Smithfield Friends Newsletter April 2002 Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895 Vol.14________________________________________________________________________ No.138 Parsonage: 762-5726 Internet: www.smithfieldfriends.org Clerk: Richard Frechette Recording Clerk Connie Bair-Thompson Pastor: Marnie Miller-Gutsel Treasurer:Bruce Buteau Ministry&Counsel Rhoda Mowry Newsletter: Randy Oftedahl CALENDAR FOR April/May EVERY SUNDAY 10:30 am: MEETING FOR WORSHIP First Day school Child Care Available LAST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH: Unprogrammed Worship and Pot Luck Lunch OTHER WORSHIP UNDER THE CARE OF SMITHFIELD MEETING OR RI/SMITHFIELD QTLY. MTG. SECOND SUNDAY OF MONTH 7:00 PM: Unprogrammed Worship at Uxbridge Meetinghouse, Uxbridge, Mass EVERY WEDNESDAY 4:00 PM: Unprogrammed Worship and discussion at ACI(Maximum) Other events Sunday, April 21-- Quarterly Meeting--Smithfield will host Every Second Sunday-- Time Change-Second Sunday Meeting for Worship at the old Uxbridge Meeting House is now at 4 PM Every Third Thursday-- Gathering to Pray for Peace, 6 PM at the Meeting House Note Schedule Change- Saturday, April 27, 9 AM-4 PM-- No More Victims Conference, Gaige Hall, Rhode Island College, sponsored by AFSC Sunday, May 5 Monthly Meeting for Business Newsletter Deadline Monday, May 13, 7 PM-- M&C at Rhoda's Note change of day Smithfield Meeting is deeply saddened by the passing of our dear Friend, Lester Taber, on April 16 Letter from Marnie Dear Friends, As many Smithfield Friends know, I'm on the Committee which is revising New England Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice-- the book that helps us to understand what Quakerism is about and how we can best live it out. The last revision was in 1985, and the world has changed. In the words set to that rousing old Welsh hymn, "Once to Every Man and Nation," the poet James Russell Lowell wrote (in 1845!), "New occasions teach new duties; Time makes ancient goods uncouth." So we revise (from the Latin "re+videre"--to see again], trying to discern which "new occasions" are issues of the moment only, and which ones are likely to be deep and lasting questions for our society and the world. Most Friends believe that there is Truth which is eternal, and that there are things which are contrary to Truth--this makes us wary of changing too quickly. Some of us may even be very uncomfortable with the idea that any "ancient good" could ever become "uncouth." But we should also remember that not one of us has a full measure of the Light, and that we believe in continuing revelation. Let's take an obvious example. One of the "ancient goods" was the testimony against "hireling priests"-early New England Friends were urged not to contribute in any way to the support of such people (i.e., me!). Another "ancient good" was the use of plain dress and plain speech; Friends could be disowned for failure to follow those practices. We now see such requirements as reflecting a very limited understanding of Truth. In other cases we face issues that were barely understood, or had not even arisen for Friends in 1985. For example, ecological concerns were then addressed mainly from our old understanding of simplicity, and the avoidance of waste and exploitation. We feared the loss of open space, pollution, or nuclear war, but we barely grasped that the greatest threat was from the collapse of our planet's life support systems because of our nation's love affair with unsustainable growth. In the face of that new understanding, our old witness has become glaringly inadequate. And there are other issues: for instance, few Friends imagined what we would have to deal with today in regard to electronic communications, globalism, or hot button issues like same-gender relationships. Like Friends of every age, we need to stay low and humble, and to remember that while Truth is eternal, we are limited and flawed. Even our best corporate understandings will still be partial and sometimes distorted. To make this understanding as broad as possible, we invite input from all across the Yearly Meeting: from Meetings, Committees, and individuals. From time to time, our worship here will contribute, as we focus on such Faith & Practice matters such as the Advices and Queries. Our Faith & Practice Revision meetings have been prayerful and tender, but we face a long, challenging task. We remember the words of Isaiah 55:9 concerning Divine Truth: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." We struggle to do the best we can, trusting to Divine guidance. And we need your prayers. Love, Marnie No More Victims Conference The American Friends Service Committee of SE New England invites you to attend the No More Victims, Anywhere Conference Saturday, April 27, 9 AM-4 PM, at Gaige Hall, Rhode Island College, Providence. Special guest, Pete Seeger! Pre-registration recommended--save $5 over registration at the door. For more information, see the Bulletin Board. We're Still Gathering to Pray for Peace Smithfield Friends will continue to gather to pray for peace, but now we are meeting once a month, on the third Thursday at 6 PM in the Meeting House. All Friends and attenders are encouraged to come, and the Gatherings are open to the wider community, so invite your neighbors and friends. Afternoons at Uxbridge Don't forget! The once a month Meetings for worship at the old Uxbridge Meeting House now begin at 4 PM each second Sunday. This new schedule will continue until further notice. Ramallah School Damage Relief Fund The Ramallah Friends School was founded by New England Friends about 100 years ago. Reparations are still being sought from the Israeli government for the damage caused when Israeli rockets struck a building on the Ramallah campus on December 13 (fortunately, no one was hurt). Repairing that initial damage will cost a minimum of $20,000. Sadly, the situation has now become very much worse, and is extremely dangerous. The school has been closed, and all teachers and staff who hold foreign passports have been told to leave Ramallah for their own safety. It is now impossible to say what further damage may be caused before the fighting stops. Friends who are moved to help may send contributions to: RFS Damage Relief Fund Friends United Meeting 101 Quaker Hill Drive Richmond, IN 47374 Save Those Stamps! Our Young Friends are collecting stamps at the Meeting House to send to Brad Hathaway of Mattapoisett MM, in MA. He collects postage stamps, especially commemoratives, which are bundled in packets for sale to collectors. Proceeds go to various Quaker missions, including the FWCC (Friends World Committee for Consultation), which has received over $3000 from these sales. Stamps should be carefully cut from envelopes; damaged stamps have no value. For more information, contact a Young Friend. Camp Brochures Are Here Spring is upon us; can summer be far behind? It's not to early to start planning to send your kids to the Yearly Meeting Camp on Maine's China Lake. Pick up your brochure in the foyer. New England Friends Too! Extra copies of the latest issue of the New England Friend, the newsletter of New England Yearly Meeting, are available on the table in the foyer. Help yourself! Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, April 7, 2002 Opening Minute Smithfield Monthly Meeting met for a regularly scheduled meeting for worship with attention to business at noon on April 7, 2002. Richard Frechette was presiding clerk, and nine other Friends were present. We began with a period of waiting worship. Letter of Introduction - Travis Family We have received a letter of introduction from the Nashville Monthly Meeting for the Travis family, who began attending at Smithfield Meeting two weeks ago. We welcome the family and hope that our Meeting will serve their spiritual and social needs. Statistical report The clerk presented the annual statistical report which will be sent to Yearly and Quarterly Meeting. As of December 31, 2001, we have 45 members, an increase by 2 from the prior year due to acceptance of 2 new members. 18 are male, 27 female. 30 are resident members and 15 non-resident. 3 are between the ages of 19 and 24, 9 over 65, and the balance between 24 and 65. Average attendance at first day worship (including children) is 40, and average attendance at first day school is 9. There are approximately 25 active (non-member) attenders. Religious Education Committee Report The following report was submitted in writing by Suzanne Frechette, newly named Clerk of the Religious Education Committee After considerable deliberation and consultation with Ministry and Counsel Committee, the Religious Education Committee has decided that it should shift the schedule for first day school. Beginning in April, first day school will be held once per month during worship on the last Sunday. This change will allow for enough teachers to break first day school into age appropriate groupings. The children are encouraged to participate in meeting for worship on the other Sundays. To that end, the committee is committed to finding quiet "aids" such as appropriate books that the children can bring into meeting for worship. We welcome help from the whole meeting community in finding these items. With regards to the Louise Corrigan memorial fund, the Committee has purchased a TV/VCR - which is downstairs - to aid in our first day school activities. We will also use some of the funds to purchase some of the aforementioned children's worship aids. The Committee will meet next on Tuesday, April 9 at 7 PM at the Frechette home. Some expressed concern that the change in first day school (weekly to monthly) might provide a sufficient amount of religious education. But the Committee had felt meeting for worship carries important messages about right living that in itself constitutes religious education. We approved the change, considering it an experiment, and will review its success later in the year. Equal Exchange Program Kathy Malin, new Clerk of Peace and Social Concerns Committee, presented to us a request that Smithfield Meeting participate in the AFSC's Equal Exchange Program. This is a program whereby participants purchase coffee at a fair price to support small co-op farmers who practice ecologically responsible growing practices. The committee wishes to base an equal exchange program at the meetinghouse, and to use this program as an educational tool. Considerable discussion ensued. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that being smart consumers goes beyond looking for the best price. This action is in keeping with Friends' testimony of right sharing of the world's resources. We wish to support the Peace & Social Concern Committee's leading and approve the setting up of a display/ exchange table at the meetinghouse. We ask the committee to find an appropriate time to conduct a formal presentation on this program. Last, the Meeting corporately will purchase Equal Exchange coffee for its pot lucks and other functions involving refreshments. Young Friends/Quarterly Meeting The Young Friends are hoping to arrange for presentation on AFSC's HIP program ("Help Increase the Peace"), a youth-focused program based on AVP (the Alternative to Violence Project). Rocky Malin will be contacting a teen from each of the monthly to encourage Young Friend attendance at Quarterly Meeting. Chain of Prayer The Clerk announced that Ministry and Counsel Committee has arranged for Smithfield Meeting to participate again this year in (Friends United Meeting's) Chain of Prayer. Our assigned time is Wednesday May 8 from noon to midnight. A sign-up sheet for commitment to an hour of prayer will be posted within the next two weeks - Respectfully submitted, Richard Frechette RecordingClerk Smithfield Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends State of the Society 2001 We are a relatively small meeting, but within our community of faith is a great breadth of socio-economic backgrounds and religious grounding. Our Meeting's worship - somewhat programmed and somewhat not - is a form that suits this mix of people. Our Meeting is blessed with a pastor who discerns our spiritual condition and often brings things out in our worship that we really need to hear. We find that her carefully planned words do not replace the spontaneity of traditional Quaker worship; rather, it compliments it. She is an important instrument to our sharing. We are also a "musical" meeting; even in unprogrammed meetings for worship, we are often inspired to sing. We feel that vocal ministry has been nurtured this year. Our openness to each others' theological differences allows each of us to share in worship without a sense of being judged. We have discovered that our style of worship carries into our relationships with each other. We don't interrupt each other; we try to understand the deep source of the words. We believe this is in concert with the query in Faith and Practice: "Do you seek beyond all differences of opinion and circumstances for unity in the divine life?" The horrific events of September 11, and the continuing aftermath was very much a focal point of our meeting in the latter part of the year. On that tragic day, many of us gravitated naturally to our meetinghouse to share with God and each other our grief and shock. It occurs to us that, in that sense, our Meeting is like the home of our childhood - when problems beset us, we are drawn back to family. We came together to find out how to affirm life in the face of tragedy. Like the rest of the nation, we felt shock and anger and fear. But the events also galvanized our desire as a community to affirm our pacifist history and continuing conviction. As individuals, some of us have actively worked in relief efforts, others in peace activist efforts. As a community we came to clearness on a minute that pledged our efforts to begin peace at home, recognizing that every relationship is one that can bring more peace or more discord to the world. We also began a weekly open gathering to pray for peace, inviting the larger community to join us. For the most part, the gatherings have been small, and mostly made up of our own members and attenders. But we continue our commitment to pray for peace. This gathering became an important time for some of us to refocus, to wait, to listen and to learn. During much of the year we held a regular bible study group, suspending it in the fall to focus attention on the open gathering to pray for peace. We have a special group of young friends who meet regularly. Among other things they organized a successful yard sale, which turned out to benefit the whole meeting family. Though small, our Meeting continues to maintain an active presence in Quarterly and Yearly Meeting and in the larger Quaker circle. We have really felt the loss of some members of our community who have moved either permanently or temporarily out of the area. Being a small meeting, the loss of the gifts, visions and wisdom of these Friends become so evident as we gather in worship and socially. Nevertheless, we are blessed with a continuous trickle of new attenders and, in two cases this year, new members. Some attenders come for a few visits and leave, finding that our personality as a faith community does not meet their needs or choices - and we are all right with this. We feel that we are a welcoming community, and we hope to go beyond simply welcoming to inviting newer attenders into the life stream of the meeting. -Approved by Smithfield Monthly Meeting April 14, 2002 Let all nations hear the word by sound or writing. Spare no place, spare not tongue nor pen; but be obedient to the Lord God and go through the world and be valiant for the Truth upon earth, tread and trample all that is contrary under...Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them. Then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one. -George Fox, Journal, 1656. Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895