|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
The Meeting assembled at the appointed hour and settled into open worship. The clerks introduced themselves: Arlene Kelly, Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Clerk; Dudley (Sandy) Heath, Moorestown Monthly Meeting, Alternate Clerk; Kimberly Haas Diliberto, Uwchlan Monthly Meeting, Recording Clerk.
Minute 20: Welcome To Visitors
The Clerk asked Friends from other Yearly Meetings or Friends organizations to stand and introduce themselves. Barbara Larcom from the American Friends Service Committee’s Middle Atlantic Regional Office and Katie Hersh from Southeastern Yearly Meeting introduced themselves. The Clerk acknowledged Philadelphia Yearly Meeting members and attenders who are attending Yearly Meeting sessions for the first time and asked Friends to give them special welcome.
Minute 21: Epistle
The Clerk introduced Dana Kester-McCabe of Wicomico River Monthly Meeting, a member of the Epistle Committee, who read an incoming epistle from Junior Yearly Meeting Friends from Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association. They offered advice to grown-ups and advocated nonviolence in clear and straightforward terms.
Minute 22: How Friends Around The Yearly Meeting Are Furthering The Work Of The Spirit In The Building Of Peaceful Homes, Communities And Societies
The Clerk explained the afternoon's agenda, which would include an all-ages peace vigil after the session's adjournment. The Clerk explained that we would first hear briefly from two Friends who would share with us the channels through which they experience themselves instruments of the Spirit in the building of peace. While these are times in which it is, perhaps, hard to have hope and hard to feel that we are empowered in our peacemaking, there are, indeed, many signs of hope throughout our Yearly Meeting.
The Clerk introduced Nancy Diaz-Svälgard of Lancaster Monthly Meeting and Andrew Esser-Haines of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, who each spoke to us of their experience in being led to become instruments of peace in their daily lives.
Nancy described how she wakes up every morning and talks with the Holy Spirit. She asks, what do you want me to do today? As a Quaker, she finds it easy to be busy - on committees, in meetings - but hard to be still and respond to the Spirit.
She is dismayed we are not living our testimonies, as evidenced by the lack of diversity in the Religious Society of Friends. She has witnessed that racism is still alive.
Nancy is always thinking about economic diversity. She sees privilege rather than diversity in Quaker meetings. She worries that we are losing the opportunity to engage more people because of economic barriers.
Andrew Esser-Haines explained that he lives with the basic belief that there is good in everyone.
Andrew offered two means to become instruments of peace: first, by taking action and showing others our peaceful nature and second, by listening. We cannot convert opinions by telling people what to think. He shared a story that demonstrated the transforming power of listening. Continuing revelation is a core belief of ours, and by listening and engaging in dialog, we can facilitate continuing revelation in others.
The meeting then settled into worship sharing. Friends shared many thoughts on peacemaking in our individual lives.
Friends spoke of alternatives available to us; for instance, not fighting is not actually inaction, but rather taking action.
Several Friends centered on the message of using the many resources we already have: our Monthly Meetings, the ability to listen, the energy of our young people, and for Monthly Meetings to nurture the gifts of their members.
Messages also focused on the need for individual, personal action: finding our own peace first, listening, guiding others to peacemaking one-on-one, and helping young people find their voice.
Friends asserted that peace begins with understanding, and understanding comes when racial and economic barriers are removed. Friends were asked to find humility and recognize the extent to which our arrogance contributes to the challenges of the world situation.
The Clerk concluded by encouraging Friends to take the many messages shared today and use them not just today, but in an ongoing way in our lives.
The minutes were read, improved and approved.
After the reading of announcements, meeting adjourned with a fifteen minute break, which was followed by a re-gathering for a time of centering music and quiet in preparation for moving out to the vigil organized under the care of the Peace and Concerns Standing Committee.
Kimberly Haas Diliberto, recording clerk
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:19 AM