An Iowa court ruled yesterday that same-gender couples in Iowa must be allowed to marry.
Friday, August 31, 2007
FLGBTQC Epistle from MWG '07
An Epistle from Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns
The Summit Conference Center at Haw River State Park
Greensboro, North Carolina
February 18, 2007
To All Friends Everywhere;
Once again, we are called to testify to the love we find moving among us. It is a testimony of radical inclusion. It is a cause of great pain to our corporate body to know that there are some Friends for whom our message is deeply disturbing; indeed, apparently, in contravention of their strongly held beliefs. It would gladden our hearts if Friends could soften their hearts to hear us out.
We met here in Greensboro, North Carolina, in this land rich in Friends’ history, hoping to forge new connections across the spectrum of Quakers practicing a living faith tradition, a tradition with currents in the history of the civil rights movements and the movement for religious freedom. We numbered over 100 adults and a rich and lively mix of “little Friends,” “young Friends” and “young adult Friends” as well. In the midst of winter, we noticed the beginning shoots of the crocus outside our plenary building, a sign of the promise of New Life and continued growth. Friends with histories in programmed, un-programmed, and semi-programmed branches of Quakerism came together to share our faith in continuing revelation and our desire to go beyond our separateness into the fullness of our communion.
After dinner together on Friday evening, we were welcomed by the planning committee of North Carolina Friends who had invited us here to experience the diversity of Friends in this region. After the welcoming, we watched a video titled, “Can We All Be Friends?” a question many of us had on our minds coming to this weekend. Are the differences between Friends so deep we cannot talk with each other, learn from each other? Are we willing to be in communion with each other, open to our differences yet secure in the one Spirit that calls us all to be Friends?
After our opening worship together on Saturday morning, we heard a talk by Max Carter, Director of both Friends Center and Quaker studies at Guilford College. Max spoke of the rich heritage of five different branches of Quakerism in this region. With humor, Max pointed out some of the differences within Friends, today and throughout history. As he talked, many of us began to smile at the differences between us Friends. We marveled at learning a history of Friends that some of us were unaware of (Fighting Quakers and Quaker General Nathaniel Greene!), and began to sense some of what unites us as Friends, but also to acknowledge some of the real differences we have as Friends. We were reminded that to reach real unity of Spirit requires an acknowledgement of our differences before we attempt to seek a Way beyond our differences.
We began each day, as is our practice, with worship. For many of us, our First Day worship was the first time we had experienced the richness of semi-programmed worship, in a worship service led by retired pastor Willie Frye. Willie and his wife Agnes Frye are old friends and allies of Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns. Willie thanked us for being here and reaching out, and called on us to continue to reach out by sharing our light with the world. He pointed out what we all know because we have grown up as different: It is easier to demonize those you do not know. Bigotry requires ignorance and thrives on separateness. The process of coming out, no matter how painful—for ourselves, for our families, for those around us—is an essential witness to the truth of our lives, and our love.
Some of our first messages in worship were about fear, our own fears and the fears others have of us. In his prepared message, “How To Love In A World of Hate,” Willie pointed out that it is so much easier to understand our own fear of others than it is for us to understand their fear of us. He also urged us to seek for the “third way” that Jesus talked about, the way that goes beyond our differences and into an area to which Spirit is calling us all. By getting beyond our differences, we dare to believe that we can bring about a Kingdom of God on earth, where we transcend our differences, not ignoring our disagreements, but finding a way to go through them and beyond our fears. We recognize that this is not easy work, but have faith that this is our work, and it is work that we cannot rightly lay down.
On Saturday night we joined for a Fireside Chat, a panel of Friends from different branches of Quakerism talking of their history and movement through the different kinds of Friends. We were especially moved to hear from a North Carolina Friend who talked of her struggle to reconcile Jesus’ radical love with a history of Friends’ participation in discrimination and oppression. One Friend from Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) talked of her struggles with marriage equality, but more importantly shared with us her personal journey, begun when an Epistle Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns (then called Friends for Lesbian and Gay Concerns) came to her Yearly Meeting. We had wondered those many years ago when we drafted our epistle whether conservative yearly meetings would even read our epistle. It seems our prayers had been answered. A third Friend shared his experiences of discovering he was gay, though married with children, as both he and his wife sought support from their Meeting, as many other divorced Friends had done. A fourth Friend shared her history with evangelical churches and her experience in Oregon where she helped folks get beyond hurtful language so that they could talk with each other. She spoke of living in a world so violent that even our speech is militarized and of trying to overcome that violence by “Opening Hearts and Minds.” She urged us in a talk the next day to “Listen, Affirm, Respond, and Add to the discussion.”
On Sunday night we had another Fireside Chat around the past, present and future of equality struggles. We heard about historical struggles and personal history. Willie and Agnes Frye spoke in moving terms of their deep, painful struggle around their support of FLGBTQC and their gay son. Also, a young adult Friend spoke of the struggle of being faithful to God’s call and the emerging ministry she carries. Their words gave us a glimpse of the power of living Truth and were followed a lesbian Friend who spoke of her struggle to answer her deeply felt call to ministry within North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM). This was followed by a presentation by Peterson Toscano, “Queer 101.” With laughter, we were brought back to the importance and the radical idea that being who we are called to be can change the world!
At the end of our brief time together, we have discerned a deep truth: that we have been given a taste of being called to table, a table to which Jesus called all people -- including the despised: prostitutes, tax collectors, fishermen, priests, women and children--people who somehow would find the faith that love is stronger than hatred and would learn that non-violence must be practiced in deed, as well as word.
We go forth from this weekend with the joy of having spent time with many different kinds of Friends. We also carry with us the pain of knowing that other Friends who were invited either could not or would not join us. We acknowledge our own responsibility for some of this, and for the fact that our community does not seem theologically “safe” to some Christians. We continue to struggle as a community with radical inclusiveness and our own continuing-to-be-revealed form of Quakerism. We continue to commit ourselves to not to let our language, our ignorance, or our own unconscious racism separate us from each other and commit ourselves to seek for deeper unity.
We also share with Friends everywhere the irony of this weekend, that our desire to experience One Spirit was first met with exclusion. When we sought for this gathering to use Quaker Lake Camp here in North Carolina, owned by North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM), we were denied the use of the camp. We do not respond with rage or anger, but with deep sadness. Who knows how deep our wounding? We acknowledge our sadness that in many respects it feels like 35 years ago when lesbian and gay Friends first came together to show a presence in the Friends community and to say, “We are your brothers, your sisters, your husbands, your wives, your pastors, your sons, your daughters, and your Friends. Let us rejoice in our diversity!” Friends, there is much work yet to be done to bring us all to Jesus’ table.
And we conclude by acknowledging our deep appreciation of the gifts of support by those North Carolina Monthly Meetings who were able to be with us in love and support and who helped to make this gathering so spiritually rich and deep! You have given us your gift of love and we send love in return! Please consider joining us for worship and fellowship when we next gather as a part of Friends General Conference Summer Gathering in River Falls, Wisconsin, June 30 – July 7, 2007.
Joann Neuroth
Recording Clerk
The Summit Conference Center at Haw River State Park
Greensboro, North Carolina
February 18, 2007
To All Friends Everywhere;
Once again, we are called to testify to the love we find moving among us. It is a testimony of radical inclusion. It is a cause of great pain to our corporate body to know that there are some Friends for whom our message is deeply disturbing; indeed, apparently, in contravention of their strongly held beliefs. It would gladden our hearts if Friends could soften their hearts to hear us out.
We met here in Greensboro, North Carolina, in this land rich in Friends’ history, hoping to forge new connections across the spectrum of Quakers practicing a living faith tradition, a tradition with currents in the history of the civil rights movements and the movement for religious freedom. We numbered over 100 adults and a rich and lively mix of “little Friends,” “young Friends” and “young adult Friends” as well. In the midst of winter, we noticed the beginning shoots of the crocus outside our plenary building, a sign of the promise of New Life and continued growth. Friends with histories in programmed, un-programmed, and semi-programmed branches of Quakerism came together to share our faith in continuing revelation and our desire to go beyond our separateness into the fullness of our communion.
After dinner together on Friday evening, we were welcomed by the planning committee of North Carolina Friends who had invited us here to experience the diversity of Friends in this region. After the welcoming, we watched a video titled, “Can We All Be Friends?” a question many of us had on our minds coming to this weekend. Are the differences between Friends so deep we cannot talk with each other, learn from each other? Are we willing to be in communion with each other, open to our differences yet secure in the one Spirit that calls us all to be Friends?
After our opening worship together on Saturday morning, we heard a talk by Max Carter, Director of both Friends Center and Quaker studies at Guilford College. Max spoke of the rich heritage of five different branches of Quakerism in this region. With humor, Max pointed out some of the differences within Friends, today and throughout history. As he talked, many of us began to smile at the differences between us Friends. We marveled at learning a history of Friends that some of us were unaware of (Fighting Quakers and Quaker General Nathaniel Greene!), and began to sense some of what unites us as Friends, but also to acknowledge some of the real differences we have as Friends. We were reminded that to reach real unity of Spirit requires an acknowledgement of our differences before we attempt to seek a Way beyond our differences.
We began each day, as is our practice, with worship. For many of us, our First Day worship was the first time we had experienced the richness of semi-programmed worship, in a worship service led by retired pastor Willie Frye. Willie and his wife Agnes Frye are old friends and allies of Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns. Willie thanked us for being here and reaching out, and called on us to continue to reach out by sharing our light with the world. He pointed out what we all know because we have grown up as different: It is easier to demonize those you do not know. Bigotry requires ignorance and thrives on separateness. The process of coming out, no matter how painful—for ourselves, for our families, for those around us—is an essential witness to the truth of our lives, and our love.
Some of our first messages in worship were about fear, our own fears and the fears others have of us. In his prepared message, “How To Love In A World of Hate,” Willie pointed out that it is so much easier to understand our own fear of others than it is for us to understand their fear of us. He also urged us to seek for the “third way” that Jesus talked about, the way that goes beyond our differences and into an area to which Spirit is calling us all. By getting beyond our differences, we dare to believe that we can bring about a Kingdom of God on earth, where we transcend our differences, not ignoring our disagreements, but finding a way to go through them and beyond our fears. We recognize that this is not easy work, but have faith that this is our work, and it is work that we cannot rightly lay down.
On Saturday night we joined for a Fireside Chat, a panel of Friends from different branches of Quakerism talking of their history and movement through the different kinds of Friends. We were especially moved to hear from a North Carolina Friend who talked of her struggle to reconcile Jesus’ radical love with a history of Friends’ participation in discrimination and oppression. One Friend from Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) talked of her struggles with marriage equality, but more importantly shared with us her personal journey, begun when an Epistle Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns (then called Friends for Lesbian and Gay Concerns) came to her Yearly Meeting. We had wondered those many years ago when we drafted our epistle whether conservative yearly meetings would even read our epistle. It seems our prayers had been answered. A third Friend shared his experiences of discovering he was gay, though married with children, as both he and his wife sought support from their Meeting, as many other divorced Friends had done. A fourth Friend shared her history with evangelical churches and her experience in Oregon where she helped folks get beyond hurtful language so that they could talk with each other. She spoke of living in a world so violent that even our speech is militarized and of trying to overcome that violence by “Opening Hearts and Minds.” She urged us in a talk the next day to “Listen, Affirm, Respond, and Add to the discussion.”
On Sunday night we had another Fireside Chat around the past, present and future of equality struggles. We heard about historical struggles and personal history. Willie and Agnes Frye spoke in moving terms of their deep, painful struggle around their support of FLGBTQC and their gay son. Also, a young adult Friend spoke of the struggle of being faithful to God’s call and the emerging ministry she carries. Their words gave us a glimpse of the power of living Truth and were followed a lesbian Friend who spoke of her struggle to answer her deeply felt call to ministry within North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM). This was followed by a presentation by Peterson Toscano, “Queer 101.” With laughter, we were brought back to the importance and the radical idea that being who we are called to be can change the world!
At the end of our brief time together, we have discerned a deep truth: that we have been given a taste of being called to table, a table to which Jesus called all people -- including the despised: prostitutes, tax collectors, fishermen, priests, women and children--people who somehow would find the faith that love is stronger than hatred and would learn that non-violence must be practiced in deed, as well as word.
We go forth from this weekend with the joy of having spent time with many different kinds of Friends. We also carry with us the pain of knowing that other Friends who were invited either could not or would not join us. We acknowledge our own responsibility for some of this, and for the fact that our community does not seem theologically “safe” to some Christians. We continue to struggle as a community with radical inclusiveness and our own continuing-to-be-revealed form of Quakerism. We continue to commit ourselves to not to let our language, our ignorance, or our own unconscious racism separate us from each other and commit ourselves to seek for deeper unity.
We also share with Friends everywhere the irony of this weekend, that our desire to experience One Spirit was first met with exclusion. When we sought for this gathering to use Quaker Lake Camp here in North Carolina, owned by North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM), we were denied the use of the camp. We do not respond with rage or anger, but with deep sadness. Who knows how deep our wounding? We acknowledge our sadness that in many respects it feels like 35 years ago when lesbian and gay Friends first came together to show a presence in the Friends community and to say, “We are your brothers, your sisters, your husbands, your wives, your pastors, your sons, your daughters, and your Friends. Let us rejoice in our diversity!” Friends, there is much work yet to be done to bring us all to Jesus’ table.
And we conclude by acknowledging our deep appreciation of the gifts of support by those North Carolina Monthly Meetings who were able to be with us in love and support and who helped to make this gathering so spiritually rich and deep! You have given us your gift of love and we send love in return! Please consider joining us for worship and fellowship when we next gather as a part of Friends General Conference Summer Gathering in River Falls, Wisconsin, June 30 – July 7, 2007.
Joann Neuroth
Recording Clerk
Quaker Pagan anthology
From Jen Chapin-Smith:
If you're interested, you can contact Jen at jench1977 at hotmail dot com.
For more information on Godless for God's Sake: Nontheism in Contemporary Quakerism, click here.
Friends- I've talked with Quaker Universalist Fellowship about an idea I've had for nearly a year of putting together an anthology of essays on Quaker Paganism. QUF is interested in discussing publishing such as book (it would be similar to the nontheist Friends' "Godless for God's Sake") but want a preliminary table of contents. If you are interested in contributing a chapter of any length, please let me know a preliminary title/subject. I'm working on one about how I define Quaker Paganism and how I see it fitting into the larger Society of Friends and Quaker history.
Please then send the essay as soon as you can. As editor, I reserve the right to actually edit all submissions.
If you're interested, you can contact Jen at jench1977 at hotmail dot com.
For more information on Godless for God's Sake: Nontheism in Contemporary Quakerism, click here.
"Journeying in Darkness"
Back in March, I read Melody Brazo's article "Journeying in Darkness" in Friends Journal. As a Quaker Witch, I find her article speaks to me in many ways.
One of the things that has always appealed to me about both Quakerism and Witchcraft is an emphasis on moving away from either/or, black/white, dualistic thinking; an understanding of the importance of both/and thinking; and an understanding of how both/and actually reflects the reality of the world more accurately. As part of my own healing from violence, and in order to grow spiritually, I had to learn to move away from either/or, black/white thinking into the realm of both/and.
I revel in my experience of the Divine Dark. Melody's article brought to mind three pieces from A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual: Judith Laura's "Hear Our Great Mother," Julie Middleton's "What Is This Night?," and John Schrag and Sabina Becker's Kore Evohe (click "Play MP3" to listen).
One of the things that has always appealed to me about both Quakerism and Witchcraft is an emphasis on moving away from either/or, black/white, dualistic thinking; an understanding of the importance of both/and thinking; and an understanding of how both/and actually reflects the reality of the world more accurately. As part of my own healing from violence, and in order to grow spiritually, I had to learn to move away from either/or, black/white thinking into the realm of both/and.
I revel in my experience of the Divine Dark. Melody's article brought to mind three pieces from A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual: Judith Laura's "Hear Our Great Mother," Julie Middleton's "What Is This Night?," and John Schrag and Sabina Becker's Kore Evohe (click "Play MP3" to listen).
Hear our Great Mother, robed in midnight,
around whose head shines
all the suns and moons of the universe,
As She speaks to us, saying:
Blessed is the darkness
for in the darkness we conceive.
Blessed is the light
for in the light we give birth.
As conception is to birth,
So darkness is to light.
Know that both the darkness and the light,
The sound and the silence,
Are sacred unto me
Who is all creation.
(c) 1989, 1999 Judith Laura; reprinted with permission
What is this night?
It is the night of the Midwinter Solstice.
What is the meaning of this night?
It is a peak of power.
What is the element that rules this night?
Tonight darkness reaches the limit of its power over light.
What do we do in the dark?
We go deep within ourselves in the dark.
We look at our lives in the dark.
We look at our paths in the dark.
We look at our hopes and fears in the dark.
What happens in the dark?
Seeds grow in the dark.
Babies grow in the dark.
We rest in the dark.
We get ready.
Do we fear the darkness?
No! We glory in the darkness.
We dream in the darkness.
We are made whole in the darkness.
Half of day is dark. Half of night is light.
Julie Middleton, used with permission.
Fragrance-free Gathering
I just wanted to take a minute to mention that while in many ways it was a challenge to be fragrance-free at FGC's Summer Gathering -- even for me, and I am sensitive to certain chemicals -- it was a really positive experience. Not only wasn't it as difficult as I expected, but it made the Gathering better for me. I didn't expect having a more fragrance-free to have a noticeable impact on me personally, but it did, making Gathering as a whole much more accessible to me.
No pain! No chemically-induced migraines or breathing problems! It was very cool. So I am grateful to everyone who worked towards this goal.
No pain! No chemically-induced migraines or breathing problems! It was very cool. So I am grateful to everyone who worked towards this goal.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Sick kitty
My wife and I are the live-in staff for two wonderful cats, Kiri and Shadow. One of these avatars of Bast is in guarded condition right now with hepatic lipidosis. She was diagnosed early last week. So far, persuading her to eat high-calorie food four times a day, giving her subcutaneous fluids, and medicating her with antibiotics, an appetite stimulant, and liver support, seem to be helping. She had repeat bloodwork yesterday, and her liver enzymes are looking better, though they're still not normal (and she's still visibly jaundiced). But her energy and attitude are also better. I am extremely grateful. We're hopeful that she might yet recover.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Great Waters Epistle
To Friends Everywhere,
Greetings! Great Waters Pagan Friends Gathering occurred 25-28 Fifth Month 2007 at Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. This is the first of these Gatherings in answer to a prompt to bring Pagan Quakers together physically and spiritually, particularly in the Great Lakes region of America but spreading wherever the spirit of great waters touches. We come from many traditions and experiences which could be categorized under the broad umbrella of Pagan, and primarily from yearly meetings associated with Friends General Conference.
Though we desired in part to spend time alone with each other in the woods, Spirit called us to meet in an established meetinghouse. It is clear we are called to name ourselves and publish our Truth to Friends and Pagans everywhere with great joy. We have felt challenged in being so open and others have felt challenged by our witness. As in all true ministry, Spirit has been with us and made Its Presence known, with strength and Grace. We are grateful to It, to each other, and to friends who have labored with us in openness and obedience to the Divine. We have felt deeply held by the spirit of Friends not able to be with us physically, and give thanks for the resources that many have brought forward. We note that several Friends came forward in response to the Jewish tradition of Tzedek or justice and to their experience as Jewish Friends.
Ann Arbor Friends Meeting held "the organizers and attenders of Great Waters Pagan Friends Gathering in the Light with love." It was a pleasure and a challenge to experience the energies of the Gathering and this Meeting blend during this weekend. We felt ourselves reaching up from deep roots and planting a seed, grateful to Spirit for helping us. We are clear that this was the right place to be.
We are very aware that putting the words Pagan and Quaker next to each other brings up deep spiritual issues. Conflict may distract from these deep spiritual issues. We are grateful to Quaker process which slows down the process so that these deeper issues can rise to the surface and helps us stay in and attend to the Light. Being faithful to this process allows us to come to know who we are in relation to these issues and the Light, and come to know our work in the world.
As George Fox and many other Quakers have said, "What canst thou say?" As one Friend here said, both Quakers and Pagans honor true listening and deep consideration, allowing Spirit to speak through us, ministering to and receiving ministry from each other in our diversity, including those with diagnosed mental illness. It has been and is deeply healing for us to be our spiritually whole selves here.
We had unprogrammed and semi-programmed worship together, both indoors and out, as well as Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. We ate together. We sang together We walked in the rain together, past the gardens of Ann Arbor. We shared our knowledge from our studies with each other of how Spirit, Goddess, the Gods, Christ, and the Light and dark of the Divine Spirit have been moving in our individual lives. We had fun and we look forward to gathering again. Some of us will meet at Friends General Conference Summer Gathering 2007 in River Falls, Wisconsin, on the south fork of the Kinnickkinnick River.
Yours in Friendship,
Blessed Be,
Daniel Hall
Honour Horne-Jaruk
Jen Chapin-Smith
Katy Kola
Lisa Bashert
Stasa Morgan-Appel
Zhanya (JoAnn) Poske
Greetings! Great Waters Pagan Friends Gathering occurred 25-28 Fifth Month 2007 at Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. This is the first of these Gatherings in answer to a prompt to bring Pagan Quakers together physically and spiritually, particularly in the Great Lakes region of America but spreading wherever the spirit of great waters touches. We come from many traditions and experiences which could be categorized under the broad umbrella of Pagan, and primarily from yearly meetings associated with Friends General Conference.
Though we desired in part to spend time alone with each other in the woods, Spirit called us to meet in an established meetinghouse. It is clear we are called to name ourselves and publish our Truth to Friends and Pagans everywhere with great joy. We have felt challenged in being so open and others have felt challenged by our witness. As in all true ministry, Spirit has been with us and made Its Presence known, with strength and Grace. We are grateful to It, to each other, and to friends who have labored with us in openness and obedience to the Divine. We have felt deeply held by the spirit of Friends not able to be with us physically, and give thanks for the resources that many have brought forward. We note that several Friends came forward in response to the Jewish tradition of Tzedek or justice and to their experience as Jewish Friends.
Ann Arbor Friends Meeting held "the organizers and attenders of Great Waters Pagan Friends Gathering in the Light with love." It was a pleasure and a challenge to experience the energies of the Gathering and this Meeting blend during this weekend. We felt ourselves reaching up from deep roots and planting a seed, grateful to Spirit for helping us. We are clear that this was the right place to be.
We are very aware that putting the words Pagan and Quaker next to each other brings up deep spiritual issues. Conflict may distract from these deep spiritual issues. We are grateful to Quaker process which slows down the process so that these deeper issues can rise to the surface and helps us stay in and attend to the Light. Being faithful to this process allows us to come to know who we are in relation to these issues and the Light, and come to know our work in the world.
As George Fox and many other Quakers have said, "What canst thou say?" As one Friend here said, both Quakers and Pagans honor true listening and deep consideration, allowing Spirit to speak through us, ministering to and receiving ministry from each other in our diversity, including those with diagnosed mental illness. It has been and is deeply healing for us to be our spiritually whole selves here.
We had unprogrammed and semi-programmed worship together, both indoors and out, as well as Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. We ate together. We sang together We walked in the rain together, past the gardens of Ann Arbor. We shared our knowledge from our studies with each other of how Spirit, Goddess, the Gods, Christ, and the Light and dark of the Divine Spirit have been moving in our individual lives. We had fun and we look forward to gathering again. Some of us will meet at Friends General Conference Summer Gathering 2007 in River Falls, Wisconsin, on the south fork of the Kinnickkinnick River.
Yours in Friendship,
Blessed Be,
Daniel Hall
Honour Horne-Jaruk
Jen Chapin-Smith
Katy Kola
Lisa Bashert
Stasa Morgan-Appel
Zhanya (JoAnn) Poske
Monday, August 27, 2007
Total lunar eclipse
There's a total lunar eclipse early tomorrow morning (August 28, 2007), which should be visible from most of North America. For more information:
Blessed be!
- For NASA's web page for the August 28th eclipse, click here. (Includes diagrams of the eclipse for different time zones!)
- For NASA's lunar eclipse web page, click here.
Blessed be!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Some good environmental news
I currently live in southeastern Michigan, a Midwestern state considered part of the Great Lakes system. (In the satellite picture below, the Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the part that looks like a green mitten surrounded by blue water. The Upper Peninsula is the part north of that, with more water north of it.)
NOAA satellite image of the Great Lakes
Michigan has shoreline on four of the five Great Lakes -- Lake Huron to the northeast, Lake Michigan to the west, Lake Erie to the southeast, and Lake Superior above the Upper Peninsula -- and southeastern Michigan is within driving distance of Lake Ontario (just above the east end of Lake Erie).
While Lake Erie is probably the closest to where we live, and all the Great Lakes I've encountered are magical, Lake Michigan has a special place in my heart.
Lake Michigan at Sunset, August, 2006, Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area(c) Stasa Morgan-Appel
BP's new permit prompted public outcry in several states.
There's a fair amount of tension between different Great Lakes states, as well as between those states and Canada, regarding who makes decisions about pollution and cleanup in the Great Lakes. There's also a lot of grassroots, and even some government, work to clean up the Great Lakes and honor them for the national and international treasure that they are.
For example:
- The Great Lakes -- Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario -- and their connecting channels form the largest fresh surface water system on earth.
- If you stood on the moon, you could see the lakes and recognize the familiar wolf head shape of Lake Superior, or the mitten bounded by lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie.
- Covering more than 94,000 square miles and draining more than twice as much land, these Freshwater Seas hold an estimated 6 quadrillion gallons of water, about one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water supply and nine-tenths of the U.S. supply.
- Spread evenly across the contiguous 48 states, the lakes' water would be about 9.5 feet deep.
(Wow.)
The good news is this: BP has announced that it will not take advantage of the permit, but has pledged to operate under the restrictions of its previous permit. There is at least one lawsuit pending to make that pledge legally binding, but at the moment, a lot of us are cautiously optimistic.
And if nothing else, the outcry did prompt BP to publicly back down.
Good news!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Gathering report to Ann Arbor Friends Meeting
I feel like I've been very bad about getting anything posted about Gathering, especially about the workshop, so I thought I'd share this as a start. Ann Arbor Friends Meeting asks those who attend Gathering to share their experiences at a special session of Reading & Reflection which is set aside for that purpose. We were visiting F/friends in Ontario this weekend, so I couldn't be there, and sent a written report, which I'm posting here. - sm
Dear Friends,
Since I can’t be at Meeting this First Day when those who attended Summer Gathering this year are talking about their experiences, I am sending a written report instead.
I’d like to start with the Gathering Mission Statement, which was new to me this year:
I first read the Gathering Mission Statement at the final meeting of the Gathering Planning Committee in May, which I attended as one of the Healing Center Coordinators. The Mission Statement resonates deeply with my experiences of Gathering, and, since I’ve discovered a fair amount of confusion among Friends about the point and purpose of Gathering, I decided to make it available in the Healing Center and my workshop room. It became an important framework for my work at Gathering.
This year was the seventh time that I’ve attended FGC’s Summer Gathering, the seventh year I’ve been involved with the Healing Center, the fourth or fifth I’ve co-Coordinated the Healing Center, and the seventh I’ve been involved in Pagan Quaker ministry. It was the first year I facilitated a workshop or performed in a formal concert.
The Healing Center
The Healing Center “provides a space for Spirit-led Friends to explore, practice, and experience healing modalities from many traditions.” My work with the Healing Center has been a deep gift in my life. I became involved during my very first Gathering, in Blacksburg in 2001. I had no idea why I was drawn to be there, and at first felt very much out of place. That feeling didn’t last an hour; not only was everyone very welcoming, but to my surprise and delight, the Goddess had plenty of work there for me to do. My experience that year led me to discern a leading to become a chiropractor. Within two months, I’d returned to school to begin my pre-medical coursework. Being part of the Healing Center each year helps keep me grounded in my leading and in the spiritual nature of the healing work I’m called to do. It also gives me the chance to work with other Spirit-led Friends in healing, and to experience the immense amount of Grace with which we are gifted every summer. The Healing Center is an amazing experience for practitioners, seekers, and coordinators alike. Our experiences this year filled us with awe and gratitude.
Workshop
Another ministry which has been part of Gathering for me from my first year there is among Pagan Friends. One way to think of Pagan Friends is as Friends to whom the Divine makes Itself known most clearly through nature, the seasons, the Earth, the Goddess, the God, and/or the Old Gods, as well as the Divine-Within and community. This is a fairly approximate “definition,” as no two Friends, Christian, Pagan, or otherwise, experience the Divine in exactly the same way, or use the exact same language to describe that experience. During my first Gathering, members of the Women’s Center, who knew I had experience facilitating public ritual, asked me to facilitate their Full Moon ritual; in subsequent years, at the request of other Pagan Friends, I facilitated Tuesday night interest groups on Pagan Quakerism. And for several years now, Friends have been asking me to facilitate a week-long worskhop at Gathering. I did feel that leading; but for many reasons, and in spite of having facilitated many shorter workshops, I did not feel ready to meet it. During the 2006 Gathering, I did a lot of discernment around the issue of a workshop and my not feeling ready, and finally concluded that while I had not, in fact, been ready in the past, my current hesitation was really just nerves. Last fall, with the support of Pagan Friends both locally and around the world, I submitted a workshop application, which was accepted by the Workshops Committee in their worship.
So this summer at Gathering, for the first time, I facilitated a week-long workshop. It’s very difficult to get workshop titles into the allotted five words, but I eventually came up with “A Neighborhood of Pagan Friends.” The theme of this year’s Gathering, “…but who is my neighbor?,” resonated deeply with many Pagan Friends, who too often feel belittled and treated as less-than in our Meetings. This echo was present throughout the week. We did deep healing work around this issue, helping us re-ground in our spiritual integrity, in our leadings to live our lives as Friends who experience the Divine in the ways each of us does. We noted that we have heard similar things from Friends who are radical Christians and non-theists, as well, and talked about how we might build bridges with other marginalized Friends.
Our workshop was primarily for Pagan Friends, a place where we could come together in a spiritually and emotionally safe space, experience the Divine together, build community, and be whole; and, from that grounding, be in a more integrated way in the larger community of Friends – Monthly Meetings, Yearly Meetings, FGC – and the even larger community of people of faith. In a way I hadn’t anticipated, workshop participants were challenged to do this each day right there at Gathering. One of the first questions Friends ask you at Gathering is, “Which workshop are you in?” The participants in my workshop had to “come out” again and again during the week when they answered this question. Some had positive experiences; some described discriminatory reactions similar to those which they had faced as LGBTQ or Native people. These were painful. Nonetheless, our overall experience together was one of joy, community, deep spiritual groundedness, and gratitude for the opportunity to share this workshop with each other. The Spirit moved among us, gathered us tenderly, nourished us, and challenged us. Our time together refreshed and recharged us for our work in the world.
Singing the Goddess
At the last pre-Gathering meeting of the Planning Committee in May, during our final worship, someone sang one of the songs she’d learned from A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual. Several Friends who’ve been involved in Threshold Choirs and other forms of music ministry were moved by it, and asked that we find a way to present live music from the book at Gathering. So a group of six of us who’ve been involved with SpiralSong Feminist Spirituality Vocal Ensemble gave an hour concert at the Limeade Cabaret. Singing together at Gathering was a blessing, both nourishing and fun, and we very much enjoyed performing in a F/friendly, supportive, enthusiastic environment. Most of all, we enjoyed singing worshipfully together; it was a delight.
I am grateful to the Meeting for providing financial support which helped me attend Gathering. [note: I received financial support from Friends General Conference, Ann Arbor Friends Meeting, and Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns.]
Yours in Friendship,
Blessed be,
Staśa Morgan-Appel
Dear Friends,
Since I can’t be at Meeting this First Day when those who attended Summer Gathering this year are talking about their experiences, I am sending a written report instead.
I’d like to start with the Gathering Mission Statement, which was new to me this year:
“It is the purpose of the Gathering of Friends to help Friends know and deepen their relationship with the Spirit and with each other; to strengthen their identification as Friends among other Friends; and to testify to the continued presence of unprogrammed Friends as a vital and unique faith community.”
- approved by Long-Range Conference Planning Committee, 2 November, 2002
I first read the Gathering Mission Statement at the final meeting of the Gathering Planning Committee in May, which I attended as one of the Healing Center Coordinators. The Mission Statement resonates deeply with my experiences of Gathering, and, since I’ve discovered a fair amount of confusion among Friends about the point and purpose of Gathering, I decided to make it available in the Healing Center and my workshop room. It became an important framework for my work at Gathering.
This year was the seventh time that I’ve attended FGC’s Summer Gathering, the seventh year I’ve been involved with the Healing Center, the fourth or fifth I’ve co-Coordinated the Healing Center, and the seventh I’ve been involved in Pagan Quaker ministry. It was the first year I facilitated a workshop or performed in a formal concert.
The Healing Center
The Healing Center “provides a space for Spirit-led Friends to explore, practice, and experience healing modalities from many traditions.” My work with the Healing Center has been a deep gift in my life. I became involved during my very first Gathering, in Blacksburg in 2001. I had no idea why I was drawn to be there, and at first felt very much out of place. That feeling didn’t last an hour; not only was everyone very welcoming, but to my surprise and delight, the Goddess had plenty of work there for me to do. My experience that year led me to discern a leading to become a chiropractor. Within two months, I’d returned to school to begin my pre-medical coursework. Being part of the Healing Center each year helps keep me grounded in my leading and in the spiritual nature of the healing work I’m called to do. It also gives me the chance to work with other Spirit-led Friends in healing, and to experience the immense amount of Grace with which we are gifted every summer. The Healing Center is an amazing experience for practitioners, seekers, and coordinators alike. Our experiences this year filled us with awe and gratitude.
Workshop
Another ministry which has been part of Gathering for me from my first year there is among Pagan Friends. One way to think of Pagan Friends is as Friends to whom the Divine makes Itself known most clearly through nature, the seasons, the Earth, the Goddess, the God, and/or the Old Gods, as well as the Divine-Within and community. This is a fairly approximate “definition,” as no two Friends, Christian, Pagan, or otherwise, experience the Divine in exactly the same way, or use the exact same language to describe that experience. During my first Gathering, members of the Women’s Center, who knew I had experience facilitating public ritual, asked me to facilitate their Full Moon ritual; in subsequent years, at the request of other Pagan Friends, I facilitated Tuesday night interest groups on Pagan Quakerism. And for several years now, Friends have been asking me to facilitate a week-long worskhop at Gathering. I did feel that leading; but for many reasons, and in spite of having facilitated many shorter workshops, I did not feel ready to meet it. During the 2006 Gathering, I did a lot of discernment around the issue of a workshop and my not feeling ready, and finally concluded that while I had not, in fact, been ready in the past, my current hesitation was really just nerves. Last fall, with the support of Pagan Friends both locally and around the world, I submitted a workshop application, which was accepted by the Workshops Committee in their worship.
So this summer at Gathering, for the first time, I facilitated a week-long workshop. It’s very difficult to get workshop titles into the allotted five words, but I eventually came up with “A Neighborhood of Pagan Friends.” The theme of this year’s Gathering, “…but who is my neighbor?,” resonated deeply with many Pagan Friends, who too often feel belittled and treated as less-than in our Meetings. This echo was present throughout the week. We did deep healing work around this issue, helping us re-ground in our spiritual integrity, in our leadings to live our lives as Friends who experience the Divine in the ways each of us does. We noted that we have heard similar things from Friends who are radical Christians and non-theists, as well, and talked about how we might build bridges with other marginalized Friends.
Our workshop was primarily for Pagan Friends, a place where we could come together in a spiritually and emotionally safe space, experience the Divine together, build community, and be whole; and, from that grounding, be in a more integrated way in the larger community of Friends – Monthly Meetings, Yearly Meetings, FGC – and the even larger community of people of faith. In a way I hadn’t anticipated, workshop participants were challenged to do this each day right there at Gathering. One of the first questions Friends ask you at Gathering is, “Which workshop are you in?” The participants in my workshop had to “come out” again and again during the week when they answered this question. Some had positive experiences; some described discriminatory reactions similar to those which they had faced as LGBTQ or Native people. These were painful. Nonetheless, our overall experience together was one of joy, community, deep spiritual groundedness, and gratitude for the opportunity to share this workshop with each other. The Spirit moved among us, gathered us tenderly, nourished us, and challenged us. Our time together refreshed and recharged us for our work in the world.
Singing the Goddess
At the last pre-Gathering meeting of the Planning Committee in May, during our final worship, someone sang one of the songs she’d learned from A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual. Several Friends who’ve been involved in Threshold Choirs and other forms of music ministry were moved by it, and asked that we find a way to present live music from the book at Gathering. So a group of six of us who’ve been involved with SpiralSong Feminist Spirituality Vocal Ensemble gave an hour concert at the Limeade Cabaret. Singing together at Gathering was a blessing, both nourishing and fun, and we very much enjoyed performing in a F/friendly, supportive, enthusiastic environment. Most of all, we enjoyed singing worshipfully together; it was a delight.
I am grateful to the Meeting for providing financial support which helped me attend Gathering. [note: I received financial support from Friends General Conference, Ann Arbor Friends Meeting, and Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns.]
Yours in Friendship,
Blessed be,
Staśa Morgan-Appel
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Red Cross response to Minneapolis bridge collapse
I know that before I became a volunteer for the American Red Cross, I really didn't have a good grasp of what the Red Cross does. So I wanted to share with you some of the ways the Red Cross provides a humanitarian service -- and what I consider a real ministry of presence -- after a disaster; and specifically, what the Twin Cities Area Chapter (MN) has been doing in response to the Minneapolis bridge collapse.
Volunteers from the local Chapter responded immediately, and have been active round-the-clock since Thursday:
All Red Cross disaster relief services are gifts from the American people.
A couple of important points:
__________________
p.s. I need to be clear that I do not speak on behalf of the American Red Cross, but simply and solely for myself. Thanks.
Volunteers from the local Chapter responded immediately, and have been active round-the-clock since Thursday:
- Providing warm meals, hot and cold drinks, and snacks to emergency services workers, families, and clergy members at the scene. When you're a first responder in a situation like this one, you don't get to leave when you're hungry. Families don't want to leave, either, and neither do those supporting them. Mass Care volunteers feed them.
- Establishing and staffing a Family Assistance Center at a nearby hotel. Families can gather here, be together, meet with counselors, and have privacy from the media and well-wishers, while waiting on news of missing loved ones. Red Cross volunteers -- Family & Individual Client Services caseworkers, and Disaster Mental Health workers -- meet with families and individuals to ensure they are receiving needed Red Cross services.
- Providing counseling on-site and at the Chapter. Volunteer counselors are mental health professionals and are trained in disaster mental health.
- Connecting people via the Safe and Well List on the web. People can use the website either to list themselves as safe and well, or to search for someone they're concerned about.
All Red Cross disaster relief services are gifts from the American people.
A couple of important points:
- The Red Cross does not receive government funding.
- The National organization does not pay for local disaster response unless it reaches a certain magnitude. Chapters must raise funds in their local communities.
- Volunteers do not get paid -- they donate their time.
Due to the extraordinary generosity of the public, the financial donations and pledges received to date will cover the estimated cost for the Red Cross response to the I-35 W bridge collapse on August 1, 2007. Thousands of donors rushed to meet the needs of those who were involved in this tragic accident and their families, and because of their quick action the Red Cross was able to provide a safe place to rest, hot meals, basic first aid and mental health counseling to the survivors of this catastrophe.This is one of those times I actually am proud to be an American. :)
__________________
- For more information about the Twin Cities Area Chapter's response, click here and here.
- Click here for official information about what the American Red Cross does after a disaster.
- To find your local chapter or blood region, click here, enter your zip code, and click "find."
- To learn more about how to donate your time to help the Red Cross meet its mission to "help people prevent, prepare, and respond to emergencies," click here.
p.s. I need to be clear that I do not speak on behalf of the American Red Cross, but simply and solely for myself. Thanks.