Smithfield Friends Newsletter May 2000 Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895 Vol.12________________________________________________________________________ No.119 Parsonage: 762-5726 Internet: http://www.oftedahl.com/SmithfieldFriends Clerk: Bruce Kay Recording Clerk Susan Furry Pastor: Marnie Miller-Gutsel Treasurer:RichardFrechette Ministry&Counsel Rhoda Mowry Newsletter: Randy Oftedahl CALENDAR FOR MAY/JUNE EVERY SUNDAY 10:30 am: MEETING FOR WORSHIP First Day School Child care for infants and toddlers 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: Sunday, May 21 Afternoon Clerking workshop with Jan Hoffman Sunday, June 4 Monthly Meeting for Business SUMMER NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Letter from Marnie Dear Friends, Jesus often taught in parables. But he also liked to draw lessons from the history of the Jewish people (see Mark 2:25). In fact, as my seminary professors liked to point out, the Bible is a book which shows how God acts in the history of a people. The lessons of history were brought home to me again last week, as I prepared to speak to the Uxbridge Historical Society about my research on the Quaker families of the old Uxbridge Meeting. Their life histories also reveal God at work. And as with the people of Israel, their lives show what happens when people get stuck in their traditions, and mistake them for God's word. As Jesus reminds a group of Pharisees (quoting Isaiah): "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." (Mark 7:6-7). Early in the nineteenth century, Uxbridge Meeting was very spiritually alive, with several recorded ministers--like Richard Mowry and Royal Southwick--who were famous for their inspired preaching. But the world was changing around them, in many ways even faster and more radically than it changes now. Instead of trying to stay open to the leadings of the Spirit, Uxbridge Meeting closed down. To be fair, it was a scary and tumultuous time, and in such times people want to protect themselves. But at the end, the records suggest that listening for the Divine Word spoken by the Inner Christ had become less important than 'following the rules,' as recorded in the New England Yearly Meeting Book of Discipline (which we now call Faith and Practice)--i.e. "teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." They imagined that in order to remain faithful to "Truth," they had to do everything just as their forebears had. They could have studied the past. They could have tried to discern what was valuable and should be kept, what was still important but needed to change, and what had served its purpose and needed to be left behind. And they could have studied the present, trying to distinguish between the good, the mixed, and the truly bad. But this is difficult. Quite possibly they would have disagreed about many things. Conflict is painful, but people can move through it if they continue to try to respect and love each other--"This is my commandment. That you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12) No doubt some of them tried to do this. But others tried to freeze Quakerism into some timeless, unchanging shape. (I have a wonderful symbol of this- -a photograph of an old Quaker woman taken in the 1880's, dressed exactly as Quaker women would have been 40, even 60 years earlier.) Others simply left. We can learn from history, and we can use it to improve the present. And there are many lessons here. One is that if Meetings turn inward, and adopt set ideas, the "traditions of men" which they confuse with "real" Quakerism, they may feel like safe places for the like minded, but they endanger spiritual health. I believe that this is true whether the "traditions of men" come from the Book of Discipline or the latest trend in political correctness. A more consoling lesson is that Quakerism has survived radical and frightening changes in the world, and vicious and painful conflicts within the Society itself. It still can. There is a tremendous resilience in Quakerism-it rises from God who remains forever at work in the Center, beyond all human traditions. Love, Marnie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Young Quakes Conference, 2000 High school age Young Friends will gather in McNabb, IL (near Chicago) Columbus Day weekend, October 6-9. See flier on bulletin board Clerking Workshop With Jan Hoffman Committee Clerks, or anyone else who would like a better understanding of the art of clerking--mark your calendars! Jan Hoffman of Mount Toby Meeting will lead us in a Clerking Workshop on Sunday afternoon, May 21. We will start with a brown bag lunch after rise of Meeting, and then turn the gathering over to Jan, a very experienced workshop leader and a gifted clerk herself. Meeting For Healing Meetings for healing have been discontinued for the time being. If there seems to be further interest, they may be resumed at a later point. Friendly Friends Needed Help make us a truly Friendly Meeting--be a greeter! Lots of folks have done it once (sometimes lots more than that) but the need continues. It's a great way to meet our visitors as well as old F/friends, and all it takes is arriving 15 minutes early with a Friendly smile. Smithfield Friends Contact List Periodically, we update the Smithfield Meeting contact list for distribution to our Meeting Family. A copy of the current list will be displayed at the meetinghouse from mid May to Mid June. Please check your family info for correctness. change or ads as needed, or check the name if the information is correct. note that we include name, address, phone and e-mail address, unless you prefer to not include any of the information. If you are unable to come to the meetinghouse during this period, you can call or e-mail Richard Frechette (401-769-4433; RFrech@home.com) Summer Is Coming!! Get the Kids Out of the House! Brochures for Friends Music Camp and our own NEYM China (Maine) Camp are here. Look for fliers in the basket in the foyer. And More Summer Delights: FGC General Gathering 2000 The Year 2000 Gathering of Friends will meet July 1-8 in Rochester, NY. The theme is "Deep Roots: New Growth." Brochures are available in the foyer. Calling Friendly Educators Quaker educators of all varieties will gather at Earlham College on June 22-25, for a conference on Spirituality in Action: Quakers in Education In the New Millennium. Keynote speaker is Parker Palmer. See brochure on bulletin board-- Marnie can provide additional fliers and registration blanks. Application deadline June 1. And if you are interested in Religious Education, investigate the conference for RE educators and parents, Awakening Minds and Hearts, August 17-20, at Massenetta Springs, in the Virginia mountains. For more information on that conference, contact the FGC office, 1216 Arch St., 2B, Philadelphia, PA 19107; web:www.fgcquaker.org. Heads Up For the Fall Are you a Health Care Professional? It's not too early to start planning for this fall break--it could be both fun and educational. The Friends Medical Society will hold a one day conference at the Arch Street Meeting in Philadelphia on Saturday, October 21. The theme is Meeting the Challenges of the New Millennium. If so moved, Friends are invited to submit proposals for short papers (Deadline--June 15) or to be panel participants (suggest a topic). Costs are modest--only $30, and home hospitality can be arranged. See brochure on bulletin board--Marnie can make extra copies. . Minutes of Meeting for Business - May 7, 2000 2000-33 Opening Minute Smithfield Monthly Meeting met in a regularly scheduled meeting for worship with attention to business at noon on May 7, 2000. Ten people were present, and Bruce Kay presided. We began in worshipful silence. 2000-34 Fundraising Dinner Our fundraising dinner on April 29 was very successful, and produced a net profit of $327. Friends expressed gratitude to Rhoda Mowry who organized it and to all those who helped. We hope to remember in future that notices should be sent to the newspaper at least two weeks in advance. 2000-35 FWCC Triennial and Pendle Hill Consultation In February we committed the Meeting to provide $600 towards Marnie Miller-Gutsell's attendance at the Friends World Committee for Consultation Triennial and the associated consultation at Pendle Hill. We agreed to put a notice in the newsletter inviting people to make contributions for this purpose. Friends asked Bob Sumner-Mack and Scott Sprague to choose a date in June and organize a fundraising event. 2000-36 APC Yard Sale The Apostolic Pentecostal Church has asked permission to hold a yard sale here sometime soon, including the sale of "dynamites," a traditional northern Rhode Island sandwich. They have not yet chosen a date. Friends approved, and asked that all publicity make it clear that it is their event, not ours. 2000-37 Serious Damage to Meeting House Sill Scott Sprague and Bruce Buteau described a structural problem at the rear of the Meeting House, where a large portion of the rear sill has rotted away because of water damage. The exact extent of the damage is not yet known, nor how much repairs will cost, but it will at least cost several thousand dollars. Repairs must be made in a reasonable time, though there does not seem to be a safety issue at present. Friends asked Building and Grounds Committee to begin arranging for expert advice on the problem as soon as possible. 2000-38 Campaign of Conscience for the Iraqi People For Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Richard Frechette reminded Friends that a threshing session was held on April 9 to discuss the Campaign of Conscience for the Iraqi People, as requested by Monthly Meeting in March (2000-19). Peace and Social Concerns recommends that our Meeting join the campaign by making a contribution for humanitarian aid to Iraqi people, understanding that the aid will be sent under government license if possible and without license if necessary. In the latter case, our Meeting might be subject to civil or criminal penalties. The campaign plans to send water pumps, which will be distributed under the care of a Mennonite service group working in Baghdad. Concern was expressed that approval of the Peace and Social Concerns proposal might put our Clerk and Treasurer at risk. Both Bruce Kay and Richard Frechette said that they are very comfortable with the potential risk. Friends agreed that we will decide on this proposal at our June meeting for business. In the meantime, we ask Peace and Social Concerns to offer opportunities for individuals to sign on Sunday mornings, and to publish further information in the Newsletter, including a summary of the potential risks, and the names of individuals in our community who have joined the campaign as individuals, subject to their consent. Friends agreed that we are glad to hear opinions from Friends who are not able to attend the meeting for business, but we urge all who are concerned to make every effort to attend on June 4 because the decisions of the Meeting are made by those who gather for corporate spiritual discernment, seeking together to know and obey God's will. 2000-39 Treasurer's Report and Changes to the Budget Richard Frechette presented the Treasurer's report for the first quarter of this year, and on behalf of the Finance Committee presented some proposed changes for the current budget. He pointed out that our support of New England Yearly Meeting is a tithe of the previous year's revenues (that is, 10% of 1999 nonrestricted income). He explained that the changes in the budget increase our projected deficit by $1,164, primarily because of the increase in health insurance cost. Friends accepted the report and approved the changes in the budget, with thanks for our Treasurer's careful and faithful work. Respectfully, Susan Furry, Recording Clerk More on Smithfield Friends and the US/UN Sanctions against the Iraqi People... At our last Meeting for Business, Friends considered whether we should follow the recommendations of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee that were posted in last month's newsletter - namely, to participate as a corporate body in the Campaign of Conscience for the Iraqi People co-sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Fellowship of Reconciliation (and locally by the RI Committee on Nonviolent Initiatives). Some individuals of our Meeting have already committed to the Campaign of Conscience (Susan Furry, Richard Frechette, and Bob Sumner Mack, to name a few), but the question of corporate participation carries different implications. In the April threshing session and in literature made available at the meetinghouse, the reasons for bringing humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq were identified; so that matter is not presented here (the literature is still available at the meetinghouse or can be requested of a member of the Peace & Social Concerns committee). We are considering whether Smithfield Meeting will commit to a potential act of civil disobedience. For, if the legal authority to bring humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people is not granted, co-sponsoring organizations and individuals have agreed to supplying the aid in violation of the prohibition. Friends have asked what the potential sanctions are. AFSC and FOR literature identifies the sanctions as "civil fines up to $275,000 per violation and criminal penalties up to $1 million and/or up to 12 years in prison." Of course, civil fines would be shared by all of the participating organizations, so the potential "share" for Smithfield Meeting is an unknown. As to the threat of incarceration, the likely order of exposure would be, principal organizers (leaders in FOR, AFSC, etc.), officers of co-sponsoring organization - for Smithfield Meeting, likely to be defined as clerk and treasurer (both of which have announced their willingness to accept responsibility) and membership of sponsoring organizations in some unknown or random order. As for likelihood, a quote from Susan Furry, who has observed civil disobedience over the years: "I suppose it's a bit more than winning the PowerBall, but not much. In my opinion, the government is unlikely to prosecute churches for acts of conscience, and those most at risk are the leaders of the campaign and perhaps a few other prominent individuals. In fact, if they do prosecute anyone, it would give great publicity to the suffering in Iraq, and would probably boomerang on them, and they're probably quite aware of that danger." But neither the severity of the sanctions (against the violators) nor the likelihood of its imposition should be a primary consideration. Rather, the overriding questions should be whether we as a community of faith discern that the current government-sponsored sanctions are contrary to what we believe in and whether we, as a community of faith, are compelled to take action, even in violation of civil law. These are not questions to be taken lightly. I and other members of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee were initially disappointed that at the May Meeting for Business there was not a clearness to move ahead as a community on this matter. But perhaps God's will was at work after all. That meeting was sparsely attended, and a call to action such as has been suggested should carry the discernment of our whole community. We urge you to plan to attend the meeting for business scheduled for June 4 following worship and to give prayerful consideration to the question before us. For the Peace & Social Concerns Committee, Richard Frechette The Light Within, which is the central Quaker idea, is no abstract phrase. It is an experience. It is a type of religion that turns away from arid theological notions and that insists instead upon a real and vital experience of God revealed to persons in their own souls, in their own personal lives. Christ no longer stands for a Being who came to the world to effect a mysterious scheme of salvation, a scheme to be mediated henceforth by men by an authoritative church, after He Himself had withdrawn into the heavens from which He came. Christ is God eternally revealing Himself - God in immediate relationship with humanity. -Rufus Jones, An Interpretation of Quakerism, 1939. Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895