To request log-in information for Zoom Worship: Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) .

Hope will never be silent.

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~ George Jean Nathan (1882-1958)

American critic and magazine editor

The Meeting Calendar

Everyone is welcome to the second meeting of the group sharing on “An Altar in the World” which will be at 9 a.m. this Sunday May 5^th in the Meetinghouse.  We'll have read Chapter 2 beforehand. This is a drop-in type book... you don't have to come each session.  If you want to check out the book before committing or purchasing, it is available on Hoopla in both Ebook and Audiobook.  In general, we will meet each 1st and 3rd Sunday before Meeting for Worship. Call Ruth with questions:  724-4343.

The silent vigil for a ceasefire in Gaza continues every Thursday from Noon-1pm at the plaza in front of the State House.  Make your own sign, use one provided, or just stand in silent witness besides others. This is done in coordination with NH Peace Action.   We suggest that people make signs that convey something about justice for Israel and Palestine.  Also please avoid the word genocide, ethnic cleansing, and similar terms.

Here is a thing I wrote about local Pow Wows other people might like.  There is one on Saturday in Tilton that I hope to go to and maybe some of us could meet up there.

The Right Relationship Resource Group encourages Friends to attend local pow wows as a way to begin to get to know local Indigenous communities. If you are new to building relationships with Indigenous groups, it can be a great way to get started and show support. Pow wows are social spaces, and non-Indigenous audience members are welcome. We feel that one of the most important aspects of our work, and the principal starting place is in building those relationships. Showing up at public events like pow wows (which are public) and being a respectful participant is a wonderful step on this journey.

For Friends who are not Indigenous, please read and follow these guidelines

https://ictnews.org/archive/pow-wow-etiquette-10-rules-to-follow-in-and-out-of-the-arena by Indian Country Today.

Keep in mind that it is not appropriate to bring up the Yearly Meeting Letter of Apology while at a pow wow. Respectful attendance at pow wows includes some basic expectations of conduct: it is never appropriate to touch people, their regalia (the outfits they wear while dancing), nor their medicine bags – this includes if a feather or item from their regalia falls off while dancing, please do not pick it up – instead notify the individual or pow wow staff so it can be properly returned – many items on regalia hold sacred meaning and should not be handled by people unfamiliar with their importance. Please also be mindful of not taking front-row seats, giving up seats to elders and those with small children, and generally following the lead of Native folks in interactions. It is encouraged to cheer, celebrate the performers, ask questions respectfully, and support the vendors. Keep in mind that not all vendors may be accepting digital payments (some pow wow locations don’t have wifi or cell service), so please bring cash for purchasing food or art pieces. If the emcee encourages the audience to join in the social dance, absolutely join in the dance! Pow wows are social and meant to engage the audience at certain times.

Remember that even a locally hosted pow wow likely has Indigenous performers from many different Indigenous nations and community groups across North America, so do not assume a performer or vendor’s identity or tribal affiliation. If someone corrects your language or pronunciation, thank them for the correction and adjust your terminology accordingly. Similarly if someone asks you to move to a different area, thank them for notifying you and shift your seats. Be open to learning, and sharing in the joy and celebration of the songs, dances, and performances.

Friends are most in the Spirit when they stand at the crossing point of the inward and outward life. And that is the intersection at which we find community. a place where the connections felt in the heart make themselves known in bonds between people, and where the tugging and pullings of those bonds keep opening our hearts. (Parker Palmer, A Place Called Community, Pendle Hill Pamphlet #212, 1977)

Join us for a gathering of Friends in New England caring for the nurture of spiritual life and ministry in our local faith communities. Together, we will:

• Dream together
• Identify the resources meetings have to offer each other
• Explore themes in State of Society reports and trends from statistical reports
• Discover what’s possible now

Our Yearly Meeting’s primary purpose is to support monthly meetings, to be a vehicle to share resources and experiences among and between us in order to better understand our life in the Spirit and to be able to listen more closely to the Teacher. With that in mind we began holding an annual “Meeting for Listening.”

Last year at our first gathering, there was a strong sense of deep sharing, of drawing together.  We left the day having heard about our unique challenges. We also shared the many places we face common obstacles and celebrate common joys.

Our next “Meeting for Listening” is scheduled for June 1, 2024. It will be a full-day, hybrid gathering where Friends can gather in different ways: on site at Concord (NH) Meeting, in local clusters connected via Zoom, or individually via Zoom. 

We gather to share with each other–to reflect on where Spirit is alive in our local worshiping communities. These insights and reflections will both inform programmatic planning in the year ahead and our annual Funding Priorities. 

And while that’s all very serious, don’t be misled—we are looking forward to a day of joyful worship, celebration and discovery!

Registration is now open. Whether you plan to participate via Zoom or gather with others, you can register for this free-of-charge event at https://neym.org/Meeting-for-Listening. Click or tap to follow the link.">neym.org/Meeting-for-Listening. If you plan to attend on site in Concord, please register by May 26. This will help us comfortably accommodate everyone.

Are you led to host a local cluster in your area? If, rather than traveling to Concord, you are interested in inviting area Friends (for example, your Quarter) to gather at your meeting’s location in a regional cluster to participate in the gathering together, connected via a shared device or system, we would love to support you in doing so, as much as we are able.

In this two-hour workshop, you will be introduced to a methodology to reconcile relationships and build trusting communities.  Virginia Swain will offer an overview of the program that she has been designing.  Most of the workshop will be an experiential exercise in which you engage in imaging/visioning (developed by Quaker Elder and Peacebuilder, Elise Boulding) – one of the key tools of Reconciliation Leadership.

Please bring paper and colored markers for the exercise.

Learn more at https://fmcquaker.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Virginia-Swain-06-06-24-Flyer.pdf and register for the 6/6 workshop https://bit.ly/VirginiaSwain

(Virginia is dedicating this workshop to the memory of Ian Harrington, a dear f/Friend, elder, and dedicated supporter of Reconciliation Leadership).

You are invited to register for our Spring Retreat! Our theme will be "Cultivating Joy Amidst Life Transitions." As Quakers, and as members of community, we ask everyone to show up as their whole selves. We want to know the authentic you, but first we need to know our authentic selves! When change occurs around us, which seems to be happening all the time, it can leave us with some questions: What does being my whole self mean? Who was I before this change? Who will I be afterwards?

At this spring retreat there will be time for self-reflection and programming that will help ground us in our joyful selves. We will have plenty of opportunities for joy- through play, art, and connections. There will be yummy food, singing, decorating and celebration of Pride Month, transformative committee meetings, and time outside! We will also have time to thank our Senior Young Friends for everything that they have brought to our community, and go over options for future Quaker community engagement.

Click the link below to register for this retreat by May 30th. We hope to see you there!