|
December 2002 QuakerShaker
|
Editor, QuakerShaker
|
Dec 08, 2002 04:40 PST
|
QUAKERSHAKER, December, 2002
Newsletter of the Yellow Springs Religious Society of Friends
He shows his mercy age after age to those who honor him. He has done
mighty deeds with his arm, he has routed the proud-minded, he has
dethroned monarchs and exalted the poor. He has satisfied the hungry
with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed. -- Remark by
Mary in conversation with her cousin Elizabeth, when both were pregnant.
Luke 1: 50 - 53
1. December Calendar
2. Query for December
3. Children’s Christmas Fair, Sunday, December 15
4. Holiday Pottery Sale for Potters for Peace and Jicaro Sister Village
5. Christmas Eve Program
6. Friendly Sharing (from Irwin, Betty, Paul, and Suzanne)
7. What Jerry Eagan is up to
8. Reports from CO’s in Israel and North Carolina
9. Ideas for good things to do at Christmas
10. Thanks for the good snacks after meeting
11. Suggestions from the FCNL: Five things we can do
12. Business Meeting Minutes for November 3
Quakershaker deadline for January is December 21. Give information to
Bill Houston, or Irwin Abrams, or email Quake-@aol.com
1. Calendar
Always:
Sundays:
8:30 a.m., Meeting for Worship, at Rockford
10:00 a.m. First Day School (Sept-May), at Rockford
11:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship, at Rockford
Wednesdays:
7:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship, at Rockford
Saturdays:
noon - 1 pm Peace Vigil, SW corner of Limestone St. & Xenia Ave.
Sunday, December 1, noon: Potluck lunch preceding Monthly Meeting for
Business, at Rockford
Sunday, December 8, 1 - 4 pm: Holiday Nicaraguan Pottery Sale (plus
coffee, cards and jewelry). at the Brecha-Seidl home, 352 Dayton St.
Saturday, December 14, 4:30 - 7 pm: Christmas Fair put on by the
children of the Meeting
Tuesday, December 24 , 7-9 pm: Christmas Eve Program
************
2. Query for Twelfth Month:
************
Do you regard your possessions as given you in trust and do you part
with them freely for the needs of others? Are your means of livelihood
in keeping with your ideals as Friends? Are you concerned that your
business be primarily a service to people? What are you doing to foster
upright practices in business relations? Do you maintain strict
integrity in all business transactions? Do you bear a faithful testimony
against all forms of gambling?
************
3. Children’s Christmas Fair:
************
Each year the children in the Sunday School (with a little help from
their friends) present a Christmas Fair. This year it will feature a
simple meal and the sale of crafts prepared by the children. The supper
will be $3 for children, $5 for adults. All proceeds go to Gdimo School
in Kenya, to our sister village of Jicaro in Nicaragua, and to the
Afghanistan relief program of the American Friends Service Committee.
Also Dale Blanchard will be selling books on peace, including some by
Irwin Abrams. Come and have fun. December 14th, at Rockford, 4:30 p.m.
- 7 p.m.
************
4. Holiday Pottery Sale
************
This is another annual event. Hand-made pottery from Nicaragua will be
on sale, as well as fair-trade coffee, and holiday greeting cards.
Proceeds go to Potters for Peace (a U. S. group that supports potters in
several other countries, mainly Nicaragua) and to the clean-water
project of the Jicaro-Yellow Springs Sister Village. The sale will be at
the home of Katharina Seidl and Bob Brecha, 352 Dayton St. on December
8, 1 - 4 pm.
************
5. Christmas Eve Program
************
The program starts at 7 but come early if you want to get a seat where
you can see all the action. Mary Morgan tells us this year’s program
will have the usual ingredients, music, story-telling, and a play. The
play this year is Dickens’ Christmas Carol.
************
6. Friendly Sharing
************
This space is for a sharing of ideas among members and friends of the
meeting. Items to appear must be submitted by one or more people,
though they need not be original. Actually this month they’re all
original.
Christmas in Meditation, by Irwin Abrams, adapted from a 1955 article in
the Friends Journal: So infinite is the nature of the Divine, so
ineffable its being, that the minds and spirits of most of us can but
glimpse God in part. We see as through a glass, darkly. But as Pascal
has said, "The heart has its reasons which the reason does not know."
These words have helped me ponder the symbols of Christmas. There was a
time when I looked to the literal meaning of the Christmas story, and I
felt that intellectually I could not completely accept it. But I have
found that while my intellect can help me learn about God, it is through
my heart that I can find the way to God. And the language of the heart
is poetry.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word
was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us." Intellectually, I know
that this opening passage of John's gospel represents a Neo-Platonic
doctrine which existed long before Christianity was born, and that in
its Christian form it belongs to the second century and not to the first
followers of Jesus. Yet I find truth in it.
I believe that that was a unique impact of God upon the world twenty
centuries ago, and that in the life of Jesus I can see the Divine become
manifest. Through the life and death of Jesus, God has spoken to
humanity. Is there not, then, a quality of the personal in the Divine?
The story of the Nativity which Luke tells is one that a mere historian
unsupported by faith would not find credible. Yet the poetry of the
Christmas story holds for me many a truth. The warm and human mother,
the fatherly concern of Joseph, the presence of the simple shepherds and
of the animals, all this which attends the great moment when the Divine
impinges upon the mortal helps me comprehend the humanity of God. As
does the Babe in the manger, so vulnerable and dependent yet destined
to lead humanity to the Realm of God. And the suffering which Jesus is
to undergo indicates that pain and suffering can be associated with the
Divine. We know from our own experience that the highest test of love is
the readiness to endure suffering for another. Again I sense a quality
of personality in the Divine, humble and compassionate, reaching out for
us, often so vainly.
There is rich meaning for me in the spiritual which affirms:
The Lord is so high you can't get over Him,
So low you can't get under Him,
So wide you can't get around Him ---
You've got to come in by and through the Lamb.
As we contemplate the birth of Jesus at Christmas time, and his life
and death, we can grasp something more. We should never surrender the
vigorous quest of the inquiring mind to know about God and God's
universe, for the intellect is also a part of the Divine potential
within us. But perhaps it is rather through the poetry of the soul, the
"heart's surmise," that we may meet God face to face.
******
Three Friends submitted their answers to the question, “What is my
belief about homosexuality?” Here are those answers:
From Betty Wagner: I consider both homosexuality and heterosexuality to
be normal. I also consider it normal for some people to experience both
kinds of relationships.
In our society today those who are naturally homosexual suffer because
they are often considered abnormal and their loving and dedicated
relationships are usually not recognized and celebrated. But in this
loving Quaker community we can recognize the normalcy of homosexuality
and joyfully celebrate each loving relationship as a marriage if the
couple so desires.
******
From Paul Wagner: Homosexuality is a normal human condition felt by many
people.
This condition is usually felt early in life and comes quite naturally.
Many people in our society believe homosexuality is a sickness or
deviant behavior. This mistaken attitude causes pain and suffering to
many homosexuals and makes it difficult for them to fully accept and
express their true feelings. It is important for heterosexual people who
understand the true nature of homosexuality to accept people with these
feelings as normal and help them participate fully and freely in family
and community life.
******
From Suzanne Wagner Morand: I believe that homosexuality is as normal,
natural, and wholesome as heterosexuality and needs to be accepted and
treated equally, including the acceptance and equal treatment of
same-sex marriages.
For all the “what about ...” questions that people ask in relation to
homosexuality, there are an equal number of, and sometimes exactly the
same, “what about ...” questions that can be asked in relation to
heterosexuality, but are often not asked, probably because most of us
are more familiar with heterosexuality and we are used to living with
the questions. For example, it is sometimes asked about a homosexual
partnership, what about children? Yet in a heterosexual partnership
where the couple do not intend to have or cannot have children, this
question is not asked in relation to the validity of the partnership.
************
7. Jerry Eagan at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument: Jerry Eagan
recently moved to southwestern New Mexico to work at the National
Monument. The following is adapted from a statement he wrote for
recruiting Antioch coops to work there:
The Cliff Dwellings represent one of the few archaeological sites in the
Southwestern United States where visitors can get a close look at the
ruins and dwellings of the people known as Tularosa Mogollon. The
Tularosa Mogollan, one of at least four "groups" of Mogollons, were
contemporaneous with the Anasazi.
The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is located in the Gila
National Forest, and also adjacent to the Gila Wilderness Area. The
latter is 557,000 acres within the larger National Forest, which is 3.3
million acres.
Gila Wilderness was developed in 1924 by Aldo Leopold, the so-called
"father" of the wilderness concept. An Aldo Leopold Wilderness area of a
quarter million acres is located in the Black Range to the east, also
part of GNF.
I recently had the pleasure of spending a full five minutes watching a
six-foot mountain lion from no more than twenty feet away ... it was
mesmerized by my flashlight beam. I have seen osprey, common black
hawk, trout, rattlesnakes, bobcat, fox, elk, mule deer, and it is also
important to note that Gila Wilderness is a release point for pairs of
Mexican Gray Wolves being reintroduced into this region.
I also have the pleasure of walking into the wilderness any day I want,
and exploring these canyons and mesas, which are part of the transition
zone between the Mogollon Mountains and the Chihuahuan desert.
************
8. Letter from an Israeli CO, and report from one in North Carolina:
Haggai Matar is an 18 year old Israeli. October 25 he was sentenced to
14 days at a military prison for refusing to be drafted. Upon his
release he's expected to receive a second sentence, etc. Here is a
declaration he wrote a few days before his imprisonment; the translation
is a little ragged in places, but the spirit is clear:
I will be sent to the military prison, as a result of my insistence upon
my political views, which prevent me from enlisting to the IDF. Despite
my young age, merely 18, and despite having no first-hand memories from
Israel’s earlier years, I can wholeheartedly declare that the country
has reached an unprecedented moral low. This extreme deterioration began
with “Barak’s generous offers”, which were but another attempt at
forcing a unilateral agreement upon the Palestinian people. Today, the
militarization and racism among the Jewish population have reached the
level of fascism.
The repression of critical thinking, the total acceptance of the
occupation’s crimes, the idolization of the army and the gradual
acceptance of the principles of “ethnic cleansing”- all these constitute
only part of our society’s collapse.
To this list one should add the systematic mistreatment of the
Palestinian citizens of Israel, the hateful violence addressed at peace
demonstrators, and the heartless attitude towards the abnormal and the
weak.
With all these, I refuse to cooperate. The voice of conscience and the
lessons humanity should have learnt from countless similar situations in
the past leave me no choice but to refuse enlistment to the Israeli army
- which is falsely dubbed a “Defence Force”.
My refusal to enlist is inevitable. The oppression known by the peoples
of this region during the Age of the Empires, the torment of the slaves
and the Indians in North America, the Algerian War of Independence and
Apartheid in South Africa - all these precedents have made my refusal
inevitable. My grandfather’s actions in the Second World War, in his
fight against Nazi Fascism, and his belief in humanism - these too lead
to my refusal. At home I learnt of oppression and justice. At the face
of such evil as one may find here and now, there is no other way.
On this significant day of my life, accompanied by my supportive family
and friends, I wish to acknowledge my companions, the unsung heroes of
our struggle: the Palestinian who endures the occupation without turning
to violence against the Israeli civilian population, in spite of his
lack of hope for a decent life; the Palestinian citizen of Israel, who
keeps striving for co-existence despite
day-to-day humiliations; the youth who avoids serving the occupation,
her upbringing notwithstanding; the international peace activist, who
physically defends Palestinians in the Occupied Territories; and my
friend, a girl who was raised in a right-wing family, fell in love with
an Arab and was consequently driven out of her home.
While in prison, when forced to salute State and Army - I shall, in my
mind and heart, be saluting all my brave friends, to whom I cannot
equal, because of my identity; all those whose sacrifice is so much
greater then mine - for peace, against the occupation.
Haggai Matar
************
There’s also a report from Quaker House which helps soldiers at Fort
Bragg, NC. Quaker House Director Chuck Fager writes about a paratrooper
who plans to file a CO claim:
“I was in Afghanistan last summer,” he [said].... What he saw there
sickened him. War solves nothing, he decided then, and he wanted nothing
more to do with it. Even so, [he] will probably face war again soon;
he’s in line to be shipped out at a moment’s notice, this time to Iraq.
He said that almost all the equipment and weaponry for a pre-emptive
attack is already in place, much of it in Afghanistan. He expects the
invasion to start before year’s end. He’d be sent in
as an infantryman, one of those likely to be fighting block-by-block in
Baghdad.
************
9. Some Xmas ideas
************
Our Peace Committee of about five years ago brainstormed a list of good
alternatives to the usual things folks do at Christmas. That list is
back by popular demand, with maybe a change or two.
When you are shopping, consider how you might bear witness to the Quaker
Peace Testimony when you do encounter toys, games and videos that
encourage violence and hatred.
Over the years, some Friends have organized to publicly protest this
sort of merchandising, others have asked to speak to store managers in
order to express their concerns, and many have held the producers,
sellers and buyers of such items in the Light of prayer.
Lessons: Prepay for a series of music, riding, dance or other lessons
(Good for kids AND grownups!)
Gift certificates: for restaurants, favorite stores or sports events
Homemade coupons for special favors: Errands, shoulder rubs,household
chores, etc.
Tickets for fun events: Chamber Music Yellow Springs, a program at any
theater or concert hall (Think local).
A fun day: Take someone ice skating, visit a museum, or build a fire and
get out the checkers board.
Library cards: Take a young person to the library and help him or her
sign up for a library card.
Food: Peace is easier to achieve on a full tummy and homemade goodies
are always a hit. Try baking with tropical nuts; buying the nuts offers
a disincentive for cutting down rain forests.
Stationery and cards: Lots of great paper products are made with
recycled paper.
Environmentally friendly gifts: How about build-it-yourself bird house
or bat house kits? Visit the Glen Helen shop, or, if you must go to the
mall, the Natural Wonders store.
Jewelry and Pottery. See the Potters for Peace Sale (item 4 above).
Anything available at the Children’s Fair! (see item 3 above)
Craft and food products available through Project Serve: This program
supports indigenous peoples’ cooperatives. Call Mack Memorial Church of
the Brethren, in Dayton, 277-9336, for information.
Donations to AFSC to support favorite projects. Call 888/588-2372 for
info and/or see brochure on the Meeting House bulletin board.
Gifts from a social service organization’s catalog: Habitat for Humanity
is familiar, but Quakers are often on other "do-gooder" mailing lists,
too. Share your catalogs with other Friends.
A bee, buffalo, pig, llama, or goose: Really! Heifer Project
International provides livestock and training to families across the
world, helping hungry people feed themselves. Make a donation in
someone’s name toward the full or partial purchase of a goat for a
Honduran family, or a chicken for an Afghan war widow. A mule or llama
could help a Peruvian couple transport cheese to market.
Heifer Project International; P.O. Box 808; Little Rock, AR 72203;
800/422-0474.
Abolition wear: Hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, bumper stickers and
banners--all union made in the USA, and all promoting abolition of the
death penalty. Call 800/973-6548,
WRL Calendars: available from War Resisters League, 339 LaFayette St.,
New York 10012
Whatever children need to participate in fun, peaceful activities like
these:
Hide and Seek; Capture the Flag; Dressing Up; Putting on Plays; Cooking
and Baking; Tag Ball; Games; Singing; Swimming; Playing in the Sand;
Blowing Bubbles; Pickup Sticks; Telling Stories; Music; Riding Bikes and
Skateboards; Crayons and Paints; Balloons; Building Blocks; Play Dough;
Marbles; Puzzles; Frisbees; Board Games.
Books for $1.00, bumper stickers, t-shirts and other interesting items
at Corner Books in Yellow Springs.
On-line books and gifts of a peaceful nature at Dale Blanchard's store,
A Friendly Spirit (http://friendlyspirit.com)
************
10. Snack team:
************
Many thanks to Chris Webb, Cindy Butler-Jones, Dale Blanchard and Jean
Putnam for sharing the wonderful snacks with us after meeting for
worship. Many thanks to Friends who have brought surprise snacks to
share. We have enjoyed some really special food and generous sharing of
time and effort. A new schedule is forming to start in January 2003.
Anyone interested in joining the snack rotation, please contact Deb
Kociszewski. Happy Eating!
************
11. Preventing War
************
Five things the FCNL says each of us can do to prevent war: The Friends
Committee on National Legislation reminds us that is important not to
believe that war is inevitable. While most of the US press has
interpreted the Security Council vote on Iraq as a victory for the US
administration, many in other countries feel that the resolution will
make it harder for us to wage war outside the UN. Here are specific
action suggestions from the FCNL:
(a) Continue communicating with your members of Congress. Contact newly
elected members. Talk with them about the unanswered questions
concerning the war with Iraq. Urge them to stop the rush toward war.
(b) Participate in the Season of Peacemaking observances in your
community.
Many religious groups are designating December 8 - 15 as a Season of
Peacemaking, time for both reflection and active witness for peaceful
alternatives to war.
(c) Write a letter to the editor of your local paper supporting peaceful
alternatives to war with Iraq. Mention your members of Congress by name.
(d) Encourage community groups to pass resolutions opposing war and
supporting peaceful alternatives. Religious bodies, professional
associations, clubs, unions, and local governments can all become
involved.
(e) Be a visible presence for peace. Help build diverse coalitions in
your community to witness for peace through vigils, demonstrations, and
other ways. Together, these local efforts help demonstrate active,
nation-wide opposition to a war against Iraq.
************
12. Monthly Meeting for Business November 3, 2002
************
Yellow Springs Friends met for business at the meetinghouse November 3,
2002.
Present were Tee Forshaw, Joan Brucker, Bruce Heckman, Barry Hollister,
Irwin Abrams, Terri Brown, John Eastman, Hazel Tulecke, Peg Champney,
Jane Morgan, Carl Hyde, Kay Hollister, Diane Chiddister, Deb
Kociszewski, Susan Hyde, Ken Champney and Carol Simmons.
The meeting opened in silent worship, which included prayerful
consideration of the eleventh query on the environment and sustainable
living.
1. Minutes.
The recording clerk read the minutes from the October 6, 2002 meeting
for business. It was suggested that Friends making reports provide an
electronic copy of the report to the address debk-@yahoo.com as well
as a written copy.
2. Clearness Committee
Considering the Care of the Marriage of Terri Brown and John Eastman.
Ken Champney, Peg Champney, Chris Webb and Greg Webb met with Terri and
John. Peg Champney reported that the clearness committee recommends
that Terri and John be married under the care of the meeting. John
advised that he and Terri have set Saturday, October 5, 2003 as the date
for their marriage.
The clearness committee recommendation will be forwarded to Membership
and Pastoral Care for the appointment of the wedding oversight
committee. Friends approved.
3. Miami Quarterly Meeting Report (joint Quarterly Meeting with
Whitewater Quarterly Meeting).
Ken Champney reported on recommendations from Jane Birchard of FGC.
They include suggestions for the telephone greeting for our meeting's
official phone number, and the sign posted at the meetinghouse.
Identifying ourselves as Quakers would be more clear to the public. It
is also suggested that a sign pointing to the meetinghouse to be posted
on Xenia Ave would help visitors find us. Ministry and Advancement will
explore options.
Peg Champney reported that Whitewater Quarterly Meeting carries a
concern about the basis of the Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting assessment.
Susan Hyde reported that she has the Discipline Revision Committee
packet on Close Relationships. A written response is requested by
December 14, 2002 to the Discipline Revision Committee. Friends agreed
to address this packet on Sunday, December 14, 2002 at 9:45 AM. Susan
will try to have a representative from the Discipline Revision Committee
at this discussion.
Miami Quarterly Meeting has requested a list of all children in the
meeting ages 11-14 for middle youth planning purposes. Carol Simmons
will complete this list. The next Miami Quarterly Meeting will be
hosted by Miami Monthly Meeting on February 16, 2003. Representatives at
this session will choose clerks for Miami Quarterly Meeting
.
4. Membership Request of Mattie Fitch.
Friends approved Mattie Fitch for membership in the Yellow Springs
Friends Meeting. Membership and Pastoral Care will plan a welcoming.
5. Olney Friends School.
The clerk read a letter dated October 22, 2002 from Kathryn Jacobson
acknowledging the Yellow Springs Friends Meeting gift of $1000 with
thanks and a brief report of activities at Olney Friends School.
6. Care of the Meetinghouse.
Joan Brucker shared a concern about the heat situation throughout the
meetinghouse. This concern will be forwarded to the Care of the
Meetinghouse Committee.
The meeting closed in silent worship.
Submitted,
Deb Kociszewski
Recording Clerk, Yellow Springs Friends Meeting
*****end of December 2002 QuakerShaker**********
|
|
 |
|
