STATE OF SOCIETY 2011

STATE OF SOCIETY 2011  ---  Barnstable Friends Meeting
When considering the spiritual health of the our beloved Barnstable Friends Meeting for 2011, a visualization came to us of a tapestry of our own making. Rather than well defined and recognizable forms in this tapestry we see a vibrancy of color- threads that each of us has sewn in. The texture of this thickly woven tapestry speaks of a year in search of the Light, truth, justice and always love. This tapestry is not yet finished, ever evolving, one end awaiting the threads of continued growth and ever deeper devotion to prayer.

Looking close at our tapestry there is the warp which provides the comfort of spiritual foundation and there is the weft which runs back and forth, an ebb and flow, the duality of busy/quiet forming patterns, the examples, the challenges of leading a spirit center life. As George Fox said  "And this is the word of the Lord God to you all ... 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."

In 2011 there was a lot of activity in these warp threads for Barnstable Friends as we interacted with other Meetings and groups taking stands on Friends principles. This included disseminated in various newspapers and among wider Friends, a peace minute beginning with the words “It is with tears that we mourn”  and ending with “Penn put this truth {nonviolence] to test, ... instituting what was known in Indian terminology as a "chain of friendship”. Let us then try what a chain of friendship, try what Love will do". Members and attenders also were involved with Occupy activities,  initiatives to help the homeless and assistance to elders in need. In addition we outreached to communities of color with funds and a letter of support for their activities. We approved a decision to withhold proportional contributions to NEYM that supports FUM. Minuting that we take this stand based upon a 8/26/07 minute which states, "...We come to this from our belief that all discrimination is contrary to the working of the divine, the spirit in each of us, the capacity to join soul to soul, the desire to love unselfishly should be celebrated in all its forms.”

Some outward actions were challenging. These included members sleeping outside 12/23/11 in solidarity with those who sleep in the dust every night, supporting our clerk as she also clerked a Yearly Meeting committee that led one of the Plenarys at Sessions and the burden of traveling off Cape to attend meetings and events at our monthly meeting and Quarter. Some question whether we challenge ourselves sufficiently in ways that are useful for spiritual awakening while others ask if with our busyness and attention to Quaker bureaucracy was getting in the way of the simplicity that Quakers advocate & cherish.

Meanwhile we are blessed by the threads of the warp firmly grounded in a rich deep worship and personal commitments to a spiritual life. All deeply appreciate the depth of love and support felt one to another and the wisdom within the meeting shared in both messages during worship which connect us to the beauty of the infinite Spirit and afterward during times of discussion and one member’s lovingly presented hospitality. We feel blessed not only by relationships among us, including the welcoming of two new members, but also by the loving care of Friends from Mattapositt Monthly Meeting and by the space we have in our precious Burgess House.

There are places in the tapestry of our meeting which require our prayerful attention. We are saddened that some feel feel dissatisfaction with us as a meeting. We will continue to hold them in the light and look forward to a day of peace and reconciliation. Another concern is that we would like to grow our meeting particularly in ways that could attract young people how to make it fun and speak to their spirits.

If one stands close to a tapestry, one sees many individual threads, but if one steps back one sees only the whole. If we step back the above detail blurs into that vibrancy of color. We are left with simply
“In Light we are seen, in Love we are known, in Peace we are whole, and in Light, in Love and in Peace we are One.”