Smithfield Friends Newsletter February 2002 Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895 Vol.14________________________________________________________________________ No.136 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 February/March 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 6:00 PM: Unprogrammed Worship and discussion at ACI(Maximum) Other events Every Friday Gathering to Pray for Peace--6 PM at the Meeting House, followed by a simple supper at 6:45 Thursdays During Lent Ecumenical Lenten Vesper Services, weekly at 7:30, various Woonsocket churches. Locations will be posted on the bulletin board Thursday, February 28 Smithfield will host the weekly Ecumenical Lenten Vesper Service, 7:30 at the Meeting House M&C--Date Change! The new date is Monday, February 18 Every Second Sunday --Time Change--Second Sunday Meeting for Worship at the old Uxbridge Meeting House is now at 4 PM Sunday, Feb. 24 Pot Luck Following Worship on February 24 Sunday, March 3 Monthly Meeting for Business following Worship Newsletter Deadline for March Child Care Providers (Thank Thee, Friend) Feb 17 Diane Gauthier Feb 24 Meghan Keene Mar 03 Meghan Keene Mar 10 Evone Barlow Mar 17 Paul Klinkman Mar 24 Diane O'Hara Mar 31 Pauline Goulet Letter from Marnie Dear Friends, Did you know that that the earliest followers of Jesus didn't call themselves "Christians," but "followers of the Way"? (See many verses in Acts, but especially 19:9 and 23, and 22:4) Yet how easy it seems for many people to focus on praising the name of the Lord, while neglecting that far more important task of following the Way. Jesus himself said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." He goes on to say that not even prophesying or casting out demons in his name will cut it. (Matthew 7:21-23) Jesus taught a living, experiential faith, not one that rested on "correct" doctrine, or "correct" rituals and rules. So you have to wonder sometimes whatever happened to the Way he thought was important: "Blessed are the merciful," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." (The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5) Lent is a time to reconsider that Way, and what it is that we are truly called to do. I felt very encouraged by an article I read recently in the Providence Journal. It appeared on January 29, and described a gathering arranged by Bishop Robert Mulvee, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. But it met at Beneficent Congregational Church, and was attended by leaders from many faith traditions, including Baha'is, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews, as well as Christians of several denominations. Bishop Mulvee called it to show solidarity with a similar gathering of world religious leaders who met at Assissi on January 24, at the call of Pope John Paul II, to pray together for peace. As Bishop Mulvee said in his welcoming remarks, "To pray for peace is to open the human heart to the inroads of God's power to renew all things." A Hindu leader reminded the gathering that "The main purpose of all religion is to strengthen the unity and love of all people. It is not to set up dividing lines, which is what has happened so often." Isn't it ironic that in these times we may sometimes find we have more in common with Hindus or Buddhists than we do with the Washington saber rattlers or the preachers of vengeance who identify themselves as followers of Christ? Karen Armstrong, a historian and anthropologist of religion, has suggested that as religions age, they tend to turn into "institutions" and lose their emphasis on the importance of experience and the living out of ones faith. They start to stress correctness of doctrine and practice as the tests of who's "in" or "out." Institutions do this in order to maintain the institution itself, along with its leadership. Hence the emphasis falls more on praising the name of the Lord than on following the Way, and people get more and more caught up with the outward forms of a faith than with the living experience of it. But eventually this results in what Elton Trueblood called a "cut flower" religion-- attractive, but cut off from the spiritual roots which ought to nourish it. But as the letter of James declared, "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." (James 1:22) What might the Way be for us, and what might it be calling us to do this Lent? Love, Marnie We're Still Here, Gathering to Pray for Peace Smithfield Friends continue to be concerned that as the war in Afghanistan winds down, the saber rattling in Washington continues. So we also continue to gather on Fridays at 6:00 PM in the Meeting House to pray for peace. Fellowship and a simple supper follow at 6:45. All Friends and attenders are encouraged to join the group. The Gatherings are open to the wider community, so please invite your neighbors and friends. First Ecumenical Lenten Healing Service To Be at St. Mark's Lutheran The first ecumenical Lenten Service will take place at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 871 Harris Ave., Woonsocket, at 7:30 on Thursday, February 21. It will be a special Service of the Word for Healing, and will include special litanies and prayers for healing. Subsequent Services will be Feb. 28, at Smithfield Friends (see below); March 7 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic (Blackstone); March 14 at St. James Baptist; and March 21, at First Baptist. For further information, see poster on bulletin board. Smithfield To Host Lenten Service Again As we did last year, Smithfield Friends will once again be the hosts for one of the Ecumenical Lenten Services. It will take place Thursday, February 28, at 7:30 in the Meeting House. Light refreshments will follow--volunteers needed, see below. Hospitality Volunteers Needed! We need people to help with the hosting duties (greet, pass out Orders of Service, set up for beverages and light snacks, tidy up afterwards) for the Ecumenical Lenten Service at the Meeting House on Thursday, February 28, at 7:30. If you can help, please let Marnie know. 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 we 'spring forward' into daylight savings time, at which point we will return to the previous time of 7 PM. Men Wanted--Be a Mentor! There is a grave need for adult men of all ages to serve as mentors for boys in need of good role models. The Woonsocket Men2B Program is providing a twelve hour training program (2 sessions of 6 hours each) on Saturdays. Trainees may choose sessions beginning in February, March, or April; a stipend is offered to those willing to train and serve. Call 762-2513 or see the notice on the bulletin board for more information. RSVP Home Help Volunteers Needed RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteers) of Northern Rhode Island is recruiting volunteers to do errands and light housekeeping and to provide companionship for low and moderate income homebound elderly and handicapped people. The purpose of the program is to provide some relief for regular caregivers. Relief caregivers are not expected (or allowed) to give personal care or medications. Small stipends are available. Informational brochures are available in the pamphlet rack, or telephone RSVP at 766-2300. Turn the Lights Out, Please! Friends--last one out of the Meeting House, please be sure the lights are off in the Meeting Room! It's easy to overlook them when the swinging doors are closed, and with the curtains drawn they aren't very noticeable from the outside either. On several occasions they have burned all night. So save money and save energy--double-check before you leave! Smithfield Monthly Meeting Meeting for Business February 3, 2002 2002-12 Opening Minute Smithfield Monthly Meeting met for a regularly scheduled meeting for worship with attention to business at noon on February 3, 2002. Richard Frechette was presiding clerk, Connie Bair-Thompson was recording clerk, and nine other Friends were present. We began with a period of waiting worship. 2002-13 Nominating Committee - additional recommendation For Nominating Committee, Connie Bair-Thompson presented an additional recommendation that had been inadvertently omitted in last month's report. Nominating Committee recommended that Debbie Chick be added to the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Friends approved. 2002-14 Sound System at Providence Meeting - Martha Smith and Marcel St. Germain Martha Smith and Marcel St. Germain attended Providence Meeting last Sunday and Martha shared their observations on that Meeting's sound enhancement system. She said she didn't really feel their system worked better than the one we have been using. She was given a similar box to listen through. She said she could only hear one of three people who spoke during the meeting. Afterwards, someone told her the unit she was using was not working correctly. She tried a different unit, but found it quite noisy when she turned the volume up. Martha said much of the problem could be solved by Friends remembering to speak up when talking during meeting for worship. Friends do not feel investing major amounts of money in a new or modified sound system makes sense at this point. Instead, we will pursue other ways to insure all Friends can hear. Ron Belliveau will experiment with small improvements that will aid individual listeners using a box and also a public address system to allow all to hear better. Friends approved allocating $100.00 from surplus funds for Ron to spend on the sound enhancement system, asking him to report back to the meeting on what was purchased and tried. 2002-15 Financial report for 2001 - Bruce Buteau Bruce Buteau, Treasurer, presented a financial report for 2001 [see report following these minutes]. He noted that our investments in the Pax World Fund and NEYM Pooled Funds have shrunk, reflecting what is occurring in the market in general. He cautioned us against counting on any capital gains from our investments in the current economic climate. Bruce thanked Richard Frechette, previous Treasurer, for creating a system that is very easy to use. Bruce noted that the Building Fund has a surplus of almost $900.00, which in the past has been reserved for replacing the kitchen floor in the parsonage. He also noted the new Young Friends' fund, which reflects their huge success at their yard sale this past November. Regarding the General Fund, Bruce reminded us that the original 2001 budget predicted a $10,000 operating deficit. In part, this was due to uncertainty about the loss of rental income from the APC and increased heating costs. In the end, the deficit was not nearly as great because contributions increased 60%. Bruce thanked Friends for their generosity, noting that many contributions are made anonymously. In general, Bruce said that anonymous contributions have been running about $200 per month. Depending on what Finance Committee decides, Bruce predicted the budget for 2002 will also predict a deficit. He noted that several ideas for fund raising have been discussed and should continue to be looked at. It was noted that we traditionally have given money from a special Christmas collection to Haven of Grace, but we neglected to do that this year. Although it is outside the budget, Friends did show their generosity by contributing 17 Christmas food baskets as part of the Family Resources program. Friends noted that the $500 allocated for Scholarships and Camperships had not been used. Bruce said that this subject is already on the agenda for the next Finance Committee meeting. Friends recognize that we should publicize the availability of these funds more than we have been. Friends thanked Dan Keene for his generous contribution of snowplowing services and dry well repairs. Bruce noted that the bill for the pastor's health insurance was approximately $500 less for the last quarter of 2001 than previous bills. He is unsure whether this is a permanent change. Friends thanked Bruce for his hard work as treasurer. A copy of the financial report for 2001 will be attached to the official copy of these minutes. 2002-16 Items in the meeting house that may no longer be useful - Suzanne Frechette Suzanne Frechette said she has noticed there are some items that are currently in the meeting house that may no longer be useful to the meeting. Some examples include yellow-ware bowls, depression glass, mismatched pieces of silverplated accessories, various pottery items, miscellaneous furniture, old books and antique knives. Suzanne suggested that we inventory these things and decide how to make money by selling these items. One idea she had is to hold a silent auction. People could also offer services, art or craft items they are willing to donate as things that could be bid on. Friends felt that the books should be looked at again to make sure they are not of archival value before being including them in the auction. Suzanne Frechette, Eunice Strobel and Marnie Miller-Gutsell agreed to serve as an ad hoc committee that will inventory the items, determine if they have value to the meeting outside of fund-raising and then to decide what type of fund-raising activity would be best. 2002-17 Southeast New England AFSC Support Committee - Request for financial support The clerk told us we have received a request from the Southeast New England AFSC Support Committee for financial support of their efforts. The clerk read a letter from Erbin Crowell, who has been acting as clerk of this committee, asking for financial support and the appointment of a representative to the committee. Smithfield Friends have already complied with the second request, having named Bob Sumner-Mack as our representative to the committee. For various reasons, Friends expressed some concerns about supporting AFSC at this time, including not having seen a clear mission statement for the support committee and whether the issues that resulted in the office being closed twelve years ago have subsequently been addressed. Noting that Smithfield Friends are responsible for developing the program for the next meeting of the RI-Smithfield Quarter on April 21, 2002, Friends agreed to ask for this to be addressed at that meeting, including Bob Sumner-Mack, representatives from other meetings in the Quarter, and others from the SENE AFSC Support Committee in discussions. The clerk will inform Erbin Crowell and Bob Sumner-Mack, as well as Peace and Social Concerns Committee, of our thoughts on this matter. The clerk will also bring our thoughts to Ministry and Counsel Committee. 2002-18 Closing Minute No further business arising, Friends closed with a period of waiting worship, intending to meet again for business on March 3, 2002, God willing. Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends Financial Report for Year ended 12/31/01 (Draft - Unaudited) General Fund Activity: Receipts: $23,043.04 Disbursements: ($22,603.80) Net (Surplus) $439.24 Fund Balances (excluding investments): General Fund $8,517.60 Bessie Ewen Memorial Fund $4,295.00 Louise Corrigan Memorial Fund $535.00 RI/Smithfield Quarterly Meeting $956.07 Building Fund $893.39 Young Friends' Fund $575.00 Unallocated Funds $7,680.81 All Funds $23,452.87 -Bruce Buteau Treasurer News of Sojourning Friends Lester and Meredith Tabor reported that, while missing Smithfield Friends, they are enjoying their new house next door to Meredith's daughter in the Ozarks. Unfortunately, more recently, Lester has experienced a medical problem, was spent much of January in and out of a hospital and is now recovering in a nursing home. He asks us to hold him in the light. Invitation to Quaker Studies The Quaker Studies Committee, jointly sponsored by Beacon Hill Friends House and Salem Quarterly Meeting, invite Friends throughout New England to their Spring 2002 program. Friends may register for any or all of the programs. Additional information and registration forms are available at the meetinghouse. March 9 (Sat): Invitation to Life More Abundant. Marty Grundy from Cleveland Meeting offers an opportunity to explore our spiritual hunger and how we can be fed, and how our Meetings can feed those seeking a deeper relationship with God. 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Beacon Hill Friends House, Boston March 22-23 (Fri night/Sat): Inviting the Inward Teacher. Well known Quaker author and teacher Paul Lacey will help friends consider the practices of silence, attention, recollection, memory and imagination that open us to the Inward Teacher. Friday 7-9; Saturday 9:30 - 4 at Wellesley Meetinghouse April 20 (Sat): Coming Back to Life. Susan Lloyd McGarry will use poetry and sacred texts as well as worship and experiential exercises to help us hear what stirs in us this Spring. 10-4 at Cambridge Meetinghouse. May 10-11 (Fri night/Sat): Christ in Quakerism . John Punshon, well known Quaker author and teacher, leads an informal seminar focusing on how an analysis of the concept Christ can help us to understand how the word comes to be used in different ways among Friends. Friday 7-9; Saturday 9:30-4 at Framingham Meetinghouse. Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895