Ninth Month, 2003

QUERIES for the Ninth Month: EXTENDING OUR MESSAGE

• Do you try to share in the religious life and fellowship of the whole community?
• Do you cooperate as fully as possible in its work, availing yourself of opportunities for worship and service with other local religious groups?
• Is your distinctive Quaker witness characterized by humility and a willingness to learn from others?

CALENDAR NOTES

• Forum: CENTRAL AMERICAN UPDATE by Tim Fogarty, recently returned from Nicaragua. He will talk about his trip; about CASTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement; and give an update on our SEYM ProNica project.
• Quaker Study Group: Join us for a special evening of sharing food, fellowship and warm hospitality at the Buskirks. Our topic is "How Do We Know If It Is A Leading?" from the Southeastern Yearly Meeting Michener Lecture given by Ruth Hyde Paine.
• Bible Study: We continue, with Don Smith's leadership, our study of Galatians using, Merril Tenney's Analytical Method

MEETING NEWS

Way to go, Brenda! Brenda Bayne, as a member of Peace and Social Concerns Committee, was responsible for distributing almost 200 WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER posters. She sent FCNL a check for $1,030 from the sales. She reminds us that the war is still going on and recommends a web site: www.iraqbodycount.net.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40: 31

MEETING NEWS (CONT)

We joyfully welcome Marilyn Muller into membership.

Please hold Tak Hayakawa in the LIGHT as he recovers from his recent illness.

We are pleased to announce that Adrian Timmers has agreed to take on the post of treasurer.

Many thanks to Jean Larson for her devoted, patient work in shepherding the new meetinghouse project to this point. We are pleased to announce that Morrie Trimmer has agreed to take up the staff at this point when his years of building experience will be invaluable.

Best of all, "its in my zip code!" writes Connie Ray about her daughter Becky's new job. Becky has started a new job as office administrator for Durham Habitat for Humanity. She was one of 130 people who applied for the position. She reports the people are wonderful and she is making more money than previously.

From the Clerk

What makes this difficult to do? Let me suggest three possible answers: First, what I want to call "awkwardness." Doing so violates normal social expectations. We haven't developed the habit of stopping suddenly or easily in our conversations to tune into the Silence. And habits are hard to change.

Second (I think we'd all agree), our personal opinions and wishes. If it's difficult for an individual, it's perhaps even more difficult for a group to let go of its own mind and seek the Deeper Mind.

Third, the failure to transfer the attitude of worship to meeting for business. We find it easy to forget that we're having a meeting for worship for the purpose of doing business.

Do you agree with these three suggestions? Can you think of others? Of course, even if we're comfortable going into the Silence at any moment, have relinquished our personal passions, and remain in a spirit of worship--that is, even if we're waiting or standing still in the Light-it is a further skill to harmonize ourselves with the Spirit. How do we develop that skill? I expect to share my thoughts on this next month, and I'd be happy to incorporate some of yours.

Don