As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
- Luke 10:38-42 New International Version
Friends, It is a joyful exercise to write about the spirit of the October 11 PYM joint council meeting as a means of communicating our commitment to listening to each other and Spirit as we do the business of PYM.
During opening worship, as an exercise to instill balance between our heart, mind, and spirit, we were asked to consider the question, Are you more Martha or Mary? Once we had a clear sense of our natural tendency, we were invited to lean into the other way of being as we listened deeply to the spirit and each other on the agenda items we considered.
During the meeting we celebrated Christie Duncan-Tessmer’s work over the past 2 decades, and now we will welcome Chris Mohr, our incoming General Secretary. We heard lessons learned even in the face of challenges and joyful memories. It was a time of reminiscence of our past and anticipation for our future.
In addition to approving agenda items, as we listened actively, we heard a “longing for belonging” in Friends throughout PYM. We were encouraged consider “Who we are and Whose we are” as we considered topics such as a public statement and its distribution for the Minute of Support for LGTBQIA+ (approved by the body at Annual Sessions in July 2025) and the way forward for the Guidance on Advocacy and Lobbying, which Friends have considered over the past, recent years. Friends reminded us how long it takes us, a large and diverse community, to come to understanding and Unity. Unity requires deep listening and trusted connection to each other and Spirit. We took time to offer gratitude for the long, hard work of PYM Friends necessary to support our community’s work.
We considered adding time to the November Continuing Sessions agenda with a discussion of being faithful Friends in this time that we are living. We were reminded that we stand in the gap between our Testimonies and Faith and the current deterioration of our culture and democracy. Nonviolent peace is our response, and to allow peace and Spiritual grounding to move Friends from the paralysis of fear to courageous action.
Attribution:
This article was prepared by Jeanne Elberfeld, Clerk of the Administrative Council, and Andrew Anderson, member of the Administrative Council of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
