacturers. We seek ways to support those who refrain from paying taxes that support war. We work to end violence within our own borders, our homes, our streets, and our communities. We support international order, justice, and understanding.

Do I live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?

How do I nourish peace within myself as I work for peace in the world?

Do I confront violence wherever it occurs, even when my personal relationships are involved?

Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred, how am I an instrument of reconciliation and love?

What are we doing to remove the causes of war and destruction of the planet, and to bring about lasting peace?

Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love?

Tips for Speaking Into the Microphone

After several weeks of utilizing the microphone to better hear messages in Meeting for Worship, we now have a few pointers to make that we believe will enhance the experience for all.

1. In order for others to understand your message, you must speak directly into the microphone.

2. The microphone has to be held horizontally to the floor and within 1 to 2 inches directly in front of your mouth. (We know this feels uncomfortable, but we feel sure you'll become accustomed to it. This is where practice helps, and you are welcome to practice following close of Worship.)

3. You should speak naturally with no increase in volume, as if you were in conversation. With a microphone, it is not necessary to raise your voice.

4. Speak at an even paceno hurrying up or slowing down.

5. Speak slowly, don't rush your words and enunciate clearly. (This too may feel uncomfortable at first).

6. And don't drop your voice at the end of a sentence or your message. All the words of a message are important.

However, with all of the above being said, keep in mind that those who are given a message to express vocally are expected to deliver it so that it might be taken in by those present to hear it. Any discomfort the speaker feels speaking into a microphone is nothing compared with that of those who want or need to hear the message and are unable to.

February 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES for February: Personal Relationships

Friends celebrate any union that is dedicated to mutual love and respect, regardless of the unique make-up of the family. We strive to create homes where the Spirit of the Divine resides at the center and where the individual genius of each member is respected and nurtured.

Take a strong stand against any form of abuse, whether that abuse is minor or severe, and whether it is emotional, physical or sexual in nature.

The queries:

Do I make my home a place of friendliness, joy, and peace, where residents and visitors feel God's presence?

Are my sexual practices consistent with my spiritual beliefs and free of manipulation and exploitation?

What barriers keep me from responding openly and lovingly to each person?

Do we open our thoughts, beliefs, and deep understandings to our children and others, who share our lives and our hospitality?

Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in the Meeting?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

JANUARY 2007

ADVICES AND QUERIES: Integrity and Personal Conduct

Friends believe that we are called to speak the truth. A single standard of truth requires us to conduct ourselves in ways that are honest, direct, and plain, and to make choices, both large and small, in accord with the urgings of the Spirit. It follows that we object to taking an oath, which presupposes a variable standard of truth. Be true to your word.

... let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay. James 5:12, King James Version

From early days Friends have opposed gambling and practices based on chance. These activities profit from the inevitable loss of others, promote greed, and conflict with good stewardship. Public lotteries have not furthered their purported benefit to the public good. All addictions are of concern. As the use of alcohol and tobacco all too often entails serious risk to self and others, Friends who serve alcohol at home should be diligent in offering alternatives. Alcohol should not be served at Meeting gatherings.

Find recreation that brings you joy and energy. Be aware of how your choices affect yourself and others.

The queries:

How do I strive to maintain the integrity of my inner and outer lives?

Do I act on my principles even when this entails difficult consequences?

Am I honest and truthful in all that I say and do, even when a compromise might be easier or more popular?

Am I reflective about the ways I gain my wealth and income and sensitive to their impact on others?

Is my life so filled with the Spirit that I am free from the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, and of excesses of any kind?

Do we, in our Meetings, hold ourselves accountable to one another as do members of a healthy family?

Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 2001 ed.

November 2001

Social & Civic Responsibility

Advices

In the words of William Penn, "True godliness doesn't draw men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it."

Poverty within a wealthy society is unjust, cruel, and often linked to skin color, gender, and language... Friends should be alert to oppression and injustice, and persisitent in working against them.

We value our part in shaping the laws of our country. Our task is to see that laws serve God's purposes and build a just social order. Our first allegiance should be to God, and if this conflicts with any compulsion of the state, we serve our country best by remaining true to our higher loyalty.

If, by divine leading, our attention is focused on a law that is contrary to God's law, we must proceed with care.

Queries

What am I doing to carry my share of responsibility
for the government of our community, nation, and the world?

Am I persistent in my efforts to promote constructive change?

How do we attent to the suffering of others in our local community,
in our state and nation, and in the world community?

from Advices and Queries, page 52, Faith and Practice, 2001

For consideration by Peace & Social Order Committee:

What would YOU propose as a proper response to the terrorism of 9-11-01?

One proposal:

Respond vigorously to the events of 9-11-01 in the international equivalent of a domestic police action. Capture, arrest, and bring to justice all criminal terrorists.
Halt bombing in Afghanistan
Work with the UN in joint action
Feed starving Afghan people and Afghan refugees
End economic sanctions that limit food to Iraqi people

Freeze assets of terrorists and supporters
Economic sanctions, embargo, and/or blockade of countries supporting terrorists
Press and support Israel and Palestinians to reach a just peace settlement
Press and support India and Pakistan to reach a just peace settlement on Kashmir

Look for root sources of terrorism (justice, economic, respect, etc.) and try to change. Take long range view and choose actions that will leave all grandchildren better off 50 years from now.

Consider a Marshall plan type of world support for needed development of poor countries.
Consider seriously right sharing of resources with poor persons and countries.
Develop World Federal structure to provide and enforce international safety, justice, and conflict resolution.

Markedly limit or eliminate all international trade in all weapons.
Reduce stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and materials and guard against unauthorized use.
Abolish all nuclear weapons development and production.
Collect all nuclear weapons materials and safeguard or destroy.
Destroy most nuclear weapons. Put remaining ones under UN control.

Develop world and national population policies in all countries to end growth of world population.
Support only programs for sustainable activities.
Support democracy worldwide.
End terrorist/undemocratic activity by our government.
Support human rights worldwide.

Campaign finance reform to make rational legislative action possible.
Reexamine world trade agreements to protect workers, environment, and safety.
Protect environment worldwide.
Shift basis of economy away from consumption.
Decrease consumption in the U.S. of energy, resources, electricity, oil.

Queries

1. Do I belong to and support organizations that work for peace or to relieve hunger and poverty throughout the world?
2. Do I write to my political representatives to tell them to stop the bombing & any further military actions, and to invest time and money in building peaceful world-wide coalitions?
3. Do I work to stop the cycle of escalating violence?
4. Do I try to minimize my dependence on gas and oil?
5. Do I support Muslims in my community to help protect them from discrimination and abuse?
6. Do I build relations with Muslims in my community?
7. Do I try to learn more about the Muslim world and the anger that provoked the 9-11 attack?
8. Do I participate in community responses to the war?
9. Do I carefully consider the ramifications of military attacks and the alternatives that might effectively prevent terrorism in the future?
10. Do I express my opinions openly and directly, but without hostility toward those with differing viewpoints?
11. Do I speak the language of light to ward off the darkness of fear, anger, hate and confusion?
12. Do I look for that of God in all people?
13. Do I pray for peace? --Peace and Social Order Committee

Notices, October 2001

Harmony with Creation

Advices

God is revealed in all Creation. We humans belong to the whole interdependent community of life on earth. Rejoice in the beauty, complexity, and mystery of creation, with gratitude to be part of its unfolding.

Guided by Spiriit, work to translate this understanding into ways of living that reflect our responsibility ot one another, to the great community of life and to future generations.

Queries

In what ways do I express gratitude for the wondrous expressions of life on Earth?

Do I consider the damage I might do to the Earth's vulnerable systems in choices I make of what I do, what I buy and how I spend my time?

In our witness for the global environment, are we careful to consider justice and the well-being of the world's poorest people?

From Advices and Queries, page 51, Faith and Practice, 2001

It would go a long way to caution and direct people in their use
of the world, that they were better studied and knowing in the
Creation of it. For how could {they} find the confidence to
abuse it, while they should see the Great Creator stare them
in the face, in all and every part thereof.

William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude, 1693

Minute about the Death Penalty adopted by Pacific Yearly Meeting-,
August 2001

The Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Freinds reaffirms
its opposition to the death penalty. The deliberate taking of a human life
by the state under any circumstances is an absolute irrevocable denial that
there is that of God in everyone. Each live is uniquely valuable and
sacred and no one is totally beyond redemption. Capital punishment rejects
the message of forgiveness. It degrades the humanity of the executioner
and of the society that endorses the aact.

We will work with concerned members of all religious faiths and otheres of
like conviction to abolish the death penalty.

Charleen Krueger's Statement on Unity Sunday
September 15, 2001

The core belief of members of the Religious Society of Friends, the
Quakers, is that there is that of God, of the divine, in each person,
and that we treat people - all people - accordingly. I stand before
you today, confessing that for many years I hated two people who did
terrible things to me, things of which I am reminded daily. I used to
wonder where they were, and what they were doing. I used to wish a
slow and painful death for them. One day I received a blessing - the
true realization that there was that of God in them, too. And that the
only person being hurt by my hatred was me. It was poisoning my heart
and eating my soul. In that moment, my hatred was gone. I remembered
Jesus on the cross. He said "Father, forgive them,"
not `I forgive you', but "Father, forgive them". I leave the
forgiveness to God, but I am the only one who can rid the hatred from
my heart.

If the more than 5000 deaths we have suffered this week happened to us
20 times a year for 10 years, they would not equal the deaths in the
Middle East, in Africa, in the Philippines, in Ireland, in Europe, in
South America. Deaths caused by war, oppression, famine, and
embargoes.

I want justice for the world, not revenge.

Peace begins with each of us as individuals, in our hearts and in our
souls. But peace begins in the world when we wage peace against the
causes of war - hunger, injustice, ignorance to name a few. Today is a
start. Where do we go from here? What do we do after today to remove
the causes of war?

No More Victims

The American Friends Service Committee urges President Bush to look for
diplomatic means to bring to justice the people who are responsible for
this crime against humanity. Now is the time to break the cycle of
violence and retaliation. Do not respond to these terrible acts by waging
war. War will lead to additional deaths and the suffering of many peope in
the United States and abroad.

The AFSC has launched a No More Victims campaign to support those affected
by the World Trade Center, Pentagon and western Pennsylvania airplane
tragedies. Funds collected through this campaign will also be used to help
increase awareness about healing justice and the need for peaceful
solutions to this terrible situation.

One of the elements of this campaign is to connect with people around the
world who believe in pursuing peace rather than war as a solution and to
give visibility to them in national newpapers as full-page signature
advertisements. AFSC is asking all peaceloving people to participate and
to invite their friends to help.

September 2001 Notices

Advices & Queries

STEWARDSHIP AND VOCATION read by Aimee Elsbree
(Taken from Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting, 2001.
The full text is significantly different from the Preliminary Edition.)

John Woolman said, "As Christians all we possess are the gifts of God...To turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of Universal Love becomes the business of our lives." The principle of stewardship applies to all we have and are. As individuals, we are called to use our time, our various abilities, our strength, our money, and our material possessions with care, managing them wisely and sharing them generously.
From the indwelling Seed of God, we discover our particular gifts and discern the service to which we are called. In making choices about occupation or education, consider the way that offers the fullest opportunity to develop your individual abilities and contribute to the world community while providing for yourself and your family. In daily work, manifest a spirit of justice and understanding, and thus give a living witness to the truth.
...Meetings should be ready with material and spiritual support for those suffering from unemployment or facing difficult vocational decisions.

How have I been faithful for the leadings of the Spirit
in choosing work or vocation?

What am I doing with my talents, time, money, and possessions?
Am I sharing them according to the Light I am given?

Is my conduct at the workplace consistent with my life as a Friend?

How does my daily work enhance my spiritual life?

How does the Meeting help & support members in job transitions?

The English translation of the Haiku poems that June Cullen shared on August 5th in honor of those who died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945:

Today is the day
for one last view
of Mount Fuji

Fields dying off:
the underside of grasses frozen
hour of my death

When I am gone
will someone care for
the chrysanthemum I leave?

Within your life and mine
there lives
a cherry blossom

Swear to me pine,
for many years
to keep on young and green

Ghandi's Roots of Violence

Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.

August 2001

Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business

Advices

Come to Meeting with hearts and minds prepared to be open and faithful to the leadings of the Spirit. Then the conduct of business will lead to truth, unity. and love.

Listen attentively to others' words and use the silence between messages to reflect carefully on what you might contribute. When you are clear, speak simply what is in your heart, without repeating what has already been offered. Inaction is a form of action.

Queries Do I attend Meeting for Business regularly?

Having made my insights clear, do I lay aside my personal
opinions as I attend to what God requires?

Is the Meeting for Business held as a Meeting for Worship
in which we seek divine guidance for our actions?

Are we tender and considerate of different views,
coming to a decision only when we have found unity?

Do we pray for our clerks that they may be sensitive
to the movement of the Spirit among us?

from the Preliminary Edition, Faith and Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting 2000

On frequency of ministry: "It must never be presumed that because the call has come once, it will come again. Equally, if it has never come, one must never think it never will. Strictly speaking, all one is called upon to do is to be ready if called, and in this, once more, the distinction between the minister and the ordinary worshiper disappears, for in the silence, God will choose whom he will... It has to be said, however, that there are meetings in which there is little sense of divine leading in the spoken ministry, but a lot of reliance of what Friends used to call 'the creature'. These flights of imaginative fancy, intellectual preoccupations and emotional difficulties provide a lot of information about the ministers but not a great deal about God..."
from John Punshon's, Encounter With Silence, page 86.

July 2001

Advices

Spiritual Life Selected and Read by Alane Daugherty

The life of the spirit gains depth and vigor through devotional practices, prayer, study and meditation. Take time regularly for individual and family worship, discussions, and readings from sacred texts and other spiritual refreshment in order to live a more centered life and to bring a deeper presence to the Meeting for Worship.

Queries

Do I live in thankful awareness of God's constant
presence in my life?

Am I sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit?

When do I take time for contemplations
and spiritual refreshment?

Do we share our spiritual lives with others in the Meeting?

from the Preliminary Edition,
Faith & Practice of Pacific Yearly Meeting, 2000

>From the Clerk
On Worship Sharing:

We gather together in worshipful silence to share, not our ideas, but our own experience, which is not open to discussion, and so we will not respond directly to what another has said. However, we may perceive that a pattern emerges in what is shared, and we will want to be mindful whether this reflects a movement of the Spirit among us. Those who speak will speak only once, out of the silence, and we will all take time in silence to absorb what has been said. As we speak, we will be mindful of the available time, so that all may be enriched by the unique gifts we each bring to share. (From the Preliminary Edition of Faith and Practice, 2000.)

''Wait for a time in silence to see how the insight changes. Some Friends wait for several meetings.

''Ask whether the insight will serve the whole meeting, or is meant for you alone.

'Be certain the ministry is spiritual, and intended for worship; there are other forums for personal or social concerns. Ask about these afterwards.''

''Speak briefly - and only once. A few heartfelt words are better than a long explanation.''
----Cambridge Meeting suggestions for vocal ministry.

June 2001

Advices Meeting for Worship read by Marty Carson

The heart of the Religious Society of Friends is the Meeting for Worship. In direct communion with God, we offer ourselves for God's will. Our daily lives are linked with the Meeting for Worship, the Meeting for Worship with our daily lives.
Come regularly to Meeting for Worship, even when you are angry, tired, or spiritually cold. Bring your joys and your hurts, and the needs of other people. Accept and support each other in the community where God dwells among us. As you do so, you may find the grace of prayer.
At times the Spirit may prompt you to speak in Meeting. Wait patiently to know that the sense and the time are right. When you are sure, have confidence that the words will be given to you. Listen to the ministry of others with an open spirit. If it is not God's word for you, it may be for others. After a message has been given, allow time to ponder its meaning and to let the Meeting return to silent worship. In speech and in silence, each person contributes to the Meeting.

Queries

Do I come to Meeting with heart and mind prepared for worship?

In both silent and vocal ministry, do I respond to the leadings of the
Holy Spirit, without pre-arrangement and in simplicity and truth?

Am I careful not to speak at undue length or
beyond personal spiritual experience?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the promptings of the Divine Spirit?

Are we drawn together in a living silence by the power of God in our midst?

From the Clerk
On the source of the ministry: "There is no question of one's worthiness to speak, or of the importance of the message. Rather, the matter at hand is the source of the message. Is it coming from the Friend who would speak, or through him or her? And if the message is coming through the Friend, is the message properly situated in space and time? Is it for the meeting as then and there gathered, or is the message not yet ripe, or meant to be kept to oneself, or better shared after meeting with a more select audience?"
Lanny Jay, Friends Bulletin, January 2000.

THE OBSERVER
A way without words

By Sam Allis, Boston Globe 4/29/2001

The great thing about a Quaker meeting is there is no middle man. No one orders you to stand, kneel, pray, recite, or sing. What you've got instead is a little peace and quiet as well as the freedom to commune with your maker or ponder the merits of a pinot noir for lunch. I suppose you can do the same in other churches but the interruptions get tiresome.

So let's hear it for the thrill of being left alone and the gift of silence. We all could do worse than keep our mouths shut for an hour a week. I attended the Friends Meeting at Cambridge, deep in the heart of darkest Brattle Street, out of curiosity a few weeks ago. As the progeny of some profoundly lapsed Philadelphia Quakers, I have maintained, at best, a spotty relationship with the tribe. But I'm always curious to see how they're doing.

Just fine. It is a treat to sit in a room full of people who, with rare exceptions, maintain radio silence for an hour. There is a huge difference between those who are forced into it - as I was throughout school - and those who crave it for its virtues. And there are many. Silence runs rings around mere solitude as a petri dish for all kinds of thinking.

The Religious Society of Friends in Cambridge puts out a marvelous pamphlet on the ''spoken ministry,'' a guide for those at a meeting who feel compelled to stand and speak. Its suggestions should be required reading for anyone born with vocal chords. To wit:

Wait for a time in silence to see how the insight changes. Some Friends
wait for several meetings.

Ask whether the insight will serve the whole meeting, or is meant for you alone.

Be certain the ministry is spiritual, and intended for worship; there are other forums for personal or social concerns. Ask about these afterwards.

If you've just got to spill, it further recommends:

Speak briefly - and only once. A few heartfelt words are better than a long explanation.

Yea, verily.

Despite these wise words, the decibel distractions at some meetings have increased over the years. Old-timers lament that speakers have become more numerous and verbose. Where a handful at most used to stand and speak with concision, you're now apt to hear some stemwinders. I remember a well-meaning young woman start off a few years ago with, ''I had a really bad week I'd like to share...''

But enough carping. These sessions still have it all over your average Sunday morning fare. I also attended the Quaker meeting to understand Boston better. While their ranks are puny compared to the Quaker community in Philadelphia - there are slightly under 1,000 members in the area - Quakers have been a signature part of this city since Ann Austin and Mary Fisher arrived here from England via Barbados in July of 1656.

If you want to understand the intolerance of Boston drivers today, consider the behavior of the Puritans back then. For a gang that fled persecution in England, they were astonishingly nasty to anyone who didn't conform to their views.

The relationship between the Puritans and the Quakers was a disaster from Day One. The Puritans referred to them as ''that cursed sect of heretics lately risen up in the world,'' according to Carla Gardina Pestana in her prize-winning article on the subject in the September 1983 edition of the New England Quarterly.

Quaker beliefs and practices were verboten on & around the Shawmut Peninsula because they challenged the very order and hierarchy the Puritans prized. To be fair, the Quakers at that time were aggressive, itinerant proselytizers bent on bringing down the status quo. The Puritans promptly threw Austin and Fisher in jail and held them incommunicado until they were put on a ship a month later and sent back to Barbados.

In an infamous case four years later, the Quaker Mary Dyer was hanged after entering Massachusetts Bay Colony from what is now Rhode Island for the third time against Puritan orders. She was spoiling for a fight because she knew before her final trip here that she returned on pain of death. Her insistence offers a whiff of the zealotry with which early Quakers pursued their cause.

Today, the Puritan response looks paranoid. ''Their reaction to the Quakers was a miniature version of the witchcraft hysteria,'' says Peter Drummey, librarian for the Massachusetts Historical Society.

When you think about it, though, the Puritans and their descendants, the Brahmins, have always been short on inclusion. They were intolerant toward the Irish and Italians who poured into Boston in the 19th and early 20th centuries - dreaded papists beyond the pale of civilized society.

This Catholic influx overwhelmed the Brahmins and particularly the Quakers, whose numbers dwindled as they ''read out'' of their ranks anyone who married a non-Quaker. (This no longer happens.) Today, their profile here approaches museum status. Yet they are a hardy band and familiar figures promoting their pacifism and environmental concerns amid the winos near Park Street.

Their greatest legacy, though, remains their silence.

Sam Allis's e-mail is allis@globe.com This story ran on page A02 of the Boston Globe 4/29/2001
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.

May 2001

Advices & Queries: The Meeting Community Read by Karen Chapman

The Meeting for Worship is the center of our spiritual community. There, as we come to know each other in the Spirit, we build a "beloved community."

Mutual respect and care in the Meeting form the foundation from which we can test, support, and exercise leadings of the Spirit. At its best,the Meeting community provides a framework for us to learn and practice mutual care, which strengths as we act in the world.

All people of the Meeting community should share in the care of one another. While respecting privacy, we must be aware of and sensitive to each other's needs. We must also be willing to ask for assistance when we are in need.

Do I strive to be inclusive in my relationships within the meeting?

Do I care for the reputation of others,

refraining from gossip, or disparaging remarks?

Am I committed to the difficult work of forgiveness,

and affirming God's love for the whole community"

How are love and unity maintained among us?

Do we practice the art of listening, even beyond words?

How have we been sensitive to the personal needs and

difficulties of members and attenders, young and old?

Do we visit one another in our homes and

keep in touch with distant members?

From the Clerk

On Worship Sharing: We gather together in worshipful silence to share, not our ideas, but our own experience, which is not open to discussion, and so we will not respond directly to what another has said. However, we may perceive that a pattern emerges in what is shared, and we will want to be mindful whether this reflects a movement of the Spirit among us. Those who speak will speak only once, out of the silence, and we will all take time in silence to absorb what has been said. As we speak, we will be mindful of the available time, so that all may be enriched by the unique gifts we each bring to share. (From the Preliminary Edition of Faith and Practice, 2000.)

April 2001

Advices & Queries: Peace read by Jean Walton

Friends oppose all war as inconsistent with God's will. Every person is a child of God. We recognize God's Light also in our adversaries. Violence and injustice deny this reality and violate the teachings of Jesus and other prophets.

Become an instrument of peace. At every opportunity, be peacemakers in your homes, your workplaces and communities. Steep yourself in the power of the universal Spirit. Examine your actions for the seeds of violence, degradation and destructiveness. Overcome the emotions that lie at the root of violence and nurture instead, a spirit of reconciliation and love. In experiencing God's unity, come to know the oneness of all creation and so to oppose the destruction of the natural world.

Do I live in the virtue of that life and power
that takes away the occasion of all wars?

Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred,
how am I an instrument of reconciliation and love?

What are we doing to remove the causes of war and
destruction of the planet, and to bring about a lasting peace?

March 2001

Advices & Queries

Home & Personal Relationships

Every member of the Meeting is responsible in some measure for the care of the children. When this spirit of common concern is present, our children gain a sense of belonging and commitment to a larger community and to their heritage.

Our first concern for our children and our households is to live in the awareness that we are all children of God. Trust and love and a constant search for truth strengthen the light that leads us to the love of God. Parents should provide for the healthy development of their children's minds, bodies, and spirits. the time and attentive energy needed for this central task should be shielded from less important activities.

These queries have been directed to our Meetings:

Do we open our thoughts, beliefs, and deep understandings to our
children and others who share our lives and our hospitality?

Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework
for active, ongoing participation in the Meeting?

How are single people, members of non-traditional families, and sexual
minorities welcomed and valued in the life of the Meeting?

from the Preliminary Edition of Faith and Practice

From the Clerk

On Worship Sharing: We gather together in worshipful silence to share, not our ideas, but our own experience, which is not open to discussion, and so we will not respond directly to what another has said. However, we may perceive that a pattern emerges in what is shared, and we will want to be mindful whether this reflects a movement of the Spirit among us. Those who speak will speak only once, out of the silence, and we will all take time in silence to absorb what has been said. As we speak, we will be mindful of the available time, so that all may be enriched by the unique gifts we each bring to share. (From the Preliminary Edition of Faith and Practice, 2000.)

On the source of the ministry: "There is no question of one's worthiness to speak, or of the importance of the message. Rather, the matter at hand is the source of the message. Is it coming from the Friend who would speak, or through him or her? And if the message is coming through the Friend, is the message properly situated in space and time? Is it for the meeting as then and there gathered, or is the message not yet ripe, or meant to be kept to oneself, or better shared after meeting with a more select audience?" Lanny Jay, Friends Bulletin, January 2000.

On frequency of ministry: "It must never be presumed that because the call has come once, it will come again. Equally, if it has never come, one must never think it never will. Strictly speaking, all one is called upon to do is to be ready if called, and in this, once more, the distinction between the minister and the ordinary worshiper disappears, for in the silence, God will choose whom he will... It has to be said, however, that there are meetings in which there is little sense of divine leading in the spoken ministry, but a lot of reliance of what Friends used to call 'the creature'. These flights of imaginative fancy, intellectual preoccupations and emotional difficulties provide a lot of information about the ministers but not a great deal about God..." John Punshon, Encounter With Silence, page 86.

February 2001

Integrity and Personal Conduct
Advices

"...let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay." James 5:12

Integrity, essential to all communication between people, and between people and God, has always been a goal of Friends.
Friends believe that we are called to speak the truth. A single standard of truth requires us to conduct ourselves in ways that are honest, direct, and plain. It follows that we object to taking an oath, which presupposes a variable standard of truth. Be true to your word.
From early days Friends have opposed gambling and practices based on chance. These activities profit from the inevitable loss of others, promote greed, and conflict with good stewardship.
Examine the use of alcohol and tobacco, which all too often entails serious risks to self and others. Friends who serve alcohol at home should be diligent in offering alternatives. Alcohol should not be served at Meeting gatherings.
Find recreation that brings you joy and energy. Be aware of how your choices affect yourself and others.

Queries

How do I strive to maintain the integrity of my inner and outer lives?

Am I honest and truthful in all that I say and do, even when
a compromise might be easier or more popular?

Am I reflective about the ways I gain my wealthy and income
and sensitive to their impacts on others?
Is my life so filled with the Spirit that I am free from the misuse of
alcohol and other drugs, and of excesses of any kind?

Do I choose recreations that strengthen me physically, mentally & spiritually, & avoid those which may prove harmful to others and myself?

Do I consider the effects of my actions on those who are struggling
with addiction to alcohol, tobacco, drugs or gambling?

Do we, in our Meeting hold ourselves accountable to one another?

from the clerk... quotes gathered on worship sharing in Meeting for Worship

Prepare the minister, not the ministry.

On faithfulness and obedience: In 1948, during the formative meeting of the Assembly of the World Council of Churches, a "sample" Quaker Meeting for Worship was held, with most attending for the first time. The following card was in the pews, in German, French, and English: "Worship, according to the ancient practice of the Religious Society of Friends, is entirely without any human direction or supervision.... It is not wholly accurate to say that such a Meeting is held on the basis of Silence; it is more accurate to say that it is held on the basis of Holy Obedience. Those who enter such a Meeting can harm it in two specific ways: first, by an advance determination to speak; and second, by advance determination to keep silent. The only way in which a worshiper can help is by an advance determination to try to be responsive in listening to the still small voice and doing whatever may be commanded. Such a Meeting is a high venture of Faith and it is to this venture we invite you this hour." D. Elton Trueblood, The People Called Quakers, page 86, 1986
One person shared: "I don't speak until I can't NOT speak."
--Charleen Krueger

"CALL TO MEETING?"
Like many of you, I came to Friends Meetings looking for a do-it-yourself spirituality: nobody's gonna tell me what to think, what to do. A hundred times since, it has occurred to me afresh: once the novelty of "all this freedom" wears off, just how do we go about nurturing our own spiritual growth? Have I wandered off the path again? Have I gotten stuck? Has anyone noticed? Would
anyone ever notice?

I've come to see the earliest Quakers as people much like ourselves. Their journals are too polished, too finished, but read their letters, read the minutes of their meetings, and you'll find they didn't have all the answers, either. They did, however, view themselves first as spiritual creatures, on a spiritual journey, each created with different gifts and possibilities.

So I'd like to spark a hundred conversations among Friends about how I'm doing, how you're doing, how we're doing as spiritual creatures. This is a serious topic, so let's not get too preachy. Rather than obsessing over our familiar failings, maybe we can laugh and learn from them. What's working? What's not? What could help?

This year, as we consider the draft of a new PYM Faith and Practice, trying very hard to get the words just right, we might also think about how we try to live these words. What is my faith, my practice? Do I continue to experiment, risking with Quaker truths, or am I just admiring them from a safe distance?

Think back over the time since you first attended Friends meeting. In what ways have you changed, over that time? What different person might you be today in big ways or small had you not made that choice? What life lessons have you learned by being among Friends?

Think back over the last year. What signs of fresh growth have you seen in yourself? In others?

What do you encounter in your daily routines that speak to you as a Quaker, that tap your Quaker skills?

What aspect of Meeting life do you currently find most challenging?

After joining Friends, some Quakers also find nurture in other spiritual paths: tai chi, yoga, birdwatching. What spiritual experiences outside Quakerism would you recommend to Friends?

Imagine your ideal Quaker likely modeled on combined strengths of two or more Friends you know. What life experiences inside and outside Quakerism -- would produce that kind of person?

As your own spiritual director, what would you recommend for the coming year? Some Friends get stuck, benefit from a "Pendle Hill" sort of time. What would serve that purpose in your life?

"Prepare the minister, not the ministry." Think about the Friends in your local Meeting. Is there some Friend in whom you sense particular promise? Have you told them so? What experiences might help them grow spiritually? How could you help? -- Eric Moon

January 2001

Simplicity

Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center--
a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is
serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time.
Thomas R. Kelly, Testament of Devotion, 1941 p 124.

A life centered in God will be directed toward keeping communication with God open and unencumbered. Simplicity is best achieved through a tight resisting the accumulation of unnecessary possessions, avoid over-busy lives.

Elise Boulding writes in My Part in the Quaker Adventure : "Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a by product of a concern for something more important than ourselves."

Queries

Do I center my life in an awareness of God's Presence so that all things take their
rightful place?

Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?

How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work?

Do I recognize when I have enough?

Is the life of our meeting so ordered that it helps us simplify our lives?

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful
stroke of luck.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

"ABCs of Quakerism"

http://www.quakerbooks.org/pdf/catalog-09-quakerbooks.pdf

Return to Home Page.

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Notices, October 2001

September 2001 Notices

August 2001

July 2001

June 2001

May 2001

April 2001

February 2001

Integrity and Personal Conduct Advices

January 2001

Simplicity

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Integrity and Personal Conduct
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