Westport Meeting News:
Nomination Slate: The 2022-2025 Nominating Committees report to monthly meeting for business on Nov 21, 2021, was approved. Friends may view the 2022-2025 Slate HERE.
Ministry and Counsel Committee will present a proposal to Monthly Meeting for Business this Sunday morning that our Meeting consider holding both our traditional annual Advent Potluck on Sunday, Dec 12, at the rise of worship, and Christmas Eve Service, Dec 24 at 7pm. As we know, these cherished events had to be canceled last year due to the pandemic. Ministry and Counsel feels that a balance can be achieved between continuing to follow ongoing Covid-19 precautions and resuming certain community activities that nurture the spiritual life of our Meeting community. Understandably, a number of modifications will need to be made and Ministry and Counsel is seeking input from members at business meeting on the feasibility of resuming these traditional Meeting activities. Please consider being present (on Zoom) for this important discussion.
NEYM Letter of Apology to Native Americans: Meetings within NEYM are being asked to read the Letter of Apology to Native Americans and discuss it within our local meeting communities. We are specifically asked not to publish or distrubute the letter on any non-Quaker public forum, as distribution and publishing will shepherded by the Right Relationship Group of NEYM. Friends may read the document HERE.
Midweek worship will continue to be offered each week on Wednesdays at 3:30 PM. Please note that the link for midweek worship is not the same as our regular worship on Sunday. A link for joining Midweek worship (which is the same link each week) will be emailed each week on Wednesday mornings. To insure security, we never post Zoom links on websites or portals visible to the general public. Questions? Contact Kevin Lee.
MEETING CALENDAR: (All meetings held via Zoom, in person, or hybrid (meaning in-person and via Zoom), as noted)
- Worship each Sunday in meetinghouse and via Zoom at 10am (hybrid)
- Monthly Meeting for Business, Sunday, Nov 21, at 8am (Zoom only)
- Seekers Group, Monday, Nov 22, 7pm. Hybrid. (Gretchen sends link)
- Midweek worship, Wed, Nov 24, 3:30-4pm. (link sent day of, Zoom only)
- THANKSGIVING, Nov 25
- Seekers Group, Monday, Dec 6, at 7pm. Hybrid. (Gretchen sends link)
- [Tentative] Advent Potluck Gathering, Sunday, Dec 12, at rise of worship. Details TBA
- NEYM Permanent Board, Dec 11, 9am-1pm. via Zoom.
- Peace & Social Justice Committee, Monday, Dec 13, 7pm (Zoom only)
- NEYM Meeting leaders call, Dec 14, 7pm. via Zoom.
- Monthly Meeting for Business, Dec 19 at 8am. (Zoom only)
- [Tentative] Christmas Eve Service, Dec 24, 7pm. Details TBA
- CHRISTMAS DAY, Sat, Dec 25
MIDWEEK WORSHIP, via Zoom, WEDNESDAYS, 3:30-4:00pm!
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Yearly Meeting/Wider Quaker News:
NEYM Faith and Practice Revision Committee: Draft chapter for review and discussion on Ministry and Counsel committees at the monthly meeting level; [Our Meeting’s M&C committee will be reviewing this document, but all Friends are encouraged to review this draft copy as well. Click HERE for the link.
New England Yearly Meeting Newsletter, “It is blessed to Receive, too,” Nov 5, 2021 may be read HERE:
Introduction
Ministry & Spiritual Life Gathering
Workshop for Treasurers & Financial Stewards
Exploring the Quaker Way
Support for Addressing Racial Justice
Exploring Prayer and Meditation at Woolman Hill
We’re Hiring!
Right Relationship Updates
Reparations as Testimony for Portland Friends
Marian Baker Reports from East Africa
Faith & Practice “Passage of the Month”
Noticing Patterns
Weed Lecture Video
Find Recordings of Yearly Meeting Events
Keep in Touch!
A Last Word
Gretchen’s JYM-JHYM latest newsletter, issue of Nov 17, 2021, contains reflections, programming and retreat info for young people, parents and Friends. Read her newsletter HERE.
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Quaker organizations, and our Yearly Meeting as a whole, are offering an amazing array of opportunities to expand our knowledge and improve our practice as Friends in a variety of ways. Check out the following links and see what we are being offered! Also, take a few minutes and explore additional programs offered by NEYM by visiting the Events page HERE.
Recurring virtual events
- Daily at 8 a.m., Beacon Hill Friends House: Meditation practice
- Sunday–Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Calming Pajama Party
- Alternate Thursdays at 4 p.m., Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL): Thursdays with Friends
- Thursdays at 7 p.m.: Taizé worship
- Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Parents’ Tea-and-Chat
Other events coming soon
- Dec 4: Best Practices in Financial Stewardship
- Dec 9: Becoming Generous Congregations
- Dec 11: Permanent Board
Connect, Learn, Explore, and Be in Service among Friends Regionally and Globally.
Check out an array of Quaker schools, camps, retreat centers, other yearly meetings and Quaker organizations listed on NEYM’s website.
Sandwich Quarterly Meeting News:
Afghan Refugee Information: Deana Kinsky, of Sandwich Quarterly Meeting, provided meetings of our Quarter with recent information about helping Afghan refugees resettle in our area. For ease of reading, the info is on its own page on our site HERE.
Closing:
What does a life with God require?
God does not demand that we give up our personal dignity,
that we throw in our lot with random people, that we lose ourselves
and turn from all that is not him. God needs nothing, asks nothing,
and demands nothing, like the stars. It is a life with God that demands
these things. … You do not have to sit outside in the dark.
If, however, you want to look at the stars, you will find that darkness
is necessary. But the stars neither require nor demand it.
– Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk
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Thank you, Friends,
Kevin Lee