From Worship and Ministry

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

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Upcoming Events

Dec. 6 – Turning Quaker Gray into Quaker Green: Open House to celebrate the comprehensive green renovation of Friends Center in Philadelphia and find out about the environmental and economic benefits of geothermal wells. In January, Friends Center will begin drilling Pennsylvania’s first deep-standing-column wells for geothermal exchange.  Geothermal heating and cooling systems require zero on-site combustion of fossil fuels and produce zero carbon emissions, are highly efficient, and have the lowest life cycle costs.  The introduction of deep-standing-column wells makes geo-exchange feasible in the dense urban core, where there is limited space for the well field.  This innovation can have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. Presentation and tours from 1 to 3 pm; reception from 5:30 to 7 pm at the Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia. RSVP:  Adrien Finckel, (215)241-7098 or greeninfo@friendscentercorp.org

Dec. 22 – Morning Peace Prayers Gathering at Haddonfield Monthly Meeting House.  On this day, the hours of daylight are fewer than on any other day of the year.  It seems an appropriate time to gather in prayer, with the intent of drawing light into the world.  Our session opens at 9 a.m., with 40 minutes of meditation, continues with 20 minutes for sharing and ends with another 20 minutes of meditation.  Coffee and bagels are available for those who wish to socialize after the gathering.  We are meeting in the morning ~ in deference to holiday preparations and celebrations.  All are welcome.   For more information e-mail PeacePartners@verizon.net or call Judy Barnes at (856) 287-9472.

FRIENDS ARE INVITED TO a Christmas Breakfast – Dec. 23

Please BrinG your favorite Christmas BreaD to share! Gather at 8:30 a.m. in the auDitoriYum!!!

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Haddonfield Monthly Meeting

Meeting for Worship for Business

Nov. 11

The Meeting began with a period of worship. The Clerk read extract #198 from Concerns, Leadings, Testimonies pp. 146 in Faith & Practice.

Ceil McFadden reported for Care Committee on the application for membership from Francie Pagell. Care Committee has visited with Francie and recommends that she be accepted as a member of Haddonfield Monthly Meeting. As is customary, this will be held over until next month.

Linda Lotz has not yet been visited by Care Committee.

Ceil’s report was accepted with thanks.

Foster Doan, clerk of School Committee presented the committee’s annual report. He also took a moment to introduce Sharon Dreese, the new Head of School. The Monthly Meeting welcomed Sharon as a member of our school and Meeting community.

The school has had a growth spurt this year. Overall enrollment and middle school enrollment are both up significantly. However, Boxwood Hall is not working out as expected as a home for the middle school. It will probably be sold at sometime in the future. The middle school has been moved back to the main school building, necessitating complex rearranging of the space.

The school has initiated a strategic planning process to plan for the next ten years. A committee has begun to work and will be scheduling focus groups for the purpose of gathering the ideas of all the school constituencies. The report was accepted with thanks.

Kitty Mizuno, for Religious Education Committee, requested $300 to help pay the fee for a presenter, Amanda Kemp, to give a perfomance/lecture called “Show me the Franklins; African Americans, Slavery and Benjamin Franklin” This will be an all-generations First Day School program on Feb. 3. Amanda is a member of Lancaster (PA) Meeting. The question was passed on to the Treasurer and to Finance Committee to look at the budget to see if there is a fund that can be used for this program.

Francie Pagell asked that Friends communicate with State Representatives. The state of New Jersey is considering abolishing the death penalty.

Meeting for Worship for Business closed with a period of silent worship.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne R. Heizer, Recording Clerk

Friends and regular Attenders may request copies of the complete minutes from the Recording Clerk at Joanne@synchcorp.com or (856) 429-9186.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially a partridge in a pear tree, have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 to 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote the “Twelve Days of Christmas” as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning; the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in the pear tree was Jesus Christ.

The two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the twelve faithful apostles.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles Creed.

So, now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol.

~ Submitted by John Sheffield

Religious Education

The Religious Education Committee has been greatly encouraged by the support from so many in the Meeting in making the First Day School classes a success this past fall. December will be a month to celebrate the community of our meeting in the weeks leading up to Christmas with several inter-generational activities. The schedule is as follows:

Nov. 25:  Children's classes will be preparing for Christmas.   The adult class will be a presentation by social worker Judy Patterson, with assistance from husband, Bill                 Patterson, on their summer 2006 trip to study the developing social welfare programs in China.

Dec. 2:  Simple Gifts:  This intergenerational activity involves us all in making gifts together with simple materials.

Dec. 16:  The young people will present a Christmas play for everyone.

Dec. 23:  We will share Christmas breakfast at 9:00, followed by Meeting for worship, and then carol singing, led by Deedy Roberts.

We are looking forward to a variety of programs in 2008, which include the following on our tentative schedule.

Jan. 6:  Laura Smoot will speak about her experiences this past summer when she attended the Triennial Conference of Friends in Ireland.

Jan. 20:  Maureen Brookes will share her experiences as a two-year intern at Friends Committee on National Legislation  in Washington, DC.  

Jan. 27:  Haddonfield Monthly Meeting's response to issues of racial justice and equality through its history: Part I. The Ad Hoc Group on Racial Justice and Equality, a subcommittee of Peace and Social Concerns is plannng this series of programs

Feb. 3:  Dr. Amanda Kemp, of Lancaster Monthly Meeting, will produce and direct for folks of all ages her performance/lecture, entitled “Show me the Franklins:  African Americans, Slavery and Benjamin Franklin.”

Feb. 17:  Haddonfield Monthly Meeting's response to issues of racial justice and equality through its history: Part II.

Counter-Recruitment Resources

The American Friends Service Committee has developed a curriculum and training manual appropriate for high-school teachers who work with students who are considering enlistment. The training manual includes exercises for use in the classroom, handouts and support materials, a “Before You Enlist” companion DVD and additional tools.

The package of materials costs $18, including shipping. For more information, contact: AFSC Youth and Militarism, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, (215) 241-7176 or youthmil@afsc.org

Among Friends

Theodore Micah Tarter, son of Michele Tarter, will celebrate his first birthday on Dec. 27.

Flora McKinney is recovering in the nursing section of Medford Leas after suffering a mild heart attack.

Diane Werner, recovering from surgery, voiced gratitude for the cards and well wishes from Friends.

Eric Snyder died after a four-year battle with cancer, on Nov. 17. A memorial service was held at Haddonfield Monthly Meetinghouse on Nov. 20. Memorial donations may be made in Eric's name to the Haddonfield Friends School.

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The Feather of Peace:
An Incident in Quaker History

This story narrates an actual happening in the Friends Meeting in Easton Township, Saratoga County, New York.

It was a summer morning in the year 1775, and the sun shone brightly on the little cabin which served as a Meeting House for the Friends of Easton, in New York.

It was a warm, sunny day, but the hearts of many were troubled. It was a time of strife, and reports came that bands of roving Indians were on the warpath. Even the children knew that something unusual was in the air and sensed that the older and weightier Friends of the Meeting were ill at ease.

Zebulon Hoxie, the patriarch of the Meeting, sat on the facing bench, and beside him sat Robert Nisbet, a visiting Friend, who had walked through the forests for several days to meet with them.

The children were restless, and the silence of the Meeting weighed heavily upon them, so that it came as a relief when the visiting Friend rose to speak.

Robert Nisbet was a kindly man, and he knew well the fear which lay heavily on the hearts of the Easton Friends. They had stayed in their peaceful homes even though their neighbors had all fled to the larger settlements where they hoped for safety from the Indian raids.

The visitor spoke: "The Beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long."

His voice faltered and then went on, calmly and tenderly: "And how shall the Beloved of the Lord be thus safely covered? Even as the psalmist says: 'He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust.' You have done well, dear Friends, to stay on in your homes, even though all your neighbors have fled, and therefore are these messages sent to you by me. These promises of covering and of shelter are truly meant for you. Make then your own, and remember the words of the Scriptures, 'Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day.'"

Now the children knew why the stranger had come. Now they knew why their parents were troubled. It was the Indians! Would they really come, and, if they did, were they as terrible as people said?

All was quiet in the Meeting House. Here and there, a child managed to steal a look through the windows or through the chinks between the logs. Outside, there seemed to be a faint rustling in the bushes, though there was no breeze. Suddenly, above the window sill, appeared the tips of several moving feathers. Then an Indian chief appeared in the doorway, looking with piercing eyes at each Friend in turn to see if there was any weapon present; but the Friends were entirely unarmed. Neither gun nor sword was to be found in any of their dwelling houses, so there could not be any in this peaceful Meeting.

A moment later, other Indians stood beside their chief. Yet the Friends sat on, without stirring, in complete silence. At last, Zebulon Hoxie lifted his head and met the full gaze of the chief. No word was spoken. Steady friendliness to the strange visitors was written in every line of Zebulon Hoxie's face.

Minutes passed, and then the Indian's eyes slowly fell. He signalled to his followers, and each slipped silently into a nearby bench. Then began one of the strangest meetings ever held in the Society of Friends. Not a Quaker stirred, and the silent Indians sat peacefully with them. At last the Friends on the facing bench shook hands solemnly. The meeting was over, and the Friends greeted their visitors.

Then the chief spoke: "Indian come to kill white man. Indian come, see white men all sit quiet: no gun, no arrow, no knife; all quiet, all still, worshipping Great Spirit. Great Spirit is Indian, too. Then Great Spirit say to Indian: 'You must not kill these white men!'"

Then the chief took a white feather from one of his arrows and stuck it firmly over the doorway, saying, "Indians all friends when see this feather." Then he turned and, with a sign to the others, led the way into the forest while the Friends watched in silence - except for Robert Nisbet's quiet words: "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust."