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Upcoming Second Hours:
Sept. 20 - Open
Sept. 27 - Quarterly Meeting, extended
social time
Oct. 4 - Potluck
Oct. 11 - MfWfB
Oct. 18 – “39 Questions for White People” (SEC)
Oct. 25 - “39 Questions for White People” (SEC)
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Calendar for Bellingham Friends
When
Wed, Sept 16, 7– 9pm
What
Where
Midweek Worship
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.
When
Sat. Sept 12, 2pm -
Sun Sept 13, 2 pm
What
Where
Annual Retreat
Camp Lutherwood
See more information at the bottom of the newsletter.
click here for tentative schedule
Call Carole Teshima (360 393 6782) for late registration and to see if there is space available.
When
Tuesday, Oct 13th,
7- 8:30 pm
What
Where
Book Group
Sharon T. and Don R.'s
The Book Selection for October is
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. This will be the Whatcom Reads selection early next year. Contact Susan R if you would like to have a copy of the book (she will have a library book club kit)
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From Ministry and Counsel:
We ask Friends to hold our whole Meeting in the Light. We are already a few weeks into a 120-day contract within which we hope to discern whether purchasing the Bell Tower building is a Spirit-led choice.
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Please honor our shared silence in worship by planning to arrive before 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Please enter the hallways outside the worship room quietly, as voices carry. Please silence cell phones and arrange belongings before entering, and keep comings and goings during worship to a minimum.
Thank you, Friends.
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Group Discernment Workshop
Dorsey Green & Ann Stever
Whidbey Island Friends Meeting
Sat, Oct 24, 2015
9 am - 3:30 pm
(Bring dish for potluck lunch)
Location: Unitarian Universalist Congregation SR 525, 2 mile north of Freeland on Whidbey Island
Group discernment - making Spirit-led decisions together - ha been an essential part of Quaker community lif fo 350 years. Everyone contributes, not just clerks. In this day-long workshop, join Whidbey Island Friends to consider:
- Why does goroup discernment matter to Friends?
- How can we all paticipate helpfully in Sprit-let decisions - clerks, members and attenders?
- How can we prepare ourselves for weighty decisions?
- When have you experienced the Spirit in group decision-making?
To register, contact:
Toni Grove
tgrove@whidbey.com
360 221-6748
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Opportunities for Friendly Activists
From your Social and Environmental Concerns Committee
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Thank you Friends!
It appears that peace has prevailed, and the Iran Nuclear Deal has sufficient votes to survive.
However, a strong counter push will be launched today, so we cannot rest.
Patty Murray
has come out in favor of the treaty.
Please consider thanking her.
Rick Larsen
has also come out in support of the treaty. Please let him know how much you appreciate his bold stance!
Maria Cantwell
is the only undecided democratic senator.
Please contact your elected officials again and let them know how you feel.
click here
and follow the instructions (very easy) so that
Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL)
can help you send a message.
Note that the same message goes to all of your representatives.
BUT - you can add personal messages to each of them.
Here is an example - feel free to use:
Senator Murray, and Representative Larsen, I have noted and thank you for your leadership in supporting the Iran Nuclear Treaty.
Senator Cantwell, I urge you to step up to the plate and support the Iran Nuclear Treaty. This deal is a critical step toward a more rational approach to foreign policy.
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Special Request for
Baked Goods
for
Whatcom Peace and Justice Center's
International Day of Peace
fundraiser
On Sept 19th at 7 pm
(see large pink announcement at bottom of newsletter)
Please consider bringing baked goods, savory or sweet for our bake sale at the International Day of Peace Event and Fundraiser on September 19 at the Majestic. Anything easily portionable would be most welcome! If you would like to help, please contact Janet Marino at janet@whatcompjc.org
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Interfaith Coalition
Winter Coat Drive
Please bring clean, gently-used winter coats, hats, gloves and mittens to the worship services this month. If you are a knitter, handmade hats and scarves are also cherished.
Sunday, October 18
is the last day to bring in items.
Many people appreciate this program because they don’t have to spend their limited income on a coat or go without one through the winter.
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Social and Environmental Concerns
Concern of the Month:
Friends Ugandan Safe Transport Fund
(formerly Friends New Underground Railroad)
This program organized by Olympia Monthly Meeting supports those Ugsndans who are aiding LGBT Ugandans fleeing their homeland subsequent to uganda's passage of the 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act. Many individuas have been kicked out of their homes, universities and schools, jobs, denied shelter and healthcare, abandoned, beaten, imprisoned, and even killed. But they have hope of reaching safety with the help of Friends ugandan Safe Transport Fund
You may donate online at the link above or donate at meeting on Sept 19th.
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PYM AS 2015 – 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. Please consider whether Bellingham Friends are led to add our name as a signatory.
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September Metamorphosis is on the way!
Click here
to find it online
A Feature article on the 2015 Quaker Earthcare Witness Statement noted above will appear in the September issue of Metamorphosis
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Friday Peace Vigil
When
Every Fri, 3:45pm – 4:45pm
Where
104 W Magnolia St, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA ()
Description
The Nation's oldest weekly Peace Vigil. Paricipants gather weekly at 4:00 pm with signs in front of the Federal Building on the Corner of Magnolia and Cornwall Streets.
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Announcements from the Wider Community
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Transition Whatcom and Inspiration Farm present:
An Evening with Toby Hemenway
September 14th
6:30pm at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207 Ellsworth St.
6:30 PM: Book sale, 7PM – Presentation
8:15 Q&A, 8:30 Book signing
Join us for inspirational examples of ecological design in cities and towns across the continent as award-winning author Toby Hemenway introduces his new book, The Permaculture City: Regenerative Design for Urban, Suburban, and Town Resilience. Be a part of a lively discussion on ways to apply nature’s wisdom to urban, suburban and town life. Permaculture’s approach to understanding natural systems can do more than improve how we grow, make, or consume things; it can also teach us how to cooperate, make decisions, earn a secure livelihood, and arrive at good solutions.
Donations accepted to cover local organizer’s expenses.
Co-sponsored by BUF Climate Justice Team and more co-sponsors to be announced.
See more details and RSVP on Transition Whatcom
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Death Cafe
Wednesday, September 16,
6:30 to 8:45
at Moles Community Life Center, 2465 Lakeway Drive
(at the intersection of Lakeway and Woburn),
parking entrance on Woburn.
Click here for a recent article on the Death Cafe Phenomenon
"Anyone for Tea and Sympathy? Death Cafés Embrace Last Taboo"
which was published in the Guardian.
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The Future of Housing in Whatcom County:
Affordable, Innovative - Can We Have Both?
Saturday, September 19, 2015, 10 am - Noon
Bellingham Public Library,
Central Branch - Downstairs Lecture Room
Doors open at 9:30 am for coffee and light refreshments
The League of Women Voters invites the Public to a program examining the kinds of housing Whatcom County will need and why affordable housing for everyone matters to our community
Local experts will share information and perspective on current plans and creative possibilities for meeting our housing challenges - Panelists will include:
Paul Schissler,
Community Development Planner,
Paul Schissler Associates, Inc.
Rick Sepler, Director,
Planning & Community Development,
City of Bellingham
Greg Winter,
Director,Whatcom Homeless Services Center
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Syre Education Center Opening:
Honoring First Nations
From Thursday 10 September 2015 - 12:00pm
To Sunday 13 September 2015 - 05:00pm
We highlight our Northwest Coast First Nations exhibit during this fall opening of the Syre Education Center.
Come by and see our Native American display and then visit Helmi’s World: Symbol, Myth, Fantasy in the Lightcatcher.
You can also see more than 250 species of mountain birds in the Syre, followed by The Owl & The Woodpecker: Photographs by Paul Bannick in Old City Hall. Admission is $5 for all buildings on days when the Syre Education Center is open.
Location : Syre Education Center, 201 Prospect Street
Whatcom Museum
HELMI'S WORLD: SYMBOL, MYTH, FANTASY
June 27 - October 11, 2015, Lightcatcher Building
Helmi’s World presents 65 artworks—paintings, drawings, prints and ceramics— drawn from the Whatcom Museum’s collection of her work, which numbers 250 objects. Some of her finest pieces are highlighted, including paintings of petroglyphs from Central Washington, watercolors of Lummi masked dancers, and linocut prints based on the Makah Wolf Dance experienced at Neah Bay. The exhibition suggests the complexity of Helmi’s vision by displaying some of her most unusual artworks, where images and symbols from a variety of cultures converge. The influences of Mark Tobey, Pablo Picasso, Scandinavian Folk Art, and Judeo-Christian and Buddhist iconography are also explored
August 29th
Lummi Youth Academy Benefit Dinner and Variety Show
Lummi Gateway Center: 4920 Rural Ave., Ferndale (I-5 Slater Rd Exit)
Bar-B-Q Salmon Dinner (Lummi Style), Mallards Ice Cream
$35 per dinner:
Reception 6:00, Dinner 6:30
Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets or call Lummi Youth Academy
360-738-4218
Brought to you by Setting Sun Productions
Singing, Comedy, Skits, Poetry, Drumming, Silent Auction
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Meeting for Worship will be held at the Retreat at
Camp Lutherwood
There will be no meeting for worship at Explorations Academy this Sunday. Friends not participating in the retreat are invited to join retreat participants at Camp Lutherwood in the Upper Chapel (above the camp office) for worship at 10:30 am. If you want to stay for lunch, please bring a brown bag lunch for yourself. Park cars in the outer parking lot (first sign about parking) and walk down to the office/chapel building. Lunch will be at Lakeview Lodge, a short walk uphill from there.
Driving directions from Bellingham: (click here for map) Take I-5 south to exit 246, North Lake Samish. Turn left on Lake Samish Drive. There are two forks in the next couple of miles: Stay right for each of them. After the second fork ( just after crossing a bridge ) the road becomes Roy Road. Continue about 0.5 miles to the Camp Lutherwood entrance on the left at 1185 Roy Road.
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The 2015 BFM Annual Retreat
will take place at Camp Lutherwood, on Lake Samish just south of Bellingham, beginning about 2 pm on Saturday, September 12th and ending about the same time on Sunday, September 13th. Most, if not all, of us will be staying overnight in one of two modern lodges with beautiful lake views and cozy kitchens/small meeting areas. Camping space is also available.
This year’s annual retreat includes time for several simultaneous interest groups from 7:30 to 8:30 pm on Saturday evening.
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Sleeping Accomodations:
Indoor: Sleeping accommodations will mostly be bunks in one of two lodges with beautiful lake views.
bring your own sleeping bag or bedding, pillow, and towel
Outdoor: Tent sites are available, plus two small cabins with overflow indoor bunks, if needed.
Meals: Potluck supper on Saturday evening. Breakfast and Lunch on Sunday provided - (For those who register by the Sept 4 deadline.)
Bring a potluck item for Saturday dinner
Program:
Saturday 9/12:
2:00-2:30 pm: Welcome—Upper Chapel
2:30-3:00 pm: Meeting for Worship-- Upper Chapel (Don in Care of Meeting)
3:00-3:30 pm: Ice breaker activity-- Upper Chapel (Mary Ann facilitates)
3:30-4:30 pm: Opening plenary: Keynote talk by Christine Hall and instructions for worship sharing—Upper Chapel (Don introduces Christine, Mary Ann presents W-S guidelines)
Synopsis of Christine’s talk on
Spiritual Deepening in Community:
What do we need to be whole, to come home to who we are meant to be with the Divine? How do we support each other’s soul work? Why do we need each other on the spiritual path? Life in spiritual community is not tame, but invites growth and transformation with tender attentiveness. During our plenary session, I’ll share the principles and experiences that light my way through these core questions. To close, you’ll join a guided reflection on your own spiritual deepening in community, followed by worship-sharing groups.
4:30-5:45 pm: Worship Sharing in Upper Chapel and Lodges (led by Mary Ann, Don, Virginia, and Jim Hall)
5:45-6:00 pm: Dinner preparation in Lakeview Lodge (Mark in charge)
6:00-7:00 pm: Dinner & clean up in Lakeview Lodge
7:00-7:30 pm: Free time
7:30-8:30 pm: Interest Groups with Spiritual Deepening-related themes, multiple locations
- Christine Hall: Way of the Spirit: A Quaker Study-Retreat Program on the West Coast
- Jim Hall: Spiritual Nurture Groups (based on 8 years experience with a group on Whidbey
- Virginia Herrick: Friendly Decision-making (theory & practice of group discernment)
- Mary Ann Percy: Experiences this Summer at Pine Ridge Reservation
8:30-9:00 pm: Sacred Circle Dancing-- Upper Chapel (led by Wendy)
9:00-10:30 pm: Fellowship circle near the lake. Singing, social time, relaxation
Sunday 9/13:
7:00-8:00 am: Walking Worship or Meditative movement (Upper Chapel) on your own
8:00-9:00 am: Breakfast (setup starts approximately 7:30 am) in Lakeview Lodge (Carole & Mark)
9:00-10:20 am: Spiritual collage exercise-- Upper Chapel (led by Don)
10:30-11:45 am: Meeting for Worship & announcements-- Upper Chapel (Mary Ann in care of meeting)
11:45 am-1:15 pm: Lunch including setup, in Lakeview Lodge (Mark & Carole)
1:15-2:00 pm: Cleanup (Wendy in charge) and farewell
2:00 pm: Depart
A slightly more detailed retreat program, along with driving directions and a list of things to bring with you, should be posted on our website soon where it can be downloaded for printing.
If you have registered to attend the retreat, you will also receive this document directly by email, as an attachment. If you have not registered but now want to come, please contact registrar Carole Teshima right away by phone at 393-6782 to find out whether we still have space for you. Please do not come without registering in advance.
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Looking Ahead to Wider Quaker Gatherings:
Pacific Northwest
Fall Quarterly Meeting
September 25th - 27th
Theme: “Encounters with Quakerism”
Online registration and related documents for the Fall 2015 session of Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting are now available. To register and/or download the documents go to pnqm.org and click on the link(s) displayed near the top of the page.
(The information packet and registration forms are also available as attachments from Don Goldstein, dnx6309@gmail.com or 671-1395. A few hard copies will be available at meeting as well, beginning August 23rd. The early registration deadline is (or was, actually) August 23rd and the final registration deadline is September 13th. Call or email Don for further information or if you need assistance in registering.
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Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW)
October Gathering and Steering Committee meeting
will be held at
Ben Lomond Quaker Center, CA,
October 22 -25, 2015.
QEW has two face-to-face meetings each year to allow our committees and working groups time to meet, conduct business, listen to presentations, and for fellowship and worship. We are meeting in a restorative redwood forest in the Santa Cruz mountains, and we will plan plenty of time outdoors to enjoy this spectacular location. Our theme this year is Spiritual Deepening Enhancing Our Work. From the inner light where heart, connections, relationships, intelligence, and understanding merge, we will seek to deepen our inner sources for effective action. There will be time for words and for worship, embraced in the sacredness of ancient redwood forests, to open space for heartfelt action. We are delighted to announce that our program this year includes a presentation by Joanna Macy (to learn more about her work, see http://workthatreconnects.org/the-work-that-reconnects/#more-1146
We especially encourage west coast Friends to join us to learn more about QEW. Our sessions will start about 5 PM on Thursday. A draft agenda will be posted on our website when it is available. We usually conclude after lunch on Sunday.
Scholarship funds are available for QEW Steering Committee members and for Young Adult Friends – please reply to this email to request support.
Please visit this link for more information about the meeting and/or to register.
Please note, the cut off date for registration is October 15. So please register today,
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Pacific Northwest Quaker Women's Theology Conference
July 15-19, 2016
Canby Grove Christian Center
Canby Grove, Oregon
Theme: Naming the Gifts of the Living Presence
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Seeking one or two more teachers for
Fall Quarterly Meeting.
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Events/ Opportunities Recommended by Friends:
From Nan Macy
Saturday, October 3
Seattle WA
This one-day (Sat 10/3) Seattle conference, Weaving our Strengths may be of interest to friends. Note that beloved Quaker singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer
will be performing the night before. Tickets can be purchased for just the conference, just the concert, or both.
Special Invite! Carrie Newcomer in Concert
Join us for an inspiring evening with a Quaker singer/songwriter who"asks all the right questions and refuses to settle for easy answers" (Rolling Stone) Friday, October 2 at 7 p.m. at University Congregational UCC $15 tickets can be purchased as an add-on when registering for the conference or via Brown Paper Tickets
Click here for more information
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From Dorrie Jordan
First Tuesday of Every month
at 7 pm
Beginning September 1, and continuing for 9 months
Assumption School Library
2116 Cornwall Ave
Pax Christi, a Catholic peace and justice organization, invites you to join us in reflecting on
Laudato Si, Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change.
We will meet monthly on the first Tuesday for 9 months in a program designed by Interfaith Power and Light and the Catholic Climate Covenant.
Prayer, study and action choices will be incorporated in each meeting.
We begin Tuesday, September 1 at 7 pm in the Assumption School Library and we will close promptly at 8:30. Looking forward to gathering!
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From Joan Ofteness
Volunteer with CAST
a new Interfaith Coalition program
Interfaith Coalition's mission is to fill gaps in essential human services and to meet the needs of our marginalized neighbors. When CAST, Coffee and Sandwiches Together, food outreach needed a new partner, Interfaith and St. John's Lutheran responded with enthusiasm for the opportunity to help.
CAST began over a decade ago and has faithfully delivered simple meals of soup, sandwiches and hot drinks four evenings a week, prepared and served by committed volunteers. Many of the guests -often more than 50 each night- appreciate the simple fellowship as well as the meal.
Needed: Volunteers to help us make sandwiches on a regular basis.
Shifts are available Monday through Thursday afternoons, from 3 to 4pm.
To become involved in this marvelous program, please contact volunteer coordinator
Mary Ann O'Hara by calling 360-325-2613 or emailing her at maryann.ohara@gmail.com
Or Contact Joan Ofteness
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From Karen Steen
Transition Whatcom and Inspiration Farm present:
An Evening with Toby Hemenway
September 14th
6:30pm at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207 Ellsworth St.
6:30 PM: Book sale, 7PM – Presentation
8:15 Q&A, 8:30 Book signing
(see Announcements from the Wider Community for more information)
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From John Hatten
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2015
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: PERSPECTIVES, REALITIES, CHOICES
3:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Where: Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
1207 Ellsworth Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
A presentation featuring
● Phyllis Shacter’s TED Talk: Not Here By Choice –a personal story with new/updated information
● Barbara Green, MSW- an overview of Compassion & Choices of Washington’s Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia Mental Health Advance Directive
● Josselyn Winslow – a personal story about caring for an elderly mother and the difficult decisions related to her Alzheimer’s Disease
● Tresa Marriato, Executive Director of Woodway Assisted Living – the last 18-24 months of life for an Alzheimer’s patient
Followed by a panel discussion addressing audience questions & comments
There is no cost for the presentation or documents. Open to the public.
Make your reservation today by calling:
Compassion & Choices of Washington at 206.256.1636
or emailing info@compassionwa.org.
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