CALENDAR

Every Sunday ------- BFPM Meeting for Worship 10:00am ------ Burgess House
BFPM Children's program --- Burgess House ~ email quebrown1@gmail.com
First Sunday of each month--- BFPM Business Meeting after worship --- Burgess House
BURGESS HOUSE IS AT 559 ROUTE 149, (south of Rt.6) MARSTONS MILLS (P.O. Box 718)
(exit 5 off of route 6 turn south on 149 Burgess House is about 3 miles on right.
There is a large parking area just beyond the house and a walk through the hedge on your right.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unprogrammed Worship

meditation, contemplation, silent prayer

At the center of Friends worship is the core belief in God as “present in dwelling teacher”. The silence of unprogrammed worship is not empty silence. During the silence there are heroic things happening. The Spirit is gently nudging each person in worship toward a central truth. The gathered meeting is the way of discerning that truth and ministry is the way that truth breaks the silence and is experienced.

FOR INFORMATION ON QUAKERISM IN GENERAL VISIT:
http://www.neym.org/ ~~ OR ~~ http://www.quaker.org/

STATE OF SOCIETY REPORT 2010

Barnstable Friends Meeting, a Preparative Meeting of Mattapoisett Monthly Meeting (BFPM), continues to find inspiration and Truth in our connection to the Divine. In 2010, this motivation guided us to work in comforting the suffering of people in a number of big and small ways, including the problems of the homeless and of the low-income elderly’s lack of access to compassionate care. An abiding faith in this transcendent Source strengthened our resolve this past year to be true to our Quaker roots, practices and faith.

In the early summer, as avenues to our continued membership in New England Yearly Meeting were closed, Mattapoisett Friends offered us a home as a preparative meeting within their beloved community. We have worshiped together and have felt blessed that we were in each other’s lives — including cross fertilization in business meetings. The blessings of this union have been astonishing.

There is also an aspect of this Truth that BFPM finds in the deep valley of the rich, dark silence of the soul. It is here that we find an inner comfort, knowing that there is a heavenly force that holds us in Its love. It is out of this depth that the still, small voice of Creator guides our discernment of a positive way forward with forgiveness, dignity and faith in the ultimate triumph of Truth, wholeness and peace.

Social testimonies were frequent topics of conversation. This outward practice of our faith expanded to include partnering with a local motel to provide homeless women respite from the streets for one week a month and helping a Wampanoag elder publish her book. We distributed “War is Not the Answer” signs around Cape Cod and also expanded our publication on death, dying and bereavement. Our worship has helped us clear our minds and feel Spirit bring us together, giving us the strength to face the week ahead.

Some discussion also took place around the concept of “submitting to an authority” beside that of Creator. BFPM expressed concern about this phrase. We were reminded of this relevant quote: “These things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by, but that all, with the measure of Light which is pure and holy, may be guided; and so in the Light walking and abiding, these may be fulfilled in the Spirit, not from the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.” — George Fox.

We move into 2011 with a strong sense of the abiding presence of Divine beauty. We thank Creator for our blessings: the difficult times for they are an opportunity for growth, and the joyful times for they nourish and sustain us. We held all in NEYM in the Light and prayed for a time of healing. We are eager for a reconciliation with all in our Quarter to bring everyone back into loving harmony.

Creator, Spirit has such a calming and warm effect, it speaks to Love, the Light. This inspires us — along with the words that came during the silent worship at a Sandwich Quarter Meeting, “blow on the coals of one's heart” (from JB, a play about Job, by Archibald MacLeish). When one feels all is lost, there is more hidden within, — just blow. Approved 3/6/11

The Vision of Quakers of the Light

Our vision is a Meeting that focuses on the positive and promotes the wonders of Unity and Diversity. Our vision is one of relationships of respect and joy. We value deep listening to each other and to the Divine Presence as Spirit moves through the worshiping group. We dedicate ourselves to working in love to bring healing to each other, any we might have harmed, and the world. We commit ourselves to bring out that light that shines in our fellow human beings. To this end we devote ourselves to the following:
~ We dedicate ourselves and our Meeting, to learn, educate and eliminate racism* and all forms of discrimination acknowledging that prejudice is rooted in all of us. We commit ourselves to listen carefully, patiently and responsively to any accusation that any of our words or deeds may be interpreted as racist. Towards this end, we will make every effort to overcome those imperfections and/or impressions, in a spirit of love, understanding, forgiveness and repentance.
~ We reaffirm the Quaker testimony of making all decisions in a spirit of unity and will labor together with respect until we have fully resolved any differences. We will conduct ourselves with openness and truth. We acknowledge that consideration of personal problems may require confidentiality, but this should be used only to protect the reputation of such individuals. We will guard against initiating unsubstantiated allegations, condescending, defensive, prideful or hostile interactions.
~ We reaffirm the Quaker testimony of peace and nonviolence. We acknowledge that violence exists in many forms including verbal and nonverbal. We bear witness to violence on an institutional and individual level as we know that our shield and our strength is the spirit of Love, which protects us. Living in the knowledge that “Perfect Love casteth out Fear”. We intend to take the lessons we learn in our Meeting about loving, out into the community through community action such as helping the homeless and other disadvantaged or oppressed groups.
Towards this end, we will interrupt all expressions of unfriendly behavior such as unkind remarks, exclusion or anger. We acknowledge our frailties in all of this and call upon Friends to meet such a situation with loving intervention. We put our trust in that source of goodness, doing our best to live peaceful, loving and faithful lives.

racism*: We are defining racism as prejudice with the institutional power to enforce it.

Minute on Racism

New England Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends affirms its commitment to becoming an open, affirming, anti-racist Religious Society. Our understanding of racism is that it is a system that accords advantage or disadvantage based on racial identity. Racism is fundamentally inconsistent with the divine guidance that has led our Religious Society to testimonies such as Equality, Peace and Community. We seek divine assistance and the help of other friends of Truth to examine our individual and corporate complicity in racism. We aspire to a more perfect union with the Author of all, who shows no partiality in the diversity of creation.

Those of us who have grown up with a white identity in America have a particular challenge in that we have been conditioned not to notice the system of racism and white privilege. Our well-intentioned attempts at colorblindness can have the unfortunate result of blinding us to the system of racism in which we unwittingly participate. Let us remember Jesus’ admonition to remove the log from our own eye before seeking to remove a speck from our brother’s or sister’s eye. We all pray for clarity of vision so that in the words of George Fox, we may “be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone; whereby in them you may be a blessing, and make the witness of God in them to bless you.” approved New England Yearly Meeeting 2003

Same Gender Marriage Minute

Barnstable Friends Meeting affirms that we give the same care and concern to all who want to marry regardless of sexual orientation. By tradition, the Society of Friends recognizes domestic partnership in a celebration of marriage under the care of the Meeting. Barnstable Friends affirm the goodness of committed, loving relationships as a personal, spiritual and communal rite of passage. We offer full recognition and support to all, regardless of sexual orientation, who share this ideal and wish to enter into a permanent union.

We come to this from our belief that all discrimination is contrary to the working of the Divine, the Spirit within each of us. The capacity to join soul to soul, the desire to love unselfishly should be celebrated in All its forms as the true manifestation of the Divine in Our Lives. -- approved Barnstable Friends Meeting 8/26/2007

STATE OF SOCIETY REPORT 2009

Barnstable Friends Meeting

In 2009, Barnstable Friends Meeting celebrated the beginning of its fourth year of gathering for worship and business. What began as a fledgling group has become a family whose members love and care for one another. Our worship is deep and meaningful, and our outreach into the community truly is inspired by our inward leadings. We strive to be faithful to the certainty of Creator’s light and love in the individual’s soul.

We decided this year that each of us would write a personal statement describing the spiritual state of our meeting. The following statements are the outcome of that effort:

• Barnstable Friends Meeting is my spiritual home, and I mean this apart from the physical building that houses us, as special as the Burgess House certainly is. This past year I feel very strongly the presence of “seeking” within the meeting. During challenging and difficult times this question has often directed us: “What is it that Creator would have me do?”
• Our Meeting has become more cohesive as we accept each other and perceive our roles within our community. Although concerned about our status within the greater Quaker community, our angst has diminished and we proceed forward. I think the search for our path is honest and we do well.
• Just some small words of thanks for being open to the experiment of a mid-week meeting…Being in touch with this group of Friends has been very gratifying. While the 80 mile drive (RT) and Sunday meeting time presents some personal challenges, we have found there a place of peace, comfort and connection, and we are hoping to resume attendance of some Sunday meetings.
• As those present on first day settle down, a sense of communion permeates the room. The thoughtfulness and love generated carry over to the social time after meeting for worship. Discussions are thoughtful and well reasoned. The caring of each other is always evident. I feel that my spirit has been refreshed and that my strength to carry through another week has been replenished; I am thankful.
• It is most satisfying to worship with such dedicated Friends. It is obvious that the small, nine or ten, active members make a committed group but also a fragile entity: for it is conceivable that if a couple were to leave due to health or attrition we would most assuredly be concerned. Our clerk has been exemplary in expenditure of time, energy, physical needs, and spiritually all the while adhering to the proper proceedings as laid out in Faith and Practice.
• A passage in Faith & Practice, Chapter 1. The Quaker Message speaks of what I'm trying to say. “Since those early beginnings, Friends have continued to hold that their faith is one of first-hand experience of God in their lives. Spiritual life, they say, does not depend upon the acceptance of certain doctrines, nor … external authority in religion, because they feel that for them these do not serve the life of the spirit. … They seek to be obedient not only in the quiet gathering for worship together, or in their meeting for settling practical affairs, but also as they are led as a group to be concerned for those about them, particularly those suffering injustices or inequities. ” I feel so strongly and proudly that Barnstable Friends Meeting is so very grounded in this. I pray that Quarter will understand this about us, love this about us and welcome us as a monthly meeting.
• Barnstable Friends Meeting grounds me, and helps me remember to stay aware of The Light; the meeting provides me with friends on whom I can rely and a weekly sanctuary that spreads peace throughout my week.
• Barnstable Friends Meeting is the source of my spiritual strength. When I feel discouraged my heart and mind turns toward these Friends with whom I worship each Sunday. I feel restored. Like David in the psalm “Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” It is this worshipping together that grounds my life as I feel present with Friends who love me with all my flaws. In those last few moments of silence before the hour hand hits 11 o'clock, I breathe deeply that stillness; for meeting is where I find the sustenance to continue the journey of service to Creator. A harmony is present without sound as in the following poem by a George School classmate.
• Words for the Silence, by Shmuel Klatzkin

Harder than finding

words for the thoughts

is finding words for the silence,

when the last note has played

and no one moves for fear

of disturbing that which is now left,

the harmony that now

no longer wants expression

and is present without sound.

We look forward in hope to the restoration of loving unity of all Friends on Cape Cod, and patiently attend the labors of Quarterly Meeting in achieving this goal. May the spirit of Love that binds Barnstable Friends to each other and the wider Quaker community of Friends bless all we encounter along our path of spiritual devotion.

STATE OF SOCIETY Report 2008

Barnstable Friends Meeting -- State of Society Report 2008
Barnstable Friends Meeting (BFM) gathered together for Worship Sharing to consider the quality of our worship and spiritual practice during 2008.
We find our meeting to be quite like a community garden, truly a labor of love and hard work, with all of us contributing to the garden’s well being. In some ways, we are not only tending our precious plants but we ARE the plants seeking nourishment from Creator and we are also the soil that nourishes the harvest.
It has been a very fruitful year both in the richness and depth of our worship and in the outward manifestation of our spiritual practice. Vocal ministry at Meeting for Worship has been vibrant, meaningful and spirit-centered. Each of us brings a depth of seeking into our circle, accepting and welcoming differing points of view and fostering each other’s growth. One member stated, “ For me, finding BFM was a great relief from solitude and a lack of spiritual support. It took a great weight off my shoulders.” Another mentioned, “At BFM I have found what was missing in my life. More than a place to worship, it was finding a people whose faith and practice was so pure, so genuine and so active in the world. I know with certainty and heart that their presence was integral to my many deep, spiritual experiences during silent worship with them.”
Our harvest, the outward manifestation of our inward prayer life, included work with the homeless population through funding initiatives, attending events, writing to the newspaper and purchasing jewelry made by the homeless. We supported our clerk during her facilitation of a workshop on white privilege at New England Yearly Meeting and supported her decision to accept the clerkship of Yearly Meeting’s Racial, Social and Economic Justice Committee. We also proposed a revision of a historical writing in Faith and Practice concerning King Philip’s War and assisted a Mashpee Wampanoag elder with a book she is writing on the history of the Wampanoag. Turkeys were purchased and given to the Mashpee Wampanoag food pantry at Christmas for those in need.
Considering our size, we feel that we are a strong meeting and do reach out to our members and attenders in a way that fosters spiritual growth. We do this, in part, by sharing educational materials and holding after meeting sessions such as: Quakerism 101, Worship for Healing, Worship Sharing and Racists in Recovery Anonymous. We also enjoy a meal and social time after Meeting for Worship every First Day. We are excited to report that we approved one membership to BFM this year. As regards membership, it was made very clear that this involves membership to BFM only, not the wider Quaker community. We also hired a First Day School teacher who holds classes every month. As we move forward into 2009, it is the sense of the Meeting that we continue to listen deeply, go with gratitude and feel strength from the spirit-filled meeting we have become.
Individually and collectively BFM continues to work on love and forgiveness within our lives.
Statements from worshippers during our Worship Sharing included the following:
• “I am a little confused by Quaker process in regards to our relationship with Sandwich Quarter. A non-decision in my world IS a decision.”
• “We want our group to be respected and loved by other Friends’ Meetings.”
• “Two and a half years ago, when we started this meeting, we did not know how we would handle logistics, obstacles and discomfort with our presence. We knew we would move forward with faith and in the Light. Each of us brought a spiritual commitment that provided the framework for moving forward in a positive way. We have been guided by that ‘source of all love.’ It has brought us into this garden, into this place of nurture, and through the difficulties.”
With much anticipation, BFM is awaiting a visitation committee from Sandwich Quarterly Meeting regarding our request to become a monthly meeting.

Spirit is so great but it does not force itself on us. As we look forward, we are big in spirit and heart, but we don’t force ourselves on people. The Light of Spirit is incomprehensible, but does not intrude. It offers itself as a gift that we can choose or not choose. Where would the garden be without the Light? Where would we be in our lives without our faith in the Light? We also honor the Darkness and the soil. Mother Earth and Father Sky.
“Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime, Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; Therefore we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone, Therefore we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own; Therefore we are saved by the formal form of love, which is forgiveness.” Reinhold Niebuhr