. Rochester Minnesota Friends Meeting A newsletter about our “Quaker” Meeting Our new phone # is (507) 272-5276
WONDER Welcome
It’s a wonder We welcome all seekers and we are now accessible with a God made this world ramp at the back.
Humans have made Regularly Scheduled Gatherings such a mess Unprogrammed Meeting for Worship Squandering gifts Every Sunday at 9:30 for an hour, then song & coffee Grasping Midweek Worship Meeting Violent 2nd Wednesday of the month Wasting privileges Meeting for Worship for Business 2nd Sunday after Worship, song, & coffee Yet God did make this world Family Potluck 4th Sunday of the month after Worship, song & coffee Perhaps to hear Deadlines for newsletter submissions Streams burble th Wind sighing through trees September 15, 2018 for September 20 newsletter. Baby’s coos November 15, 2018 for December 1stnewsletter Parents reading bedtime February 15, 2019 for March 1th newsletter stories Summer – May 15, 2019 for June 1st newsletter Beautiful music *Send ideas and articles in sooner than the deadlines! And see Send to [email protected]
Graceful art compassion generosity Join us on First Day (Sunday) love 1300 10th Ave NE Rochester, MN 55906 My life complete https://www.quakercloud.org/cloud/rochester-friends- if I can meeting for even a moment FGC Affiliated add to God’s joy Worship Time: by Mike Resman Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. from his poetry collections
Summer 2018 Rochester Friends Meeting 1 Committees
Approved Officers And Committee Members For 2018
Clerk: Ginny Johnson Education (Adult Forums Recording Clerk: Angela Imhoff and First Day School) Treasurer: Jan Wiersma • Pat Kimble Ministry and Counsel • Becky Quetone • Mary Lou Black • Harmony Dunn • Rich Van Dellen • Glenna McKitterick • Tucker Quetone • Mike Resman ex officio • Maria Levy Stewardship • Ginny Johnson ex officio • Raechel Murphy Librarian Mike Resman • Paul Van Dellen Webmaster: Tucker Quetone • Marcelo Hanza • Catherine Golding Newsletter: Pat Kimble • Jan Wiersma ex officio As Needed Nominating Committee Current Meeting Projects Clearness committees Sanctuary Representation Isaiah project FCNL Advocacy At these Quaker organizations: FCNL, AFSC, & NYM
2018 Forums Scheduled Forums are from 11:15 to 12:15 after social time Adult Education Forums - ALL ARE WELCOME Set by the Education committee for the 3rd Sunday of each month, September to May During the summer we may have special events which will be announced via email and on our webpage: https://www.quakercloud.org/cloud/rochester-friends-meeting
Grassroots peacemaking in Myanmar On Monday, July 23, at Assisi Heights, 6:30-8:00 Jacque Wiersma and Ken Solberg will speak about their work with the Nonviolent Peaceforce in the context of their recent trip to Myanmar. While there, their group of eight colleagues met with many of the peacekeeping organizations currently active in Myanmar’s on-going 60 year civil war on an observation and reporting mission. This group is working with the Nonviolent Peaceforce’s efforts to facilitate enforcement of the current ceasefire agreement.
Summer 2018 Rochester Friends Meeting 2 Current Meeting Activity Updates
Friends Committed to Peace and Social Change Sanctuary Support Several of our members have attended trainings covering such topics as what to do if contacted by the police. Training for Sanctuary volunteers was held at Peace Church. There we discussed their processes for volunteers, filled out background check forms, had pictures taken for verification purposes, and talked about how to respond should ICE come to the church. Another training will be taking place in the future for those that could not attend the June 4th session.
At this time, churches we are supporting as sanctuary churches are: First Unitarian Universalist Church, Peace United Church of Christ. As quoted on Channel 6 News, Miriam Goodson with the Alliance of Chicanos, Hispanics and Latin Americans, said “There are more immigrants in Rochester than you may think. There are about 17,000 immigrants in Rochester, MN.
ISAIAH Project Claiming Our Voices
We are privileged to have three Friends actively participate with the Isaiah Project. Our Rochester Friends Meeting supports the work the project does and Rochester Friends Meeting has come to consensus that we will continue to support the Isaiah Project by paying membership fees and supporting those friends in our Meeting who are able to devote time to the project. One friend asked it be noted that it would be preferable if the project would also focus on the fact that due to military costs, money for health, poverty, and sanctuary are negatively impacted. http://isaiahmn.org https://www.facebook.com/ISAIAHMN https://twitter.com/ISAIAHMN FCNL Advocacy Team Project FCNL Advocacy Teams build on ongoing relationship with your members of Congress, learn how to work with the media to see the news you want, foster a network of advocates in your community, and help your members of Congress become champions for peace and justice. This is a great project for those hoping to change Washington for the better. We hope to have another training soon.
Quaker Alphabet Soup AFSC – American Friends Service Committee QEW- Quaker Earth Care Witness RSWR – Right Sharing of World Resources NYM – Northern Yearly Meeting FGC- Friends General Conference M&C – Ministry and Council PVS – Prison Visitation and Support FCNL – Friends Committee on National Legislation
Summer 2018 Rochester Friends Meeting 3 Friends visit Washington DC as Lobbyists
“This is what a LOBBYIST looks like” by Jan Wiersma
On April 13 in Washington, D.C., Bob Hoxie and I walked into congressional office buildings as though we owned them - and were treated that way by the staff of Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Tim Walz. They listened attentively to our reasons for asking Congress to support bills that would prevent war with North Korea. They recognized that ours was more than a “see the cherry blossoms” visit. This was a conversation about policy. It was not a conversation I could have had one year ago: the FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation) made the difference. For someone who has generally taken the privileges - and duties - of citizenship somewhat lightly, the experience of belonging to an FCNL advocacy team is both educational and exhilarating. It is an exercise in empowerment.
FCNL has been an effective voice for peace in Washington since the end of the Second World War. A recent emphasis is training and encouraging teams of Friends and friends of Friends to lobby Congress and to use public media to raise awareness. Over 1800 people comprising 90 teams in 38 states concentrate on one issue annually, to pin-point pressure where it matters, but also to build on-ongoing strategic relationships with legislators.
Rochester Friends Meeting’s involvement began with extensive training here in Rochester by FCNL’s gifted teachers and advocates. After this, we were welcomed to the monthly national conference calls featuring policy makers, highly regarded analysts, and even Senator Chris Murphy and Representative Ro Khanna, who authored the bills about North Korea (S. 2047 and H.R. 4837), the 2018 issue.
The training gives ordinary people the tools, background, and confidence to address issues of vital concern. For those less inclined or able to participate in this way, FCNL also offers the means to contact legislators on critical issues via email or phone.
After our visits, we returned to the FCNL office and received buttons proclaiming, “This is what a LOBBYIST looks like.” We are not rich, but we do have power, and we are co-owners with all Americans of those impressive buildings. We are responsible for what happens there. “Each one of us can make a difference; together we make change” (Barbara Mikulski).
The Rochester Friends Meeting FCNL team invites any and all who wish to be a part of this work to contact Pearsons, Van Dellens, or the Hoxie/Wiersma duo.
Summer 2018 Rochester Friends Meeting 4
Advocacy Letter to the Editor U.S. militarism has resulted in perpetual war by Rich Van Dellen, Rochester, as printed in the Rochester Post Bulletin. Published in the Rochester Post Bulletin: online version May 3 , print version May 8., 2018 The recent “March for Our Lives” against gun violence, led by young people, attracted millions nationwide and over 500 people in Rochester. It was heartwarming to see so many young people take the lead and hopeful to see the energy. May the energy be sustained! I urge this movement to connect the gun violence to U.S. militarism. The U.S. was born and grew from violence: the genocide of the Native American and slavery. We continue that violence today to maintain U.S. dominance, resulting in perpetual war. The War on Terror has been killing people including civilians, by bombing, drones and special op forces in many countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Pakistan, and Libya, often in violation of U.S. and International Law. The U.S. sells more arms abroad than any other country; profits from these sales is “money drenched in blood” Pope Francis told Congress in 2015. We continue to support Saudi Arabia in its war against Yemen, and Israel, whose military is currently killing peaceful protesters in Gaza. We spend upwards of $700 billion a year on our military. Militarism is bankrupting us economically and morally. Preventing gun violence at home is urgent. But I would hope opposing gun violence would include opposing U.S. violence abroad with the resulting death and destruction. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said the choice is “nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation”. Donations To Our Meeting Help Us to Help Others United Way Rochester Friends Meeting (RFM) has been organized and registered as a non-profit religious organization in the State of Minnesota for a long time. Donations received by RFM are tax- deductible. Some employers use United Way as a means for employees to direct charitable contributions made from payroll deductions. Until recently, United Way did not recognize RFM as we were not listed with the online reference GuideStar. As of this writing, RFM is now on GuideStar and eligible for these gifts. You may also send in checks to our treasurer or leave them in our donation box on Sunday. Who We Gave To Most Recently The organizations RFM currently financially support are: Channel One, Rochester Land Steward Quaker organizations AFSC, FCNL, FGC, Isaiah Project PVS, QEW, RSWR, NYM El Salvador Honor the Earth Reading Center Project Earth Summer 2018 Rochester Friends Meeting 5
Community Building
Rochester Friends Meeting May 2018, State of Society Report
Each year our Quaker Meeting writes a state of our society report to Northern Yearly Meeting (NYM). Each of the other Meetings and worship groups who belong to this regional organization do the same. Rochester Friends Meeting, May 2018, State of Society Report Rochester Friends gather each First Day for worship, singing and fellowship. Our average attendance is 15. We continue our tradition of ending worship with a sharing our joys and concerns and singing from the Quaker Hymnal. We then have refreshments and a social time. We hold mid-week worship once a month at the retirement home where two of the members live. This has enabled a few members of the retirement community to join us for worship. We have 2 families with young children, and 2 families with teens. First Day School is offered when the young children are present. The teens attend NYM Teen group retreats. Some of our members have formed a FCNL Advocacy Team and gather for the monthly phone conference. Our team includes a few people who are not attenders of the Meeting. Our team has made a lobby visits to the local offices of our Representative and one of our Senators. Some members plan to attend the FCNL Annual Meeting and that will include additional lobby visits. We approved becoming a Sanctuary Support Church. Several of our members have been attending meetings to better understand what we may be called upon to do. Mike Resman has also talked with other churches trying to get support. At this time, no one has yet sought sanctuary in Rochester. In response to the recent shooting in churches, we asked a police officer to speak to us on safety measures we can take. The suggestions included covering the lower half of the large window in our Meeting Room so that worshipers are not visible from the street, installing exits signs and getting new locks on the doors. We will implement these ideas as soon as possible. We have also shared these suggestions with the church from whom we rent our space. We have been concerned that our Meeting space is not handicap accessible. Bob Hoxie and Mike Resman have obtained bids for a ramp be built at the back of the building to allow wheelchair access. We will share the cost of building this ramp with our host church. Educational forums are held once a month after worship. Subjects have varied but we hope to spend the next year with the new NYM Faith and Practice. Our Education Committee also treats us by having a short quote from Quaker History on our chairs when we arrive for worship. Marian Van Dellen
Summer 2018 Rochester Friends Meeting 6
Looking for Community
Our Quaker community shares a belief in spiritual life, world peace, and making a better environment for our children. We welcome all seekers. Please call or come to a Meeting on Sunday if you have questions. Crafting and Fellowship One of the many ways we build community is by gathering together to do handwork. Bring a project you can work on while sitting around a table, or if you don’t have a project, simply join in on the conversation while we enjoy coffee or tea together.
Next gathering is on Saturday, June 30th at 10 am at Glenna’s home: 151 Avalon Cove Circle NW, Rochester. Feel free to bring snacks if you like. Thanks Maria for organizing this.
Need something to read? • See https://universalistfriends.org/weblog/benjamin-lay-quaker-abolitionist For a book review by Rich Van Dellen on: Benjamin Lay, Quaker abolitionist On reading Marcus Rediker’s The Fearless Benjamin Lay Published Thursday, 05 Apr 2018
• Several Friends have been reading: Our Life Is Love, The Quaker Spiritual Journey by Marcelle Martin. The book talks about how 17th century Friends and current Friends view their religious or spiritual life relates to each topic. Rochester’s Mike Resman was one of the current Quaker’s quoted. Subject topics are Transforming Faith and the Ten Elements of the Journey: Awakening (Longing, Seeking, Turning Within); Convincement (Openings, The Refiner’s Fire, Community); and Faithfulness (Leadings, The Cross, Abiding, Perfection).
• For those who attend our Meeting we have a wonderful library available for checkout after Worship and Singing (9:30 – 11am)
. Rochester Minnesota Friends Meeting A newsletter about our “Quaker” Meeting Our new phone # is (507) 272-5276
Summer 2018 Rochester Friends Meeting 7