Bellingham Friends Meeting substitute E-news for October 21, 2015

Sunday, October 25, 2015


Silent Worship: 10:00 AM
Explorations Academy
1701 Ellis St.  (map)

Second Hour:  
39 Questions for White People”, part 2 

 

 

Meeting Tasks for this Sunday:
Care of Meeting: 
Don G.
Key – Wendy G.
Setup help 
vacant
Greeter – 
Joanne C.
Snack 
 Joan O.
Kitchen 
Jeanine H.
Kitchen help 
– Karen S.
Children’s Teacher –
 Dorothy D.

 

 

Upcoming Second Hours:

Nov. 1 – Potluck and membership welcoming for Jessica Bee

Nov. 8 – Meeting for Worship for Business

Nov. 15 –  Poetry sharing sponsored by Outreach and Welcoming Group

Nov. 22 –  Advance care  planning (Mary Ann P.)

Nov. 29 –  Extended social time

Dec. 6 –  Potluck following get-acquainted fun and games to welcome new attenders (OWG)

 

 

 

Second Hour Oct 18 & 25
“39 Questions for White People” 

by Artist Naima Lowe
Naima Lowe is a 34 year old Queer, African-American artist and educator based in Olympia, Washington. Her films, videos, performances and writings have been seen at the Athens International Film and Video Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Anthology Film Archive, The Knitting Factory, The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific Islander Experience, The Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery, The International Toy Theater Exhibition, and Judson Memorial Church.
Her work, “39 Questions for White People”  has been purchased by American Friends Service Committee as a powerful way for Friends to reflect on and discuss race, racism, and white privilege.
Bellingham Friends will be viewing and discussing this installation in the hope that it will contribute to an ongoing dialogue about white privilege and racism within the Quaker Community and in society at large.

After viewing the work, Friends will be encouraged to consider several queries (see just below) related to the piece and to share their reflections in small groups. Opportunities for further reflection and for action/ involvement will be available.

 

Queries for October 25th:

 

How does white privilege operate in your everyday life?  In your meeting/church?  In the Society of Friends as a whole?  What can you do to address white privilege?

 

What actions can you take to support racial justice in your community? How might Spirit be leading you to get involved in the work for racial justice?

 

Important note: Friends are welcome and encouraged to join in our worship-sharing on white privilege regardless of whether or not they were  present for worship-sharing on October 18th.

 

 

Calendar for Bellingham Friends

When   Wed, Nov 4, 7– 9pm 

 

What    Midweek Worship

Where   Mary Ann P.’s home


One hour worship + one hour worship sharing/ check-in. Friends gather for midweek worship on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month.
Note that there will be no midweek worship on 10/21, since Mary Ann will be traveling to Ben Lomond Quaker Center for the QEW meeting there.

When   Tue. Nov 10, 7-8:30 pm 

 

What    Book Group

Where  
Joanne C and Larry T’s home 


The Book Selection for November is Orphan Train by Christian Baker Kline.  

Contact Susan R if you would like to borrow a copy of the book (she will have a library book club kit)

 

 

Opportunity to Share Your Favorite Poetry

 The Outreach and Welcoming Group (OWG) is sponsoring and Second Hour on November 15th to provide an opportunity for Friends to share their favorite poems.  In addition to reading a poem (or two or three short ones), you may also choose to tell us how you encountered the poetry, how it has inspired you, and/or any other personal commentary.  Please limit your total time to about 4 minutes, but there might be opportunity for a second round for those who have brought additional poetry.  To let us know in advance that you will be sharing, please contact Dusty Andersen (360-592-2605 or DustyAnder@aol.com).  You may also just show up with your poetry and let our facilitator, Wendy Goldstein, know that you would like to share a poem.  Friends are also welcome to just come and listen.  Questions?  Contact Dusty or OWG Clerk Don Goldstein (360-671-1395 or dnx6309@gmail.com).

 

 

Quaker Earthcare Witness Statement

A Statement has been developed by Quaker Earthcare Witness, the Quaker United Nations Office, and Friends Committee on National Legislation for their joint presence at events during the UN Climate Summit in September 2014. click here  to read the statement.
Our Social and Environmental Concerns Committee has brought the statement to our Meeting for a decision concerning adding us as a signatory, which decision is currently seasoning until the next MfWfB on Nov. 8.  Some concerns about part of the wording were raised during MfWfB on Oct. 11.

Getting acquainted with our new attenders and each other

OWG has requested that our first-Sunday Second Hours in December and April include a get-acquainted ice-breaker activity between rise of Meeting for Worship and our monthly potluck.  Our recent new attenders will be especially and individually invited so that we can all get to know a little about them and more about each other at the same time.  If you have an activity to suggest, one that can include up to 35 people and be completed in a half-hour at most, please contact OWG Clerk Don Goldstein (360-671-1395 or dnx6309@gmail.com).  And please plan to participate in the first such event on December 6th!

 

 

Quaker Centering Consultation Opportunity: BFM Representatives Chosen

Kathy and Bob Runyan of Ben Lomond Quaker Center have invited all meetings in PYM, NPYM and IMYM to send two members who are interested in deepening the Quaker Life of the Meeting to a free weekend Consultation on Quaker Centering, Dec. 11-13. In response to previous announcements of this opportunity, several Friends applied to M & C for the privilege of representing our Meeting.  The Committee has chosen Mary Ann Percy and Susan Richardson for this job, and looks forward to their reports about the weekend after they return.  Here is a link for more information about the event:

http://www.quakercenter.org/a-complimentary-quaker-centering-consultation/