2009 NPYM Annual Sessions: Thursday (con't)

Here are more of my notes from NPYM's Annual Sessions in July. Items in italics are generally my thoughts, rather than notes per se.

Worship-sharing

In the warmth of your presence, I am safe at home
I will stand, I will stand...

[I had written out the words to Pat Humphries and Sandy Opatow's "I Will Stand," which was written for a graduating class (my Ffriend Rebecca's) at the Woolman Semester.]


Interest Group: The Radical Inclusiveness of NPYM

• Quakerism is larger than Christianity; to limit Quakerism to Christianity is to limit the power of Quakerism.

• Quakerism is more powerful than Christianity alone.

• if theology is not the ultimate "test," and if the peace testimony is not the ultimate "test," then what is?
• -- is it our commitment to Quaker process?
  

• to use the blind men with the elephant as a metaphor
• -- is Quakerism about the whole elephant, or about one part?
• -- (is Christianity, and does Christianity see itself as, the whole elephant, or part?)
  

John's workshop

• if John's a tube, and for him the energy comes from above, whereas for me it comes from below... does that make me a straw?? :)

• "what's going to put me in my reverence?" "what's going to help me in my tenderness and care?"

• "settle your body first, and then place your hands" --> when did i start doing that in the opposite order?

• keeps coming back to the heart

• Meeting for Worship for Healing
• -- gathering ppl's reverence and tenderness
• -- like doing energy work in a large group
  

• "you know, healing was one of the first things Quakers got thrown in jail for" (Fox's Book of Miracles) (like Richard [Lee] said)

• haven't had someone around me "who understands the gift to help with discernment" and support, as john says

• this is beginning work, not what he does with a client or a victim of torture