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Meeting Tasks for this Sunday:
Care of Meeting: Sharon T.
Key - .Don G.
Setup help -Wendy G.
Greeter - Dorothy D.
Snack - N/A - Potluck
Kitchen -Mark H.
Kitchen help -Don R.
Baby care - vacant
Children's Teacher - vacant
Please contact Carole Teshima at knitpearl68@gmail.com to volunteer on a semi- regular basis.
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Special Announcement!
Important Dates for Discernment re: The Bell Tower
Ministry and Counsel urges Friends to attend our 11:30 a.m. Oct. 11 Meeting for Worship for Business. We will be making a decision for seasoning, regarding the Bell Tower Studios building. Please come to listen and share the Light. Be prepared to stay a little longer than usual, as sometimes significant and complex decisions like this take time.
Before that, there will be another opportunity to ask questions and get an updated report on feasibility from the Exploratory Committee, after potluck, around noon on Oct. 4. Please bring your thoughts and questions!
Also, you are welcome to our last opportunity to tour the building before Oct. 11: On Saturday, Oct. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m., the seller, Jon McGrath, has agreed to have the building open for Friends.
When we gather on October 11 for worship with attention to business, Ministry and Counsel asks Friends to keep in mind that consensus is not "the sense of the Meeting." Without unity among members of BFM, we can not make this purchase. We value Light shared by attenders as well as members, and our Faith and Practice reminds us that "responsibility for decisions remains with members of the Meeting."
We ask that Friends be prepared on October 4 and 11 to stay longer than normal if need be. Kristen McLewin has volunteered to take on the "labor of love" providing lunch for Friends who stay for Meetings for Worship for Business, so there will be potluck Oct. 4 and lunch on Oct. 11.
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Calendar for Bellingham Friends
When
Tonight! Wed, Oct 7, 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
Tue. Oct 13, 7-8:30 pm
What
Where
Book Group
Sharon T and Don R' home
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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Picture of the Week
by
Stephanie Manzo
In the spirit of, "I'll pray for you" the Quakers say, "I'll hold you in the Light." We sit in a circle and share silent worship together. All are welcome to speak out of the silence if a message arises. In taking time to be quiet and listen with others, I'm able to sink into the present, and beseech the great Artist who spun this whole thing into motion. I'm usually reminded that I can trust the Light people are already made of- to move in them, and move in us all, toward healing, guidance, and grace. Christians, Atheists, Buddhists, Agnostics, Universalists, Pagans, all in one circle. It's a vision I held in my heart for many years. Seek and you will find. I'm grateful for the peaceful, radical legacy of the Quakers, and for all the elders who maintain the tradition.
(Editor's note: Friends are encouraged to send pictures for this column - with or without short articles. Please send pictures in .jpg or .png format)
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From Ministry and Counsel:
We ask Friends to hold the question of Bellingham Friends' meeting-place
in the Light. We are approaching the time when our Meeting will need to
accept for seasoning the purchase of Bell Tower Studios as a home for our
spiritual community, or decide that we are not Spirit led to purchase this
building at this time. Our Meeting for Worship for Business October 11 will
be the opportunity for this decision. Because of our contract with the
sellers, we need to make a decision at this point, although even if we
accept it for seasoning, it would still be possible to change our minds
during the seasoning period ending at our November MfWfB. The ad hoc
Exploratory Committee will have additional information for us next week,
regarding the outcome of inspections and the conditional use permit
process. There will be a Question and Answer period with members of the
committee this Sunday after Potluck.
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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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From Social and Environmental Concerns Committee
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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.
Social and Environmental Concerns will be bringing this to Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. Please consider whether Bellingham Friends are led to add our name as a signatory.
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Announcements from the Wider Community
Tues, Oct 6 6:30 - 8:30
League of Women Voters election forum
Bellingham City Council Chambers
Presenting candidates for
Whatcom County Executive
and
Whatcom County Council
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Sat, Oct 10, 10 am - 12 noon
League of Women Voters election forum
Bellingham City Council Chambers
Presenting Pro and Con Speakers on
Initiatives and Charter Amendments
For more information:
www.lwvbellinghamwhatcom.org/
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.
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Poverty Workshop
Sunday, November 1, 2015 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Church of the Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225.
(Park at Bellingham H.S. or at the Church)
What choices would you make if you had little time and little money to spare? During this 3 hour workshop, 100 participants will:
- Role play a month in the lives of low-income families
- Meet others who care about the issue, and
- Explore the impact of poverty on our community.
This program helps people understand the complexities and frustrations of living in poverty day-by-day. With greater awareness of its impact, we can more effectively address the poverty issues in our community.”
Seattle University is providing the facilitators and gear for the event. Some participants will be assigned roles as TANF recipients (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) [which for a family of three, with no income, would be $478), or disabled persons, or senior citizens living exclusively on Social Security. Each participant will be expected to provide basic necessities on their limited budget during four 15-minute “weeks.” They will interact with human services agencies, grocers, pawnbrokers, bill collectors, job interviewers, police and others.
Learn more about the poverty workshop here. Pre-Registration is Requested (walk-in will be accommodated as space allows) Click here to register
Sponsored by Church of the Assumption; Co-sponsored by League of Women Voters@, The Whatcom Dream, Bellingham JustFaith, and Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness; Presented by Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry
This Workshop is not appropriate for children under the age of 12.
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Group Discernment Workshop
Dorsey Green & Ann Stever
Sponsored by
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 life for 350 years. Everyone contributes, not just clerks. In this day-long workshop, join Whidbey Island Friends to consider:
- Why does group discernment matter to Friends?
- How can we all participate 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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World Issues Forums/Paths to Global Justice
Fall Quarter 2015
Coordinator: Shirley Osterhaus Shirley.osterrhaus@wwu.edu
Click here for more information
October 7, Noon-1:20pm, Fairhaven College Auditorium. “The State of Hate: The Threat of White Nationalism in a ‘Post-Racial’ America”
Devin Burghart, vice president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR))
The horrific massacre in Charleston, South Carolina was the most recent in a long list of white nationalist atrocities. Find out all about the state of hate in an eye-opening talk that goes inside the white nationalist movement.
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Upcoming Second Hours:
Oct. 11 - MfWfB
Oct. 18 – “39 Questions for White People”
Oct. 25 - “39 Questions for White People”
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Opportunity to visit the
Bell Towers Studio
Saturday, October 10 1- 3 pm
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If you have not yet visited the Bell Towers Studio, there is one last opportunity to do so before we reach the end of our contingency contract.
Come and take a look on
Saturday, October 10 between 1 and 3 pm.
1430 N Garden Street
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October Metamorphosis is on the way!
Click here
to find it online
A Feature articles:
Pendle Quaker study opportunity
and
a special article about Pope Francis' address in Philadelphia in which he pays homage to Quaker leadership in establishing religious freedom
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Interfaith Coalition
Coat Drive
Interfaith Coalition Annual Winter Coat Drive is in October.
Please give gently-used or new coats, hats and mittens to Sharon Trent before the 18th. Bring donations to meeting to give to Sharon or contact her to arrange pickup.
The Interfaith Hope Annual Meeting is Tuesday, October 13th at 7 pm at Bellingham Covenant Church. Come together with other faiths. Discover opportunities for your congregation to connect compassion with action.
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“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 related to the piece and to share their reflections in small groups. Opportunities for further reflection and for action/ involvement will be available.
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Events/ Opportunities / Announcements
Sent 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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Looking Ahead to Wider Quaker Gatherings:
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, click here
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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Car Pool Opportunity for Whidbey Island Group Discernment Workshop:
Don and Wendy G. Wendy are going to the Group Discernment Workshop on Whidbey Island, and will drive down Friday evening and stay overnight with Whidbey Friends. Other overnight hospitality is also offered, so if anyone wants to ride with them (1 or 2), that possibility is available.
Friends are asked to register by October 8th
and there is a form to complete which Toni Grove sends to those who contact her.
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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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