Friends’ Recommendations

Ruth writes:  I encourage you to read Anne Saunders’ wonderful weekly blog of her adventures in her travel trailer across the country.  Not only will you learn a bit of geography (anyone know where Organ Pipe National Park is?), a bit of geology and biology (who knew some cacti are only pollinated by bats, so they only bloom at night?), but you'll be treated to her thoughtful reflections on history and societal influences she learns about.  And great photos of beautiful places!      She updates it every Sunday.    https://moominmamasadventures.blogspot.com     Ruth

Heidi writes:  I found this article fascinating as I reflected on my own journey over the past year and our State of Society report. I encourage Friends to give it a read, and while you’re there, you might find other points of interest among Emily’s offerings. Her work is a rich resource for us.  https://quakeremily.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/no-and-yes-9-37/  Heidi

Mark writes: The “Moral Maze” is a BBC Radio 4 debate programme that deals with topical moral issues.  The topic for March 15, 2023 was “Is pacifism admirable, immoral, or just impractical?”  Panelists: Melanie Phillips, Giles Fraser, Mona Siddiqui, Tim Stanley.  Witnesses: Emily Apple, Aliona Hlivco, Oliver Robertson, Charlie Macintosh.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001k0xp   Mark

Love’s Gonna Carry Us — A benefit for Asylum Seeker Support Fund

Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.  Suggested donation: Adults $25, ADVANCE TICKETS and more info: www.riseupandsing.org/events

Join Peter Blood and Annie Patterson in this interactive concert to uplift you and inspire you!  There will be lots of beautiful songs to enjoy and some simple singalongs.  Since we will be supporting our Asylum Seekers Support Fund there will be some cookies and simple crafts to help the fund.  See Sara or Kathy U to volunteer to help out with cookies, etc.  Also- Tell your friends!

4^th Sunday

This month we will be having fun after potluck – playing 2 truths and a lie and other parlor type games. It could get interesting!

Nominating Committee

It’s Time to Reflect on Your Gifts (and we don't mean Christmas gifts)

Nominating Committee will be contacting all active members and attenders in the next 2 weeks about how they envision using their gifts in service to the Meeting.  Please give prayerful consideration about the joys and blessings and challenges you have experienced in your current role(s) and how you might feel led to participate in the life of Concord Friends Meeting.   To remind you of committees and their responsibilities check out this page on our website: https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Contacts

Heidi Babb, Elaine Bello, Rich Kleinschmidt, Ruth Heath

Minutes

The draft minutes for the February and March 2023 meetings for worship with attention to business are available at https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2023-02-12_CMM_Minutes and https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2023-03-12_CMM_Minutes or via https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting

For corrections, missing documents, and/or clarifications of the minutes, please reply to Clerk, Concord Friends Meeting clerk [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org.

Washable Hand Towels are Back

When you pay a visit to the wash rooms at meeting you will note there are two baskets placed within reach of the sinks. One is for clean hand towels and the other is for soiled towels. Please use them. The towels are taken home each week and washed, removing paper towels from the waste stream.

Midweek Worship

We have heard that the time of midweek worship may be moving around a bit. Friends should check with Lucy, Rich, or Matt prior to planning to attend at the announced time.

Strong Together, No Asylum Ban, Keep Families Together

Strong Together, No Asylum Ban, Keep Families Together, Wednesday, March 22, 6:00 p.m.

Matt Sweeney writes: The Biden Administration has rolled back on their promises to not follow in Trump's footsteps and continue a pattern of cruel and inhumane treatment against migrants. Instead they have proposed new asylum rules that violate US law and treaty obligations and would make it more difficult for vulnerable people to access their legal right to seek asylum.

Everyone deserves to live in safety and peace – no matter their race or country of origin but our government continues to push forward policies that terrorize and tear families and communities apart. Now, more than ever our communities are Stronger Together when we welcome migrants as part of our growing community. We cannot continue to waste our abundant resources to wage a war of cruelty on vulnerable people.

Join us for an evening visibility action to show that NH stands together to #RestoreAsylum now and invest in a just and fair immigration system that does not discriminate, perpetuate harm or separate families and communities.

We will meet in Manchester at: Center of NH - 650 Elm St. for sign visibility and music, then we'll march 2-3 blocks (about 10 mins) for a projection visibility at: Norris Cotton Federal Building - 275 Chestnut St.

The Letter: A Message for the Earth: March 22, 2023, 6 p.m.– 8 p.m.

The Letter: A Message for the Earth: March 22, 2023 6–8 p.m., Red River Theatres, Concord, Ruth is a member of the board of NH Interfaith Power and Light which is screening this moving and inspiring new documentary featuring Pope Francis and five leaders representing the voices of indigenous people, the youth, the poor and the wildlife of our planet. This is the story of their journey to Rome to learn from each other and to discuss how to protect our common home. Following the movie there will be a brief panel discussion with ideas about how we can work together to bring a better future for us and the youth who will follow. Suggested donation $10 or pay as led. For information and to register: https://www.nhipl.org/events

Sponsored by NH Interfaith Power and Light, the Laudato Si’ Movement, and the League of Conservation Voters.

Speaking Truth to Power: The Role of Storytelling in Quaker Advocacy, FCNL staff: Mwan Kamwendo)

April 2, 12:30-1:30 p.m. following a pot luck lunch. This program is being advertised widely so we should expect guests and additional participants via Zoom (see link below). Registration is required. Here is the correct link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpfuisrDwsHdEWph9KZz2TI_XNlhn9BdL-

Learn how to frame and tell your story as an impactful advocacy tactic. We all have stories to tell and a moral voice to share about the change we want to see in our society. The content of this workshop is applicable to any communication with Congress or Legislature, including media advocacy and virtual lobbying. Our practice topic will be peace building, but the activity will apply to any kind of advocacy topic. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7787573202

GCIC Lenten Luncheons

Dates: Thursdays: March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; Time: 12:00-1:00pm

Ticket Price: The ticket price will be $7.00 per luncheon. More details on the luncheon speakers will be coming soon!

YOU ARE INVITED to attend the 2023 Lenten Luncheon series sponsored by the Greater Concord Interfaith Council. Each luncheon will feature a different speaker.

March 23 Hospice and Palliative Care. Presenter: Susan Garofalo, M.Div, Hospice and Palliative Spiritual Care Counselor with The Granite State Visiting Nurses Association and licensed pastor for The United Church of Winchester in Winchester, NH. Susan’s talk will highlight the differences between these two important types of care and the benefits to both care receivers and their loved ones.

March 30 The Passover Seder. Presenter: Rabbi Robin Nafshi of Temple Beth Jacob in Concord, NH. Rabbi Robin will teach about and present a Passover Seder as celebrated by Jews around the world. Participants will have a chance to read the story, eat the ceremonial foods and share lunch. No knowledge of Hebrew or Judaism is necessary to participate.

Locations: All the Lenten Luncheons will be held at Christ the King Parish, 72 South Main St. in Concord, in the Parish Activity Center adjacent to the church (enter the parking lot from Thorndike St.)

NEYM Living Faith 2023-04-01

Dear Friends,

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for the upcoming Living Faith gathering, which will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Friends School of Portland in Cumberland, Maine.

Whether this is your first chance to attend or you’re a returning Living Faith participant, we hope you’ll consider being part of this latest experiment with Living Faith. Your presence will enrich us all. We encourage Friends to register early, registration is capped to meet the site’s capacity.

The Living Faith gathering is an opportunity for Friends new and old (and the Quaker-curious) to get to know one another, hold multigenerational worship together, participate in interactive workshops, eat tasty food, share the different ways we experience and live our faith, and build community. Age-appropriate youth programming and childcare will be available, in addition to some parts of Living Faith programming being intergenerational, such as worship. More about a teen-specific offering below.

While we have discovered many ways to connect in online and hybrid formats during the Covid pandemic, we feel a need to experiment with this particular opportunity as a fully on-site, in-person gathering, with Covid safety protocols. We hope this will help us to learn again how to be physically present with one another in both formal and informal ways, and to allow those hosting and attending to be fully present with one another and to the Spirit, encouraging us to give our attention to one thing at a time. Many opportunities sponsored by the Yearly Meeting remain hybrid—this is one event among many that we hope will offer important learning and connection for those able and yearning to participate in this way.

New this year is a weekend retreat for teens built around participating in Living Faith together. Youth ages 13-18 are invited to arrive on Friday evening, sleep over on-site on Friday and Saturday nights, and participate alongside adults and families at Living Faith on Saturday. There will be time on Friday and Saturday nights for teens to connect with one another, share what the experience was like for them, and have fun with their peers, with support from a few adult staffers. Contact maggie [at] neym [dot] org (Maggie Fiori) (Teen Ministries Coordinator) for more info.

Sending all best and with hopes of seeing you in April,

Sarah Cushman, she/her

Portland Friends Meeting (ME)

Clerk of ad hoc Living Faith Work Group, New England Yearly Meeting

Register For Living Faith

Learn More About This Gathering

Friends World Committee for Consultation

(FWCC): hybrid Section Meeting on March 23-26, Look here for more information.

This Newsletter

Dear Friends,

If you have information to share via this Newsletter please have your information submitted to ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com by 5:00 PM on Thursdays.  Items should begin with a headline followed by text that can be copied and pasted without editing.  Please remove any formatting if you are able.  Also, please keep postings directly related to the Meeting or activities and groups supported by the Meeting, or personal news to share.

Typically the announcements will go out by Friday.  It is our intention to acknowledge receipt of all submissions.  If you don't receive an acknowledgment we probably have not seen your message, and it would be helpful if you followed up with us. 

The Newsletter Gmail account is owned by Wendy, but it is also used by Greg.  Look for the signature to be clear who the actual sender is.  And finally, it's best to keep your Zoom links in a handy place in case the announcements are not sent in a given week.

Greg Heath / Wendy Lapham, Newsletter Editors

Are you wanting information from past announcements and newsletters?

Visit this page on our web site: Past Announcements and Newsletters

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